Page 72 of Be More Octopus

'Business cards?' asked Jack.

'Yes. Nancy suggested I get some printed. Here.' She picked up the box of cards from the coffee table and handed one to him. It had a print of Nancy's portrait on one side and Em's contact details on the other.

Jack turned the card over in his hand. 'Well, Emily Gillespie, portrait and landscape artist, these look extremely professional.'

'Thanks.' Em busied herself with putting the rest of the cards on the piano.

Nancy headed for the hall door. 'I'll leave you two to move that sofa nearer the bookcase while I make some tea.'

Jack waited until Nancy was out of earshot, then turned to Em. 'Truce?' He said tentatively.

'I wasn't aware we were fighting.'

'I felt we didn't part on good terms earlier. And you didn't seem that pleased to see me when I came in just now.'

She felt awkward. 'I'm sorry I walked off at the café. You're a guest here, and I should've treated you better.'

'I hope you'd have wanted to treat me better because we're friends.' He looked downcast. 'But I should have treated you better as well. I'm sorry I kept on about Karl.'

He sounded genuinely apologetic.

'Can we just forget about that conversation?' Em asked.

'That suits me.' Jack smiled. 'Honestly, forgetting everything that's happened this week would suit me. '

'Same here.' Em smiled back at him. They made eye contact for a moment.

'Haven't you moved that sofa yet?' Nancy returned with a tray of mugs.

Jack nodded to the sofa. 'You grab that end, Em.'

CHAPTER FIFTY

Half an hour before the official party start time, Em was nervously nursing a cup of tea in the privacy of her own living room, trying to pluck up enough courage to go over to the main house.

Her phone buzzed. A FaceTime call from Lucy, no doubt following up on the text Em had sent her an hour or so ago, filling her in on today's events. Better keep it quick. She ought to be in the drawing room helping Nancy make sure that everything was ready.

'I've been checking out this Clara woman,' Lucy said.

Em rolled her eyes. 'I'm not interested in who Clara is. If he's had a brief fling with her, that's his business. I can't complain after Karl.'

'But it has upset you.'

'Yes, it has. But he says he wants to forget about everything that's happened in the last week. I'm hoping that means he wants to forget about her too.'

'Remind me, when did he go to Italy?'

'Monday morning, according to Nancy.'

'So it was probably in response to seeing you with Karl on Instagram.'

'I guess that would explain his use of the word “confusing”,’ Em conceded. 'Are you making excuses for him?'

'I'm just frustrated that you both seem to want one another, but you don't seem to be able to make it happen! It shouldn't be this difficult. Is he at the party tonight?'

'Yes. He said he'd say a few words about working with me. '

'Being supportive. That's a good sign. Make sure you thank him properly afterwards.'