He poked his tongue out at her. ‘And I will simply fly through the air on my vampire wings and wait for you at the bottom.’

Cat’s heart gave a little jolt. Henry’s manner was so playful that she had struggled all morning to know whether he was serious. And here he was, talking of being a vampire. Was he merely joking or was this some bravura double-bluff calculated to divert suspicion from his true nature? The more time she spent with the Tilneys, the more off-kilter she felt. Was that to do with her own emotions or their behaviour? And if it was them, was their conduct deliberately unsettling?

In a bid to change the subject, Cat picked up on Henry’s mention of their brother. ‘Tell me about the gallant Captain Tilney,’ she said.

Ellie and Henry exchanged looks. ‘He’s half a dozen years older than me,’ Henry said. ‘He was sent off to boarding school before I even remember him. We went to different schools too, so we’ve never been close. We don’t actually have much in common.’

‘Father says he’s a good soldier, according to his commanding officers. He’s done two tours in Afghanistan and he’s just come back on leave. We don’t actually see very much of him at Northanger,’ Ellie added. ‘He finds us all a bit dull, I think.’

There was an awkward silence then Henry asked Cat what films she’d enjoyed recently. It was a more comfortable subject for all of them and their tongues were hardly still as they made their way down the extinct volcano, talking animatedly about films and TV shows they loved and loathed. Happily, it seemed that Cat shared the taste of both Tilneys, which only added to her conviction that there was already a special bond between them.

Her pleasure in the excursion was made complete when, instead of dropping her off in Queen Street, Henry left the car at their mews garage and all three of them returned to the Allens’ flat, where Susie bustled round feeding them sushi and cheeses and fruit chutneys bought that morning from the finest little deli she’d discovered on Rose Street. The walk had given them an appetite and they fell on the generous spread as if they hadn’t eaten for days. ‘You are completely spoiling us, Susie,’ Henry said. ‘I think you’re jealous because we cut such a fine figure on the dance floor and you’re trying to slow us down. Either that or you’re a secret cannibal, fattening us up for the pot.’

‘Excuse my brother, Susie,’ Ellie said wearily. ‘He can be serious about nothing at all.’

Susie, who had looked puzzled at Henry’s words, smiled uncertainly. ‘I’m sure he means no harm.’

‘Don’t bank on it,’ Ellie muttered to Cat. Then she spoke up again. ‘Susie, we were wondering if you could spare Cat tomorrow evening? We’d like her to come round for supper.’

This was the best of news to Cat, who had a moment of delicious anticipation before Susie said it was no problem, because she knew someone who would be very happy to have Cat’s ticket for an evening of traditional French folk songs. So even though the Tilneys left after lunch, Cat’s disappointment at their departure did not run too deep since they were to meet again so soon.

She had more reason to suppose her luck had changed later that afternoon. She was standing in line with Susie to get into the afternoon show at the Stand comedy club when they ran into Jess Thorpe and a couple of her friends. ‘Hey, Cat,’ Jess said. ‘Wassup?’

‘Hey, Jess. So, did Bella and Johnny go off to Glasgow after all?’

Jess rolled her eyes in what appeared to be the Thorpe family’s all-purpose gesture. ‘They went really early, like, around eight. Woke the whole house up. Your bro and Bella, and Johnny took Claire. How pitiful is that, having to take your kid sister on a day out?’

‘Yeah, but it’s nice for Bella to have a bit of female company.’

‘You think? When Jamie’s around, it’s like Bella’s deaf and blind to the rest of us. But Claire wanted to go. Something about some haunted castle or whatever.’

‘Didn’t you fancy it?’

Jess pretended to stick two fingers down her throat. ‘No thanks. Like I said to Em and Soph here, I’d rather stick needles in my eyes than hang out in some dreary ruined castle.’

Luckily Cat was absolved from further conversation because the door crew allowed them inside. But she was glad to know the trip to Glasgow had gone ahead. She sincerely hoped there had been no disasters with James’s car and that they’d had as much fun on their day out as she had. That way, James and Bella might have forgiven her absence by the time they returned.

A girl could always hope.

15

Cat awoke to a text from Bella that seemed to indicate her hopes had been justified.


Soz we fell out, gf. Its coz I heart u so much. 4give, yeah? On my knees 2 u, come and hv brunch chez Thorpe. Need 2 talk to u, big news coming down. Bx0x


When she hadn’t replied within five minutes, a second text followed.


