‘Mags, come on for goodness’ sake, I didn’t mean it like that,’ I say, pointing at the lion, ‘but you can’t just turn up here unannounced and then let that bloody dog piss all over my house.’
‘Your house, eh? Don’t forget your roots, Em.’ Mags raises an eyebrow, that familiar grin replaced by a quirky, lopsided smile that I haven’t seen before. ‘I came over because I told you I had mail for you and you still didn’t bother to come and collect it.’ It’s only now that I remember Mags telling me that, and I notice a small card and a package in Mags’s hand.
‘It won’t be anything important, that’s why I didn’t bother with it,’ I say cautiously. The stark white paper, the word BITCH etched into it in inky black, angry letters floats in front of my eyes.
‘Well, it is nearly Christmas and it looks like a card. I was hoping you’d come and visit and when you didn’t I thought maybe you wouldn’t mind if I came to you. The parcel isn’t from the flat, by the way. It was in your porch,’ Mags says, holding it out as she peers past me into the hallway.
‘Oh. Thank you. Look, Mags, I’m sorry I didn’t come over, things just got away from me, you know.’ I hold my hand out for the package, a flutter of nerves making my skin sing as I take it. Hand delivered is written in tiny letters in the corner. ‘I didn’t realize you knew where I lived.’ I did, of course I did, ever since she mentioned the stone lions that day, but I want to see how she knows. If she has told Harry.
‘God, Em, you’re not that hard to find, you know,’ Mags snorts. ‘All I had to do was google Rupert. Before he married you, him and the first wife were all over the media. Glitzy society bits, you know. It didn’t take me long to find out where you lived.’
My mouth goes dry and I find I can’t swallow, the weight of the gift like a stone in my hand. I picture Mags as I saw her last, in the street, bending to pick up my things as they rolled into the gutter. ‘It was that easy?’
‘Yep.’ Mags fumbles in her pocket and pulls out a battered hand-rolled cigarette, lighting up on the front porch and blowing a stream of cigarette smoke in my direction. I flap a hand irritably.
‘Mags, you haven’t heard from Harry, have you? You haven’t told him anything about where I live?’ I can hear the panicky undertone in my voice, and I can’t help peering past Mags into the darkness, sure I can see a shadowy figure lurking under the streetlight. ‘You saw him in the pub, and I thought… maybe you might have seen him again?’
‘No.’ Mags is insulted, her nose turning up at the thought of it. ‘I might be a lot of things, Em, but you might want to remember that I was – am – your friend. I know what he did to you, remember? I saw the bruises he left on you; I saw how terrified you were when you first moved into the flat. I thought I was doing you a favour, coming here, but clearly you don’t need me now you have Rupert…’ She spits out his name like it tastes of dog shit.
There is a sharp tug of annoyance in my chest and I open my mouth to defend Rupert, but before I can speak, I realize that there is a shadowy figure coming up the driveway, and my heart starts to beat double time in my chest. ‘Mags…’
‘Hello there.’ A hearty voice booms out, and I slump against the doorframe in relief, as Rupert appears next to Mags out of the shadowy gloom. ‘Em? Who’s this?’
‘Rupert, darling.’ I try to keep my breathing under control, not wanting Rupert to know how much he alarmed me. ‘This is Mags. You remember, my old flatmate. Mags is just leaving.’
Rupert turns to look Mags up and down a little, and I want nothing more than for her to leave without another word. I don’t want her to bring me mail, I don’t want her to stand on my doorstep and speak about Rupert in that tone. ‘Oh, of course.’ Rupert reaches down to pet Tiny, who gives a low growl and backs away. ‘Oh dear, someone clearly doesn’t like me.’ Rupert lets out a laugh that I am ninety per cent sure is fake, as Mags and I look at each other over the top of his head. ‘Nice to meet you, Mags. Come on inside, Em, it’s freezing out here.’ With a charming smile, Rupert whisks me back inside and closes the door before Mags can say another word.
‘Wow. What was she doing here?’ Rupert asks, as I stand shell-shocked in the hallway, the parcel still in my hand.
‘I don’t really know.’ I glance down at the package, wrapped neatly in green paper, my name written across it in swirly gold pen. ‘She said she came to deliver a card that had been sent to the flat in my name. I saw her in town a while ago and she mentioned it, but I just ignored it. Didn’t think it was important.’
‘How did she know to come here?’ Rupert turns to look at me, a frown on his face.
‘I don’t know, I never told her.’ I feel as though I have to make Rupert aware that none of this is down to me. ‘She said we weren’t that difficult to find.’ I stop short of mentioning Caro and the society pages.
‘Well, probably best if she doesn’t come here again, eh?’ Rupert brushes past me towards the staircase, dropping a kiss on my head as he passes by. ‘Every time you see her, she seems to upset you, Em. I did tell you
