‘Yes, and that’s not all,’ said Caro. ‘I spent last night trying to track down the Disappeared.’
‘The Disappeared’ were six Ravenwood pupils who had abruptly vanished over the past few years, some supposedly to go overseas, some to different schools.
‘I’ve tried all the schools you could think of and asked other people in their classes. So far, no one has actually heard from them. Not even a Christmas card.’
April sipped her coffee and tried not to despair. They had to catch a break soon. She’d got nowhere with her own research into her father’s death. The diary had yielded very little beyond her father’s appointment with Mr Gill and she still had no idea why he hadn’t turned up at the bookshop. Her mother had been out with Grandpa Thomas on the day of her dad’s death, so she was no help with information about his movements. The trail seemed to be going colder and colder. Even her research into the Vampire Regent and the Furies had barely got off the ground. Despite endless websites dedicated to vampire lore, she hadn’t come across a single mention of either an internal hierarchy or any sort of ancient nemesis. According to received wisdom, all vampires were rogue vampires, roaming about and killing at random, but that couldn’t be true otherwise the countryside would be littered with corpses. April felt like she was wading through treacle. Her resolve and enthusiasm of only a few days before had been sapped by Milo’s death. Every glimmer of a clue led to another dead end, as if someone had come and wiped everything clean.
‘Do you think we’ll learn anything at the party?’
‘Have faith,’ said Caro kindly. ‘You’ve got the A-team on it now.’
April wished she could take some comfort from that.
Chapter Forty
The house looked wonderful. Snow had fallen overnight and created the perfect setting for the Osbournes’ Winter Ball. Only two days earlier, when April had visited Davina after school, the mansion had been a towering, intimidating fortress, but as the taxi drove through the open gates the snow on the hedges and lawns sparkled in the light of burning torches lining the drive, while the windows of the house glowed orange like a cat’s eyes in the dark. At first, April had been dismayed to discover that her mother had also been invited to the Osbournes’ ball, but now she was glad that she was acting as chaperone. There were security guards in black suits checking invitations at the entrance and party guests in sleek dinner jackets and white furs milling around, shouting hellos and laughing, their jewels glittering in the light of the smiling half-moon. The Winter Ball seemed so big, so important, she was glad to have her mum there. Not that she had been much use for the last week or so, lying in bed and complaining of headaches, but something - perhaps the prospect of tonight’s party - had finally lifted her spirits. When April had got up, her mother had gone out, leaving a note reading ‘Gone shopping’ and when she had arrived home that afternoon she seemed utterly transformed. Her skin had its colour back, her hair was blow-dried and glossy and her eyes were bright. ‘Been up West,’ she said, dumping half a dozen shopping bags on April’s bed. ‘I did a little shopping for you too.’ Which was why April was wearing an off-the-shoulder McQueen ball gown and Gucci heels and her mother was wearing an Ossie Clark column of sheer silk and her mother’s diamonds. ‘You can’t take it with you, baby,’ she’d replied to April’s objections and she set about doing April’s hair and make-up. She hated to admit it, but the makeover had done wonders for April’s mood, too. She still didn’t feel right about Milo and Gabriel and her new unofficial status as the Nancy Drew of the underworld, but, for once, it was nice to get dressed up and forget all about it. Well, she was sure that Caro would be snooping around, but April had resolved to have a good time tonight. Especially if Benjamin invited her to jump into the hot tub.
‘Now, are you going to behave yourselves tonight?’ asked Silvia, as if she was reading April’s thoughts.
‘Yes, Mrs Dunne,’ sang Caro. ‘We’ll be very, very good.’
‘I’m glad to hear it, because I will be drinking champagne and whirling around the dance floor enough for all of us.’
‘Mum!’ said April.
Silvia gave her a warm smile and tapped her knee. ‘I’m joking. I shall be the picture of elegance all night.’
April leant over and kissed her cheek.
‘What’s that for?’
‘For being you again.’
The taxi let them out among the Bentleys and Porsches and they made their way to the entrance where they were waved through, but not before they were politely asked to surrender their cameras and mobile phones.
‘Security, miss,’ was the only explanation offered by the guard when Caro had indignantly asked what it was ‘all in aid of. They exchanged disappointed looks, but had no choice but to comply.
‘Check it out!’ said Caro as they stepped into the entrance hall. The interior designers had gone to town on the winter theme. Ivy and lush green pine boughs had been woven through the banisters of the staircase and red church candles placed on each of the steps, while strings of tiny fairy lights trailed down every wall, giving the impression of shimmering ice.
‘Silvia! So glad you could come.’
Barbara Osbourne came over to greet them, embracing April’s mother warmly. She was wearing a silver ball gown with a plunging neckline.
‘So nice to see you out among us again,’ she said. ‘And April - oh, you’re looking lovelier each time I see you.’
Well
,
I was at my father’s funeral the first time
, thought April cynically, but she smiled politely.
‘And this is Caro Jackson,’ said Silvia.
Caro gave a sort of curtsey and mumbled a greeting, but her attention seemed to be elsewhere. April followed her gaze and saw the source of her distraction. Over on the other side of the room Simon was sitting at a piano, singing loudly with Benjamin, Marcus and the rest of the rugby boys.
‘Sorry, just going to the bar,’ said Caro vaguely and promptly disappeared into the crowd. Mrs Osbourne also made her excuses and left, waving to someone across the room.
‘Quite good-looking, isn’t he?’ said Silvia, nodding towards Simon.
‘Yes, but I think Caro might be out of luck,’ said April. ‘He plays for the other side.’
