Free The Body of a Woman by Clare Curzon Page A

it.
    The book was a novel by Martin Amis. Leila hadn’t known it was on the Eng Lit syllabus. If she left it in Chloë’s room she would find it when she returned. Not that it was clear when that would be, or if at all.
    Drowsily she went back and sat on the side of the bed, opening the book at the first page. She read a paragraph through and it made no sense. Well that was probably intentional. There were people who read Joyce’s Ulysses for the fun of its obfuscation. Amis appeared rather the same, only simpler. Time’s Arrow. Chloë might enjoy it. Not herself.
    Reaching out to the bedside table she miscalculated and the book fell, exploding on its face. A square white envelope had detached itself from the pages.
    This was what the young man had mentioned: something of Chloë’s which another reader had found. The envelope, printed with the girl’s name but no address, showed no sign of having been opened.
    Until today Leila had respected her stepchildren’s privacy. But no longer. Opening this was no more taboo than searching Chloë’s room had been. She inserted a fingernail in the envelope and tore the flap back.
    The deckle-edged card it contained was a formal invitation requesting the pleasure of the company of … Chloë’s name was written in by hand, with the word ‘over’ after place and time.

    On the reverse side the same script offered a personal message: ‘A few very select friends look forward to meeting you. Come precisely at ten and you shall have what you asked for.’
    Come where? Leila turned back to the card’s die-stamped heading. Carnaval Masque. The address was a house near Henley. The date two days ahead.
    Whatever it meant Leila felt a cold shiver of premonition. On the surface the invitation was formal and proper, yet she was aware of menace in the wording. The written sentence was ambiguous, but for Chloe it must hold a specific message.
    Would she have known who they were, these few very select friends eager to meet a young schoolgirl? And given a precise time at which to appear - like a servant or some kind of performer. And what was promised that she had asked for?
    Had she really made some demand, or should the phrase be taken in the other sense, as a bully’s threat that she would ‘get what she’d been asking for’?
    The envelope was unstamped, so delivered by hand. As the book had been just now. It could mean that the young man from the library was involved. She would see him and demand to know.
    But no: anyone could have left that for her at the library, where her name and face would be familiar. If the young librarian hadn’t brought it Chloe would have been handed it next time she went in. Which meant the sender had no idea Chloe was away and untraceable. Had she disappeared for just that reason, being afraid of what might happen? Scared for the results of some action of her own?
    And where in this was the link with Pascal revealed by today’s letter to him? ‘Carnaval Masqué’: because of the use of French, Leila felt this had to be more of his doing.
    There was also the recurrence of Henley in the address, close to where he had taken her yesterday! She mistrusted
coincidence. She wished she had a clearer head, because it was up to her now to find out what these ‘few special friends’ expected of Chloe. She had been a weak fool to befuddle herself with drink.
    Leila went through to the kitchen and poured a tumbler of water. It made her retch and she recalled she’d run out on breakfast and had only brandy since. She must force something down.
    With a slice of wholemeal toast inside her she felt more normal. Thank God Chloe was away and hadn’t received the invitation. It was up to her, Leila, to follow up the card, drive over to Henley while it was still daylight to hunt out the house where the masquerade was to be held.
    Quickly she tidied both beds and dressed to go