other,” said Lesley. “Her party! Who wants to bother with that kind of thing?”
“Did I hear something about a party? I’ll be there!” Gideon’s brother Raphael had emerged behind us, and made his way in between us with a confident look, taking my arm and putting his other arm around Lesley’swaist. He’d done his tie up in a very peculiar way. Well, strictly speaking, he’d just tied a double knot in it. “And there was I thinking you Brits don’t have much to celebrate! Closing time in the pubs and all that.”
Lesley shook free of him. “I’m afraid I’ll have to disappoint you. Cynthia’s annual costume party isn’t the sort of party you’d enjoy. Unless you like the kind where parents keepa beady eye on the buffet to make sure no one mixes anything alcoholic into the drinks or tips over the dessert.”
“Yes, Cynthia’s mum and dad do that, but they always try playing funny games with us,” I defended them. “And they’re usually the only ones who dance.” I glanced at Raphael sideways, and quickly looked away again because his profile was so like his brother’s. “To be honest, I’m surprisedCyn hasn’t invited you yet.”
“She did.” Raphael sighed. “I said I was afraid I had another engagement. I hate themed parties where you have to dress up. But if I’d known you two were going…”
I was about to offer to tie his tie properly for him (the school rules were pretty strict about that), when he put his arm around Lesley’s waist again and said cheerfully, “Did you tell Gwyneth that we trackeddown the location of the treasure in your mystery game? Has she found it yet?”
“Yes,” said Lesley briefly. I noticed that she didn’t shake herself free this time.
“So how’s the game getting along, mignonne ?”
“It’s not really a—” I began, but Lesley interrupted me.
“I’m sorry, Raphael, but you can’t play anymore,” she said coolly.
“What? Oh, come on, I don’t think that’s fair!”
I didn’t thinkit was fair, either. After all, we weren’t playing a game for poor Raphael to be kept out of, and he’d been a help so far. “Lesley only means that—”
Lesley interrupted me again. “Life isn’t fair,” she said, if possible even more coolly. “You have your brother to thank for that. As I’m sure you know, we’re on different sides in what you call the game. And we can’t risk you passing on informationto Gideon. Who, by the way, is an absolute bas—not a particularly pleasant person.”
“Lesley!” Was she out of her mind?
“ What? This treasure hunt has something to do with my brother and the time-traveling business?” Raphael had let go of Lesley and was standing there as if rooted to the ground. “So what’s he supposed to have done to you two?”
“Don’t act so surprised!” said Lesley. “I’m sureyou and Gideon talk everything over together.” She winked at me, but I could only stare back, baffled.
“No, we don’t!” cried Raphael. “We spend hardly any time together. Gideon is always off somewhere on secret missions. And if he does happen to be at home, he’s brooding over mysterious documents or staring into the depths of space. Or, even worse, Charlotte turns up and gets on my nerves.” Helooked so unhappy that I’d have liked to put my arms around him, particularly when he added quietly, “I thought we were friends. Yesterday afternoon I felt sure we were going to get on really well together.”
Lesley—or perhaps I’d better call her my friend the fridge—just shrugged her shoulders. “Yes, yesterday was nice. But let’s be honest. We hardly know each other at all. You can’t talk aboutfriendship right away.”
“So you were only making use of me to find out those coordinates,” said Raphael, looking hard at Lesley, probably hoping she’d contradict him.
“Like I said, life isn’t always fair.” That was obviously the end of it so far as Lesley was concerned. She made me walk on. “Gwen,
Elmore - Carl Webster 03 Leonard