‘Does he?’ said Silvia sceptically, gazing at him. ‘I wouldn’t have thought it.’
A waiter approached and served Silvia with a glass of champagne - ‘Just one,’ she said with a wicked smile - and April with an orange juice. April had no intention of getting herself into the same state she had at Milo’s party.
‘Honestly though, Mum, it’s great to see you looking happy again. Well, I don’t mean happy, that wouldn’t be right, but—’
Silvia put a hand on April’s arm. ‘I know what you mean, honey. Don’t worry, I’m not going to run off with any men any time soon. In fact, I’m not going to run off full stop. I know this will be strange to hear, but your dad was the only man for me from the moment I met him. Yes, we had some hard times, things we had to work through, and I’m sorry you had to be in the middle of that sometimes, but I loved that man so much.’ Her eyes began to sparkle and she stopped, pressing a hand to her lips.
‘Oh, Mum,’ said April sadly. She’d always had a spiky relationship with her mother - she was distant and hands-off compared to her dad, at least - but she felt for her now. April was hurting, but she really couldn’t imagine the pain of losing your one true love, especially if you’d spent years giving him a hard time.
‘No, it’s okay,’ said Silvia, taking a deep breath. ‘The thing you need to remember is that your dad loved us very, very much. Too much sometimes. But he also loved life, he valued it and if he was here now, he would already have had two brandies and dragged me onto the dance floor.’
April laughed. It was true, he was always the life and soul of the party, always at the centre of things, laughing and playing jokes. If William had been here, she was sure she would have been mortified by his behaviour as he made a complete spectacle of himself. She wished more than anything she could see that now.
‘I think that’s how we should remember him,’ said Silvia. ‘Take a leaf out of his book and throw ourselves in feet first.’ She raised her glass and clinked it against April’s. ‘To him,’ she said.
‘To him.’ April smiled.
‘Right, better get mingling, then. You don’t want some old broad cramping your style, so you toddle off and find your friends.’
She kissed April on the cheek and disappeared into the crowd.
April put her empty juice glass down and began to make her way towards the back of the house, walking out through the open French windows and onto the terrace. Portable gas heaters glowed in a long line, taking the chill from the freezing night air.
‘There she is!’ said Davina, sweeping up the terrace stairs, her arms open wide for an embrace. She was wearing a strapless sheath dress completely covered with white sequins and a white fur stole, which made her blonde mane look even more glossy and luxuriant than normal. April had to hand it to her, vampirism certainly suited her. As they hugged, April saw that the lawn at the bottom of the stairs was covered by a huge marquee filled with the flashing lights of a disco.
‘Is that “The Macarena” they’re playing in there?’ asked April with a smile.
‘Oh God, I could strangle my father sometimes,’ said Davina, casting her eyes to the heavens. ‘It’s his age, you see. He booked some cheesy Radio One DJ from the eighties. Cost him a fortune, apparently.’
‘And is he here? Your dad, I mean?’
‘Oh, Daddy wouldn’t miss the Winter Ball for anything. He’s down there shaking his stuff right now, so embarrassing. It’s like for three hundred and sixty-four days of the year he’s this arse-kicking take-no-prisoners corporate machine, then for one night he has to act like a teenager.’
April smiled sadly. ‘I think it’s nice.’
‘Oh God, I’ve put my foot in it, haven’t I?’ said Davina, touching at April’s hand. ‘I’m so sorry, I didn’t think.’
‘No, don’t be silly, I just meant it’s nice he can be human.’
April realised the irony of what she had said about the man she suspected was the Vampire Regent and almost laughed out loud.
‘I suppose,’ said Davina, oblivious. ‘I just wish he didn’t have to do it in public.’
Glancing around, Davina took April by the elbow and led her back towards the house.
‘Now, I don’t want to ruin your night,’ she said, ‘but you’ve seen who’s over there, right?’
Following Davina’s gaze with a sense of inevitability, April saw a group of boys standing at the end of the terrace, drinking and laughing, among them Benjamin, Marcus and Gabriel.
‘Don’t worry, I don’t think he saw you. I’m sorry, darling, but Ben insisted on inviting Gabe. I know he’s not your favourite person at the moment, but I have asked Ben to keep you apart.’
‘You didn’t have to do that,’ said April.
‘No, no, whatever he’s done, I’m completely on your side and I don’t want anyone upsetting you on a night when you should be enjoying yourself. Speaking of which, I think we both need a drink,’ she continued, leading April back inside the house. ‘I don’t know if you’re aware of this, but my useless brother has invented the best cocktail.’
April laughed and shook her head. ‘I’ve already encountered the Apple Pearl, thanks. I think I’ll stick to juice this time.’
Davina pouted. ‘Killjoy.’
‘On the subject of boys,’ said April, ‘I haven’t seen Jonathon in a while.’
A flicker of distaste passed over Davina’s face. ‘Oh, ancient history,’ she said airily. ‘We broke it off when his dad had to move out of town. He was cute, but there’s plenty more fish in the sea.’
April had almost been expecting the ‘family had to move out of town’ line. It was one she and Caro had been hearing again and again as they tried to track down the disappearing Ravenwood students.
‘So where did he go?’ she asked, as casually as she could.
‘Somerset, I think,’ said Davina with a sigh, ‘or was it Devon? Nowhere with an airport, anyway. But he’ll probably like being out in the middle of nowhere, poor boy, he always did spend so much time
reading.’
She snapped her fingers at the barman, then turned to April. ‘You sure I can’t tempt you?’