Read Dinner at Mine for Free Online Page A

on,’ Marcus said. ‘It says I need to use some letters. Let me pick one.’
    ‘Can you put the laptop away now?’ Rosie asked with brittle politeness.
    ‘I’m on Google now anyway, so I’ll just look this up . . .’
    ‘Marcus . . .’ Sarah said.
    ‘Oh,’ Marcus said to Matt, sounding disappointed. ‘We were both right about the tontine.’

Five
    ‘Barbara,’ Rosie slammed the wooden salad bowl down in the middle of the table, ‘why don’t you tell us about your exhibition?’
    Sarah watched Barbara, who had been staring into the middle distance, slowly focus on Rosie. ‘Really, it’s not much of an exhibition,’ Barbara said. ‘Just a couple of
pieces on display in the local café.’
    ‘Never mind. I’m sure everyone would love to hear about the work,’ Rosie insisted, still standing up. ‘Barbara’s a potter,’ she explained to the rest of the
table. ‘She makes such gorgeous things. That vase is one of hers.’ Everyone obediently studied the irregular, brightly coloured object on the sideboard.
    Sarah had never been sure she understood Barbara’s work. It was pretty, of course, most of it anyway, but the deeper themes that Barbara agonized over somehow weren’t apparent to
her. She had asked Barbara about it once, but Barbara had said you weren’t supposed to describe it, you were supposed to feel it.
    ‘How did you become a potter?’ Rosie asked. ‘I’ve always meant to ask.’
    ‘At college,’ Barbara replied.
    ‘Right.’ Rosie waited. ‘And when did you come to England?’
    ‘Three years ago.’
    ‘Why?’
    ‘To study at Goldsmiths.’
    After a few monosyllables the conversation drifted on to other things. Sarah wondered if something might be the matter. Barbara was so lively when she was in a good mood. Maybe it was the new
people. Beneath it all, Sarah suspected, Barbara was quite shy. You wouldn’t think it for someone so creative and beautiful, but she was a very serious person. It took a long time for her to
get comfortable with people; it had been almost a year of seeing each other at Pilates before she was really relaxed around Sarah.
    Although, it seemed to be quicker with Rosie. Sarah had introduced them only a couple of months ago, and now they were seeing each other just the two of them. Rosie had already been to see
Barbara’s exhibition. Sarah hadn’t. She had been planning to ask Rosie to go with her.
    It was great that they got on so well. Of course it was. Barbara didn’t know that many people over here, and it could get lonely in a foreign country. It was wonderful that she was
becoming friends with Rosie. But why didn’t they ask her along when they met?
    Sarah immediately felt guilty for thinking this. What was she worrying about? That Rosie was trying to steal her friend? Ridiculous. It was probably just that Rosie had a free afternoon, and
Barbara was self-employed. They would have known Sarah was at work and not wanted to bother her. Of course.
    ‘Here we are, everybody. Sorry about the wait.’ Rosie came back carrying two plates, trailed by Stephen carrying two more. ‘Duck Breast with Pomegranate Molasses.’
    ‘Oh that looks lovely,’ Sarah said as Rosie set down a plate in front of her. Thin slices of duck breast covered in a thick sauce sat nestled next to a mush of long, green vegetables
– what did they call that? Was it okra?
    There was a silence round the table. What had they been talking about? Sarah hadn’t been listening. Oh dear, that was bad, wasn’t it?
    ‘. . . And for the vegetarians, Aubergine and Tamarind Stew.’ Rosie was back with the last two plates. ‘Please help yourself to the pilaf, everyone, and the Candied Beetroot
and Lentil Salad.’ Rosie pulled in her chair and reached for the wine bottle. ‘Bon appetit.’
    Sarah realized she was absolutely starving. She gulped down a slice of duck breast very quickly. But that wasn’t right, was it? Rosie had gone to such effort that she ought to savour it