Page 74 of Gwen and Art Are Not in Love

‘These are ridiculous,’ Bridget said in her ear, fingers pulling very slightly at the braids; Gwen could only make an undignified squeak in response. Her exhalation seemed to dislodge some of her moustache hair, and Bridget had to turn away to sneeze into her sleeve; it was high-pitched, not at all the kind of noise Gwen had ever expected to emanate from Bridget, and she stared at her disbelievingly, and then laughed as Bridget rolled her eyes and hauled her back in by the collar for another kiss.

They were interrupted by the sound of cheers. Gwen turned, with Bridget’s hand still pressed to the back of her neck, to see Arthur and Sidney raising their drinks aloft in celebration, Agnes giggling into Sidney’s shoulder; Arthur must have pounced upon Adah and Elaine and made introductions, as they were standing there too, laughing as they were jostled by the crowd. A red-faced man dancing next toArthur almost lost an eye to Arthur’s wild gesticulating as he applauded in Gwen’s direction, but Arthur mollified him with a friendly clap on the shoulder, shouting, ‘Sorry – sorry, mate, sorry – just pleased for my friend over there, he’s terrible with the ladies, barely knows which end is which – but he’s found himself a lovely obliging girl and he seems to have located the correct end for the sake of public decency.’

‘Stop it,’ Gwen mouthed with narrowed eyes, but Arthur just saluted her with mock sincerity and then turned to Adah and Elaine and began talking to them animatedly.

‘Your friend is deranged,’ said Bridget.

‘I can’t argue with you there,’ said Gwen, too happy to be peeved. ‘I’m sorry we haven’t spoken, I wanted to come and find you, but everything’s been so …’

‘You don’t have to explain,’ Bridget said, shrugging and removing some cat fur from Gwen’s shoulder. ‘I really wasn’t expecting to see you again.’

‘You weren’t?’ Gwen said, frowning, feeling some of her elation dissipate.

‘Hey,’ said Bridget, gently touching her chin. ‘Not like that. Just – being practical. Didn’t see how we could possibly swing it, with everything going on. But your pal Arthur came to see me, and he was very … insistent.’

‘He does tend to be.’ Gwen bit down on her lip, still feeling as if she’d somehow misjudged things. ‘So – you’re happy? To see me?’

‘What doyouthink?’ Bridget said, drawing Gwen towards her again.

‘Just checking,’ Gwen said, leaning back just enough tofeel herself held in place, and thinking that, ideally, Bridget would never let her go.

In the end, she did – but only because Arthur was pulling so insistently at Gwen’s sleeve that she might have lost an arm if Bridget had tried to retain it. Bridget didn’tdance, exactly, but she was willing to move as long as she was next to Gwen, who was in turn being goaded on by Sidney – who kept telling her that as theman, she was supposed to be leading. It didn’t matter; in the chaos, the stamping of feet and the spillage of yet more drinks and the cacophony of raised voices and pipe and fiddle, nobody cared that she was anything other than another warm body; they didn’t even notice when the last brave wisps of Gwen’s moustache finally gave up the ghost and fell to the floor to be trampled into the stones.

Agnes danced with Adah and Elaine, attempting to keep up as Adah shouted instructions. Sidney and Arthur danced together, trying to one-up each other with little kicks and pirouettes that got increasingly violent. Gwen danced with Bridget and smiled and smiled, and Bridget smiled back as if she were trying very hard not to, and Arthur kept coming over and clapping them both on the back and shaking their shoulders vigorously as if they’d won a bet or just announced the birth of a healthy heir. Bridget tolerated him, although her eyebrows seemed to raise higher every time, until Gwen thought he was approaching dangerous territory – but then she went for ten minutes with her shoulders unshaken, and when she looked for him, she realised that Arthur was gone.

‘I’m just going to … You stay here,’ Gwen said, ignoring the uncharacteristically panicked look Bridget shot at her as she backed away and Agnes held out a hand to Bridgetinstead, shimmying her hips suggestively. Gwen shouldered her way through the crowd until she reached the edge of it, and there she found Arthur leaning against a very lopsided well, watching the festivities with an empty cup in his hand and a melancholy smile on his face.

‘Hiding?’ she said, and he shrugged.

‘Taking a moment to replenish my youthful strength and vigour so that I may continue until dawn. And also, Sid stepped on my foot.’

‘A tragedy,’ Gwen said, taking a seat next to him. ‘Are you all right? You look a bit … morose. Not usually your speed.’

‘Hmmm,’ Arthur said, peering down into his cup. ‘He’s not a dainty lad, our Sidney. They may have to amputate.’

‘I didn’t mean about your bloodyfoot.’

‘I know you didn’t,’ Arthur said, sighing. ‘You are terribly nosy and far too discerning for somebody who should currently be caught up in celebration, being thrown about the dancefloor by Lady Muscles over there.’

‘I’ve done plenty of celebrating,’ Gwen said, nudging his elbow with hers. ‘If it’s my brother you’re moping over—’

‘I know you thinkeverythingis about you and your blood relatives, but it’s really not,’ Arthur said, wrinkling his nose at her, which softened the blow.

‘He wouldn’t have come, you know, even if he hadn’t been busy in the library under ten types of guard.’

‘Oh, I don’t know,’ Arthur said, shrugging. ‘I can be pretty persuasive.’

‘Urgh,’ Gwen said, pulling a face. Arthur smiled grimly back. ‘I’m sorry, Art. I know he’s not … I know it’s not easy, with him. He’s got it into his head that he must be everythingour father is, and more – and that if he doesn’t manage to unite the country and smooth over hundreds of years of bloodshed and squabbling, it’s because he didn’t work hard enough. There isn’t space inside his head for … for much else.’

Arthur put his cup down, smoothing his hands over his hair and turning to look at her properly. ‘Don’t be silly. I’m fine. I’m always fine.’

‘All right,’ said Gwen, finding his hand where his fingertips were pressed into the bricks and giving it a squeeze. ‘Well. If you’re sure.’

‘Lady Leclair must like you an awful lot,’ he said, instead of replying. ‘Sidney is currently trying to spin her, and thus far, she hasn’t killed him.’

‘I likeheran awful lot,’ Gwen said. ‘Thanks for doing this. For inviting her. And bringing me here. And just – for all of it.’

‘Christ, I must be going soft,’ Arthur said, shaking his head. ‘I mean really, what was in this for me? Practically nothing. It’s shocking.’