Pse, pretty pse, we have PAIN AU CHOCOLAT, u kno u want it. Buzzing 2 c u. Bx0x


OK. C u soon. Cx


Cat didn’t want to be standoffish nor did she want to gush as if she was indirectly admitting she was in the wrong. But she did want to return to the same friendly footing she and Bella had shared. And so she was willing to accept the olive branch Bella was so determined to extend. And after all, Cat realised her own reaction might have seemed a little harsh. Even though she had been right, she reminded herself.

When Cat arrived at the Thorpes’ flat, there was no sign of Bella or brunch. Jess and Claire were in the living room, grooming each other’s long hair like a pair of orang-utans. ‘She’s in the shower,’ Jess said.

‘Did you have a good time yesterday?’ Cat asked Claire.

She did the trademark Thorpe eye roll. ‘Not that you’d notice. We went to some shopping mall, which was totally a waste of time because me and Bella are, like, totes broke. Then Johnny insisted on going to some club for lunch that was full of suits and dinosaurs. Nothing to eat that wasn’t half a dead animal. I mean, God. I haven’t been so bored since school. Then on the way home, it started to rain. Only, the roof on Johnny’s bloody fabulous car wouldn’t go up, so I got totally soaked. It’s a miracle I haven’t got pneumonia. Just be grateful you got yourself off the hook.’

‘What about Linlithgow? Did you not at least enjoy the haunted castle?’

Claire looked at her as if she was deranged. ‘Haunted castle? What are you on about?’

‘When Bella was trying to talk me into going, she promised we’d go to Linlithgow Palace on the way.’

Claire shrugged. ‘Nobody said anything about a haunted castle to me. Why would you want to go and see a haunted castle, anyway? Gross.’

Before Cat had a chance to explain the romantic frisson of ghosts, Bella burst in with her hair wrapped in a towel. ‘Oh, Cat, you came!’ She embraced her friend. ‘You’ve guessed, haven’t you? One word from me and you worked it all out, didn’t you, you clever clogs!’

Cat had not the faintest notion what Bella meant. ‘Truly, Bella, I’ve no idea what you’re on about.’

Bella gave her a friendly nudge. ‘It’s OK, you can admit it now. My secret was safe with you, but now it’s not a secret any more.’

Her secret had indeed been safe with Cat, who was still at a loss to know what it was she was supposed to know already. ‘I really don’t—’

‘I’ve seen the way you watch us. That knowing little smile of yours, Cat. I swear, you knew even before I knew myself. Obviously, you’re so in tune with your lovely brother, you can sense his feelings.’

The introduction of her brother into the conversation allowed a little light to dawn on Cat. ‘You mean, you and James? You’re an item?’

Bella hooted with laughter. ‘Don’t pretend you didn’t know. Honestly, he’s so gorgeous, you must be used to women throwing themselves at him.’

Cat was aware of her brother’s many good qualities, but considering him handsome was a novelty to her. In her eyes, his looks were serviceable, no more. Not like beautiful Henry Tilney. ‘If you say so,’ she said. ‘It’s hard for me to imagine anybody being in love with my brother, on account of I’ve known him all my life and seen him in so many situations that were the complete opposite of romantic.’

Bella giggled. ‘You are soooo bad, Cat Morland. Because Jamie is an absolute sweetheart. I just wish I felt I deserved him. And your mum and dad, what will they think? They’ll be, like, “She’s not good enough for you, Jamie.”’

For a start, Cat thought, they wouldn’t be calling him Jamie. Nor did she expect they would be silly enough to express anything other than a kind opinion of their son’s girlfriend. ‘It’s not up to them who James chooses to go out with.’

Bella clapped a hand to her mouth. ‘OMG,’ she said. ‘You’re one beat behind the dance, sweetie. He’s more than my boyfriend, Cat, he’s my fiancé.’

The revelation completely altered Cat’s reaction. Boyfriend/girlfriend was no big deal, not when you got down to it. People came together and split up all the time. But engaged to be married took things to a completely different level. This was a monumental event, a huge commitment, a totally grown-up thing to be doing. This, Cat felt sure, was a moment she would remember all her life, the moment when the first of her generation of Morlands truly stepped into the adult world. She threw her arms round Bella and squealed, ‘You’re going to be my sister-in-law!’

‘I know, and you’re going to be my chief bridesmaid. You’re going to be far dearer and closer to me than Jess and Claire.’

‘Well, thanks a bundle,’ Jess muttered. ‘Come on, Claire, we know when we’re not wanted.’