One Perfect Summer

time since I met him, his eyes reminded me of his mother’s.
    Matthew is telling Lizzy about his job when I re-emerge. ‘The Guardian ,’ he answers her question about which newspaper he works for.
    ‘Cool!’ she enthuses.
    ‘I’m not sure that’s the word I’d use to describe it,’ he replies good-naturedly.
    She giggles. ‘No, it’s not exactly the Daily Mirror , is it?’
    ‘The Daily Mirror is “cool”?’ Matthew asks her with a raised eyebrow.
    She giggles again. ‘Okay, maybe not cool, but definitely fun.’
    ‘When will dinner be ready?’ Lukas asks me.
    ‘In about five minutes,’ I tell him. ‘We can sit at the table now, if you like.’
    ‘I’m not sure I’ll be able to stand,’ Lizzy says, her glass of champagne wobbling precariously as she tries to sit up.
    ‘That sofa has almost swallowed you whole!’ Harry laughs and takes the glass from her.
    Matthew extricates himself from the cushions and then offers her his hands. She takes them and he pulls her to her feet. She blushes again.
    ‘Let me help you in the kitchen?’ she offers, mouthing, ‘ Phwoar! ’ as the boys go through to the dining room.
    I laugh under my breath. ‘Thought you’d like him.’
    ‘Seriously, how hot ?’ she exclaims when we’re out of earshot. ‘Does he have a girlfriend?’
    ‘I don’t think so,’ I reply. I’m sure Lukas would have revealed that piece of information, if nothing else.
    ‘This is delicious,’ Matthew enthuses later, a few mouthfuls into his lasagne.
    ‘I can’t take any credit,’ I reveal before anyone else does. ‘I got it from the farm shop at Coton.’
    ‘The fig and mozzarella salad was amazing too,’ Lizzy adds.
    ‘I only had to peel the figs,’ I reply modestly.
    ‘Well, you managed it triumphantly!’ Harry exclaims, raising his glass. We’ve moved onto red wine. ‘Here’s to old friends – and new,’ he adds with a pointed look at Lizzy.
    We chink glasses. I notice my friend pursing her lips. She’s done this occasionally throughout dinner, usually when Harry speaks. I don’t think she gets him.
    ‘Don’t you like Harry?’ I ask her later when she comes through to the kitchen to help me prepare dessert: farm-shop meringue nests with cream whipped by moi and berries, also washed by yours truly.
    She pulls a face. ‘It’s like they’re from another era. Matthew’s a toff too, but he’s a bit more normal.’
    I pause for a moment as her comment sinks in. ‘Are you saying Lukas is from another era too?’
    She backtracks. ‘He’s just a bit different, isn’t he? Quite proper. Not like Joe.’
    The shooting pain is still there, but the alcohol has taken the edge off.
    ‘I can’t believe you’ve brought him up again.’
    She looks mortified. ‘I’m sorry,’ she says quickly. ‘I don’t know what I’m saying. I’ve had too much to drink.’
    ‘You hardly know Lukas,’ I add bitterly. ‘And Harry is lovely,’ I say in his defence.
    ‘I’m sorry. He is. He’s very nice. And Lukas is too. I’m not really slagging him off.’
    Actually, you are. But I let it lie.
    ‘I think Alice will make a terrible teacher!’ Harry exclaims when we walk back through with dessert.
    ‘Why?’ I reply, slightly affronted as I place a plate down in front of Lukas.
    ‘Those boys won’t be able to concentrate if you’re in the room.’
    ‘I’m going to be teaching six-year-olds, you idiot!’ I thump him on his back. ‘And I’ve had more than enough practice dealing with juveniles over the last two years.’
    Matthew cracks up laughing.
    ‘What’s this?’ Lizzy regards this exchange with confusion.
    ‘I think I’m going to go into teaching,’ I explain, sitting back down.
    ‘Are you really?’ she asks with surprise. ‘In London?’
    ‘No, in Cambridge.’ I glance with pride at my boyfriend. ‘Lukas has got a job with the university.’
    Lukas will be a research associate. Something to do with astrophysics and extragalactic astronomy observational projects. Or something.
    Harry pats him on the back. ‘Well done, old chap.’
    Old chap? Inadvertently my eyes go to Lizzy, but she manages to keep a straight face this time.
    ‘I’m disappointed with your friend,’ Lukas says later, when we’re climbing into bed.
    ‘What’s that supposed to mean?’ I keep my voice down so she can’t overhear.
    ‘I found her to be quite uncouth.’
    ‘Uncouth? She’s not uncouth!’
    ‘Do you know, she actually rolled her eyes when Harry