‘Careful of that book, darling,’ said Deirdre, as Rory went to put the bottle on the small table next to the Erotica Universalis. ‘It’s a rare first edition.’

‘How interesting – may I have a look?’ Darina Maguire picked the book up off the table.

‘It makes excellent bedtime reading,’ said Rory. ‘Have a gander at page sixty-nine.’

‘Goodness,’ said Darina, turning a gratifying shade of vermillion. She leafed through a couple of pages with a kind of stilted casualness, trying hard not to look fazed. Then she put the book down and said, in the smarmy, confidential manner of the inveterate gossip. ‘Hardly the kind of stuff you’d want your little girl to get her hands on, is it?’

‘Of course not,’ returned Rory. ‘We keep all our erotica under lock and key. Along with the thesis I wrote on pornography at college.’

‘You wrote a thesis on pornography at college, Rory?’ said Darina, leaning forward with interest.

‘That’s right. It was great fun doing the research. I went around with a permanent hard-on for the best part of a year.’

‘Ha ha ha,’ went Darina, looking flustered. ‘Do you know, for some reason I understood that you studied veterinary science before going into the acting business.’

‘Rory’s a dark horse,’ said Sam. Maddie tried not to snigger.

‘Well, really, Rory! Are there any other talents you’re hiding under your bushel?’ Darina smiled at him encouragingly.

‘Under my what?’ asked Rory.

Darina looked disconcerted. ‘Your bushel,’ she said.

‘Well,’ he drawled. ‘I ride. Like a demon.’ He gave her one of the lazy, interested looks he did so well, and Darina went pink again.

 

© 2005 Kate Thompson