Page 16 of The Cocktail Bar

How dare this Snotty Toff look down her snout at them, ather, like this? Notwithstanding the conveniently overlooked fact this was all Georgina’s own doing in the first place. Thank goodness Zara had left half an hour ago, although, even then things were getting louder in the volume department. One thing was for sure: next time a semi-attractive woman hinted at dalliance with her bartender, a subtler method was required.

“Once I have done the honours, Mr Jackson, you will call a cab and we’ll wait until we get the call from the uh… husbands, or partners, or whatever. I do hope neither of them resides alone. Goodness gracious, they might well choke in their sleep tonight.”

***

“There was a flippin’ good reason behind the prohibition of Absinthe in America in 1915, River,” Heather shook her head in disbelief. “How could you be so irresponsible as to keep a bottle behind the bar?”

“It’s long been OK’d, that’s how.” He stared at her, mimicking the frost on one of his glasses as she swirled at the remnants of her Ginger Rabbit. She was still only on her first drink.

Just as well really. Georgina felt she’d seen enough of this kind of drama for one night, and was now looking forward to a little hanky-panky in the hotel to help River put it all behind him. They’d been ‘together’ just six weeks, a secret to the outside world, all bar the receptionist at the nicest of Glastonbury’s two hotels, anyway. River, despite having his box room at home, had more than enough money besides to block book the ‘penthouse suite’ of the Hotel Guinevere for a six month stretch, at which point he planned to have found the perfect house of his own.

“Your mum has been a star this evening. Don’t take it out on her. It’s just one of those things, and we can all thank our own lucky stars it happened on a quiet night. It’s only going to get busier from now on.”

This was slightly optimistic given that Lady Rigby-Chandler had warned them in her inimitable style:

“I will have my beady little eye on the antics of this place. Oh yes. I will be in here at the most select of times, according to my social schedule, much like those hideously infuriating undercover diners. Naturally, Lord R.C here will accompany me; naturally since one and one’s husband are such esteemed members of aristocracy, one will not be paying for this evening’s toddies… or any future refreshments.”

“Heather,” Georgina warded off a shudder and turned to the woman she was all too aware could be her future mother-in-law, like if shewantedher to be, which she most categorically did not, “why don’t we call you a taxi now, too? We’ll clean up here and handle this and you go home and chill out. You were never meant to have got involved in the commotion. An early night and everything will look good as new in the morning – we’ll be ready to start afresh.”

After I have ridden your son senseless this evening; drawing him ever deeper under my spell on that king-sized bed.