workers and touched her arm.
He was rewarded by her face lighting up.
‘James! How lovely to see you.’
‘Need rescuing?’ he murmured as he kissed her cheek, and felt Liza’s answering nod.
‘Thanks.’ She breathed a sigh of relief when he had extricated her from the circle. ‘Phew. The great mozzarella debate. I couldn’t have taken much more of that.’
James shook his head. ‘What are you doing here?’
‘If you know Robert and Delia, you know why I’m here,’ Liza said with a wry smile. ‘Since I’ve known them, they’ve invited me to every party they’ve had. I’m actually staying with my parents at the moment, down in Devon, but I drive back every week to keep an eye on the flat. Delia spotted me and insisted I came along here tonight. The more I tried to tell her I didn’t feel up to it, the more convinced she became that a party was what I needed to buck me up.’
Poor Liza, fallen helpless victim to Robert and Delia’s bulldozer approach.
‘And has it?’
‘Of course it hasn’t. But they meant well,’ said Liza. ‘It’s my own fault anyway for being too much of a wimp to say no.’
She had lost some weight, James noticed. The famously voluptuous figure had been pared down, that mesmerising cleavage had shrunk. Being thinner didn’t particularly suit her, but since he knew she hadn’t done it on purpose he didn’t point it out.
‘I read about you and Kit Berenger in the paper, of course. I was so sorry to hear about ... you know, what happened.’
James felt awkward; it was always hard to know what to say. But Liza simply nodded. She understood.
‘He was the love of my life, James. You know what I used to be like. Kit changed all that. Then, suddenly, something like that happens ... and he’s gone. There was nothing I could do about it. I never even had a chance to say goodbye.’
There was a catch in her voice. She was pale and not far from tears, he realised, but determined not to break down in public.
‘Come on.’ James took her hand. ‘You’ve done your duty. I’ll drive you home.’
‘It’s okay, I’m not going to cry.’
‘Do you want to stay?’
Wearily Liza smiled and shook her head.
‘Oh no. I’d definitely prefer to go home.’
Outside, frost glistened on the road. Their breath came out in white puffballs of condensation and hung in the air before them. Shivering, Liza waited at the top of the steps for James to find whatever he was searching for in his coat pocket.
Finally, pulling out his keys, he aimed at a blue Mazdaparked twenty yards down the road on their right. The central locking beeped and clicked open.
‘You don’t have to drive me home,’ said Liza.
‘Don’t be silly.’
‘Really, there’s no need.’
James led her gently but firmly down the flight of stone steps and pointed her in the direction of the Mazda.
‘Liza, don’t argue. It’s no trouble. I want to drive you home.’
She took the keys from him, zapped the car and locked it again.
‘Dear James,’ Liza’s smile was affectionate, ‘you’re a gentleman, but what I mean is, there’s really no need.’ She patted the railings in front of the house they were just passing. ‘I live here.’
They chatted easily together in the kitchen of Liza’s flat while she made coffee and poured each of them a brandy.
‘I met the Cresswells at the opening of an exhibition at the Pelican Gallery,’ James explained.
‘Robert introduced me to Delia’s sister. You know what they’re like when it comes to matchmaking.’
Liza knew.
‘Did it work?’
‘No,’ said James simply. ‘Oh, she was a nice enough girl. But she just ...’
She just wasn’t Bibi.
Liza poured the coffee and carried the cups through to the sitting room. James followed with the glasses of brandy.
As she reached down to switch on a red shaded lamp, Liza said, ‘Do you still miss her?’
Bibi’s name hadn’t been mentioned but James didn’t need to ask who she meant.
He still missed Bibi terribly.
He looked at Liza, and shrugged.
‘All the time.’
