Page 109 of Guilty Pleasures

‘If you mean have Roger and Rebecca fired any barbed remarks my way, then no, they seem to be on their best behaviour tonight.’

‘I see Cassandra won’t be coming.’

‘I assume not, but how do you know for sure?’

‘She’s throwing a party tonight as well. Apparently it’s to launch her book.’

‘God, she is absolutely impossible!’

Ruan put his hand on her shoulder.

‘Em, it doesn’t matter any more. Look down there: we’ve made it. And if you needed any reassurance, I think you’ll find the last 100 Bag has just been sold.’

He pointed to an expensively-dressed woman leaving the party carrying a chocolate-brown cardboard bag, festooned with a turquoise ribbon. They had spent a long time redesigning the packaging, making the Milford brown more rich and chocolaty and the blue more vivid and crisp. The carrier bags were almost as desirable as what was inside.

Emma watched the woman go and turned to Ruan, her mouth open.

‘Really? You’re kidding, right?’

Ruan shook his head.

‘We’ve sold out in every colour. That’s six hundred bags each, selling at over two thousand pounds each.’

‘No!’ she gasped, quickly doing the maths in her head, ‘Even with the ones we gave away, that’s … Ruan, this is brilliant!’

‘Plus, Eugenie Vlodsky – she’s the wife of that Russian oligarch – has just made enquiries about a “comprehensive” bespoke luggage set in antelope skin: I bet her definition of comprehensive is pretty ample. And Em, that’s just the start, we’ve had thirty-five appointments for our bespoke services put in the book just tonight.’

Emma felt like doing a cartwheel, but restrained herself and instead leaned over and gave Ruan a kiss on the cheek.

‘Thank you,’ she said simply, squeezing his hand. ‘I couldn’t have asked for a better right-hand man.’

Emma finished her champagne and walked back down into the main throng of the party. Eyes looked up approvingly as she descended. She felt embarrassed under scrutiny although she knew she looked fantastic. Her bottle-green Lanvin silk dress was simple yet stunning, cut just below the knee with bracelet sleeves and a generously scooped neckline. Her hair had been blow-dried so it fell in soft waves around her shoulders. She wore no jewellery except for her watch and a pair of pearl earrings; she didn’t need any. She was the CEO of a luxury goods company and the patina of power and glamour finished off her look without her even knowing it. Emma no longer needed guidance to look good. She would never be an intuitively stylish woman like Stella who seemed to be able to throw a quirky necklace onto an otherwise unremarkable dress to create something memorable and unique, but she had acquired a low-key, elegant style all of her own.

Over the other side of the room she could see Rob Holland and Jessica arrive. Still going strong, I see, thought Emma, before realizing that she’d actually forgotten to invite him. It had been almost two months since they had seen each other at the festival; they’d spoken a few times on the phone about Winterfold, about rent and repairs and so on, but that had been about it. Looking at him towering over the crowd, it made her a little sad. Even though he could be absolutely infuriating, she had at one time thought she and Rob could become good friends. Still, maybe he was genuinely happy with Jessica; she shrugged as he caught her eye and made his way over, kissing her on both cheeks.

‘Stella called me to see if I wanted to pop down,’ he said answering the unspoken question. ‘Said I could come on the proviso I got some of my acts to come.’

‘She didn’t!’ Emma said, lifting her hand to her mouth.

He grinned. ‘Sounded like a fair enough trade-off to me.’

He popped a canapé in his mouth and turned round to look for Jessica but she was now having her photograph taken in a swarming mass of paparazzi by the door.

‘I have to say, Em. This is officially a great party.’

‘You say that with such surprise,’ smiled Emma.

‘You have many talents Miss Bailey, but I wasn’t sure partying was going to be one of them. Next time I have one of my naughty rock acts in town I’m gonna tell them to give you a call.’

They both laughed.

‘I haven’t seen you in weeks.’

‘I’ve been staying in London actually. Jessica’s idea of rural is Holland Park, although this weekend I’m forcing her out of the Big Smoke.’

‘Are you both coming out to Chilcot?’

‘Norfolk actually. A friend of mine is lending me his house up there. It’s on stilts right by the beach, a crazy-looking thing.’