Page 92 of The Honeymoon Affair

‘Fine.’ I clear my throat. ‘Sorry.’

‘That Merlot should be savoured,’ says Ariel. ‘It’s an excellent vintage.’

‘I was savouring it,’ I say. ‘A bit too much, obviously.’

‘Maybe you’re more of a cocktail girl.’ Charles grins. ‘Never saw you having a problem at the White Sands.’

‘I don’t have a problem with alcohol generally,’ I say. ‘Neither swallowing it nor drinking too much of it.’

‘Hmm.’ He grins again at that. ‘I seem to remember one or two mornings when you were less than bright-eyed and bushy-tailed.’

‘I was fine every morning.’ My words are sharper than I intended, and he looks startled. Ariel, on the other hand, smiles.

‘So tell me more about yourself.’ She leans her head to one side and looks at me enquiringly. ‘Charles has been very sparse with the details, except for crediting you with turning him into a crime fiction author.’

‘I didn’t. He decided on that himself.’

‘You recommended Janice Jermyn to him. He’d never have listened to me if I’d done that. She’s one of my authors, you know,’ she adds. ‘I’ll get you a signed copy of The Mystery of the Missing Mallet if you like.’

‘Would you?’ I’m taken aback by her offer. Charles never returned my Missing Mallet copy to me. ‘I have a signed copy of The Mystery of the Drowning Fish, but I’d love one of the Missing Mallet.’

‘Ah, the Drowning Fish.’ She looks pleased. ‘Six weeks at the top of the bestseller list.’

‘Really?’ Charles looks at her in surprise.

‘Yes,’ says Ariel. ‘Apple TV is interested too.’

‘Seriously?’ This time his voice is tight. He told me before that Ariel was working on a streaming deal for him.

‘We’re in conversation with them,’ she says. ‘I shouldn’t have said anything, though. It’s not signed, sealed and delivered yet.’

‘Who’ll play Claude?’ I ask. ‘He’s such a great character.’

‘Probably a newcomer, but definitely someone handsome,’ says Ariel.

‘Charles’s detective is very handsome too.’ I wink at him. ‘I can’t wait to see him on the screen.’

‘Those kinds of deals take ages,’ he says.

‘I’m sure Ariel is working really hard on your behalf,’ I tell him, and then turn to her and thank her for the offer of the signed Janice Jermyn.

‘My pleasure,’ she says. ‘So, Iseult, what d’you think of Charles’s effort? Really? Between ourselves.’

‘I think it’s great. Good characters, good plot and perfect for TV.’

‘I like your loyalty,’ she says.

‘It’s definitely a great read. A bit . . . wordy,’ I add, ‘but I think that’ll suit his fans.’

‘You know what his fans want?’ She gives me an amused look.

I shrug, and tell her that my cousin is the literary one in the family and she loves Charles’s books, and that I know she’ll love A Caribbean Calypso too.

‘She was at the party,’ Charles says, looking at Ariel. ‘Do you remember her? Brunette, silver dress. Spent a lot of time talking to that bookseller . . . um . . . Darragh somebody or other.’

‘Mackey,’ I supply.

‘Of course I remember her,’ says Ariel, who looks a little surprised at me remembering the bookseller’s name. I don’t tell her that Celeste has been on two dates with him since New Year. She’s quite smitten. Well, as smitten as Celeste ever gets. It’s a long time since she’s lost her heart to anyone.