Chapter 2

The final arrangements slid into place rather more easily than expected. Abigail and her cousins didn’t have to have their own apartment, there were three, but one for Mr and Mrs Gunstone, one for Mr and Mrs Gunstone and two daughters, and one for the four young adults (as they styled themselves). They were in the same block but on different floors! Win-Win. The flights out were the usual jumble of queuing to drop off luggage. Everybody checked in online, so why was it such a rigmarole to drop the bags off? Then there was security; queueing and removing belts and boots and

“My bra’s got metal in it, should I take it off?” Amelie asked the security man. He looked at her and responded with a smile that she was welcome to if she wanted. Then there was the passport check. Not for the first time Abi wondered what would happen if the passport wasn’t accepted? Could they go back out of security? Where would the luggage appear. But finally they were sitting in the departure lounge. Abigail came over:

“Dad said he’s sorry you couldn’t all get in on his premiere class card; I’ll sit with you -”

“Don’t be silly Abi, assure Mr Gunstone that we entirely understand; and go and treat yourself to the free coffee and tasty treats in the premier lounge. It’s fine.” Mary said.

“Yes, don’t give a thought to us sharing an overpriced coffee and one croissant.” Amelie added. She was laughing.

“Actually, I know Rupert has some peanut butter sandwiches which he is dying to share around.” Rupert was happy to, he’d thought of only making enough for himself and being criticised, or making enough for all of them and being told ‘not on your life’. He’d gone with the second option.

“Peanut butter and marmalade, peanut butter and marmite, peanut butter and celery – my favourite, plain peanut butter. People have walked to the North Pole on less.”

“I doubt that very much.”

“Have you not heard of Captain Jose Tarquin Ferrer, the SunPat Adventurer?” None of them believed him, but they weren’t quite sure. On the plane, Abi was sitting with her parents and sensibly reading a book, she was a seasoned traveller and knew not to be bored. The other three would have liked to be in a row together, but in the new ‘serving you is our top priority’ attitude, choosing a seat costed more, so they were spread out through the plane. It meant that Rupert had an old lady falling asleep at the window so he couldn’t see out, and Mary had an old letch who kept seeing if her shirt showed any boob. Amelie, by contrast, sat beside a young boy on a school skiing trip. He was fourteen and she gave him a trip to remember. She was in a skirt (‘I’ll change into something warmer when we get there, a girl has to look good’) which she allowed to ride up, one of her shirt buttons ‘accidentally’ undid so she definitely showed more boob than would be expected. She talked to him all the way, turning to him so he could get good – innocent – views of the magical valley on her chest. She whispered that she hoped his school was on ground level rooms so the pupils could climb in through the windows. Whether any of her chat up line suggestions worked, she’d never know, but it passed the time very pleasantly for both of them. At the airport, waiting for the luggage, Amelie disappeared and reappeared in sensible cold weather trousers.

“Amelie? You had them with you all the time and yet chose to travel in a teeny skirt?” Abi asked.

“Yeah, I had leggings on though.”

“Well, you had tights on. That boy you were with, he clearly enjoyed the journey. Did you have your shirt undone all the way over?”

“Oh, it was not undone, more loosened ... to be comfortable on the journey. Ah, there’s my bag. I think. Oh, no, another black bag. Next time I might actually listen to Mum – she suggested putting something on the handle so I could tell which was mine.” The boy she had been beside was looking at her, her friends all knew that look; it said ‘now I really understand sex, I want to rip off her clothes and fuck the living daylights out of her right here, right now’. She had that effect on boys. Most girls would be horrified that boys had such thoughts, Amelie just accepted that boys were rampaging bottles of hormones and accepted the thoughts as compliments. She didn’t see such thoughts as likely to be translated into actions; well, not often. With the number of people, it made sense to hire two cars. Mr Gunstone had done his homework. He hired two cars naming himself and his wife as principle drivers, then he just added Abigail as an additional driver to each. So Abi could drive both cars.

“I suggest we set off through the town and stop on the motorway at the services, where Abi can take over one or other?” They offered to pay for the second car once again; knowing he would refuse, which he did. But he was pleased that they offered. Once driving, Mrs Gunstone looked in the mirror at Mary and Rupert (once again not trying to push himself forward to be in the front), and then across at Amelie.

“Now, we know what happened on the boat. We all know, even hubby finally has suspicions I think. But Abi’s cousins are younger – I know Lucy is the same age as you were but you know what I mean. So ... don’t take advantage. I mean I don’t think there will be any opportunity, but when you four ... do whatever you four do; I don’t expect them to be dragged in. I’m not sure I’m being clear.”

“Mrs Gunstone, you are being clear. Just to be clear in return. As you know everything that went on was consensual, you know that. Rupert would never pressurise anybody. He’s an arrogant, big-head; but that just describes most males doesn’t it? But he is kind too and not ... well he’s okay.” Mary said

“Yes, the same applies to the wedding in Ireland, of course.” Amelie added without thinking.

“What went on? Oh, no, I probably shouldn’t ask.”

“Probaly best.” Rupert agreed with a smile.

“You know the word is probably, don’t you Rupe?” Amelie asked.

“That’s what I said.”

“Actually, Rupert, you say ‘probaly’. Young people these days don’t speak right, do they Mrs Gunstone?” Amelie asked. Mrs Gunstone had been an English teacher before having Abi, she still helped out sometimes at the local school.

“Well, you just said ‘speak right’. Really it should be ‘speak correctly’.” Mrs Gunstone answered. There followed a conversation on whether language should evolve or should be subject to strict, unchanging rules. Amelie smiled to herself. She might seem gauche and unsophisticated sometimes, but she could manipulate people when she wanted; and she’d just manipulated Mrs Gunstone away from any more questions. It wasn’t just the wedding, the Guide trip to the Lake District had better stay very, very private.

“Look you had better call me Isobel, I don’t think I can stand being Mrs Gunstone for a whole week. Isobel and Trevor. Okay?” In the other car, Trevor Gunstone was attempting to have a heart to heart with his daughter. Attempting, and largely failing. He wanted to tell her not to do anything ‘sexual’ without saying it, and in any case he recognised that he was probably too late. He liked Rupert, he really did. He liked Mary too; Amelie he was less sure about, he was pretty sure she had been leading that boy on on the plane. But how did they all fit together? Were Mary and Abi lesbians? Surely not, they didn’t wear dungarees and have shaved heads. Mr Gunstone was a little conservative with a small ‘c’ in his views on sexuality. Actually he was very conservative. It was conservative with a small ‘c’ because he always voted Labour, not Conservative, in the elections; convincing himself that that made him some kind of Che Guavara revolutionary in the golf club. He didn’t want to imagine what Rupert and Abi might get up to; didn’t want to imagine, but actually couldn’t stop himself. On their holiday in the summer when Abi had been sunning herself in her bikini, he had found it impossible not to imagine a boy – probably Rupert, but not necessarily – going beyond that thin cotton covering as she lay on her back with her legs slightly open. He never imagined it was him doing it, but it didn’t stop him getting hot and bothered at the thought and having to go for more swims than he normally would. He tried again with Abi in the car.