Sam’s car drew up outside at exactly 12.59, and she opened the door as Claudine and Derek rushed past her legs. Sam, brandishing two bottles of champagne, hurried up the path behind them.
‘Oh, you didn’t have to bring anything!’ Lily said. ‘Thank you.’
‘You can never have too much champagne,’ Sam said, with a wink, handing her one of the bottles. ‘Let’s crack one open, shall we? Just to make sure it’s not corked.’
‘That sounds very sensible,’ nodded Lily, with mock seriousness. ‘Just to protect the guests, of course.’
‘Of course!’
‘Where’s Gabriel?’ she asked. ‘Did he decide not to come after all?’
‘Apparently he’ll be along later,’ Sam said with an eye roll. ‘He couldn’t bear the idea of infringing on our champagne and gossip time.’
‘Sensible man,’ Lily said, as they walked through to the kitchen.
‘Wow, it’s looking great!’ Sam said approvingly.
‘Thank you. I mean, it’s scrubbed up OK, right?’ Lily said, quite proud of the way everything was looking.
‘It looks amazing,’ Sam said. ‘There’s just one thing missing…’
‘What’s that?’
‘I don’t seem to have a glass of champers in my hand.’
Before she could rectify this, Chloé arrived, an enormous Tupperware container in her hands. She was wearing a navy dress, cinched in at the waist, that fell around her calves in delicate folds and looked – as always – absolutely perfect. ‘Les quiches,’ she said, before Lily could say anything. ‘I am sorry, I only make three.’
‘Wow, thank you,’ said Lily, smiling as she took the plastic box. ‘It’s really kind. And you look lovely.’
‘Ah, but so do you!’ Chloé said, looking at Lily’s strappy dress approvingly.
In the kitchen, she introduced Chloé to Sam. ‘Ah, I ’ave seen you at the lake, non?’ Chloé said.
‘Yes, probably. And I think my aunt stayed with you one year when we were renovating?’ Sam replied.
Formalities over, they finally popped the champagne cork and sat out on the terrace watching the children run amok in the enormous space. ‘So, is your friend, Emily, still coming?’ Sam asked.
‘Ah, Emily is coming?’ Chloé said. ‘She is a good friend to come so far.’
‘Yes, yes, she is,’ said Lily. ‘She should be here at three – her plane’s in about one,’ She looked at her watch. ‘I haven’t been able to get hold of her today at all.’
‘Ah, but she is travelling! It is not easy.’
‘She’s probably switched flight mode on.’
‘Yes.’ Lily nodded, still a bit perplexed that none of her messages had been answered. Worse, she still hadn’t been able to get hold of Ben and although there was probably no need to worry, she felt a frisson of anxiety in her chest whenever she thought about it. She took a gulp of champagne and felt it fizz coldly down her throat.
‘Steady on,’ Sam said. ‘You’ll be legless by the time anyone else arrives.’
‘Ah, just calming my nerves,’ Lily said. ‘Don’t worry, I’ll slow down.’
‘Ah, you don’t need to be nervous,’ said Sam, brushing her arm, ‘it’s going to be grand.’
‘Thanks.’ Lily smiled. She couldn’t bring herself to explain to Sam that she was also worried about Ben. Not least because she might well start crying and be streaked with mascara by the time the guests arrived. She was just feeling emotional because of the house-warming and the rite of passage it felt like. It felt like one of those occasions where everyone important in your life should be there, making the ones who aren’t loom large in your mind.
‘Bonjour!’ said a voice behind them, and they both jumped, Sam giving a little squeak and spilling a slosh of champagne on her front.
‘Frédérique!’ Lily said, turning. ‘You scared us.’
‘I am so sorry, Mesdames,’ he said, seriously. ‘But the door is open and I am carrying thees.’ His arms were wrapped around an enormous speaker, from which a microphone dangled on a wire. ‘My karaoke machine, uh?’
‘Oh, thank you,’ Lily said, hoping she wouldn’t come to regret her decision to let him bring it. ‘Let’s put it in the living room for now.’
‘The living room?’