Heritage at Highwic

A few days ago I re-visited one of Auckland's heritage houses I know very well - Highwic. Officially I was there to look at a display of historic dress - on the hunt for more design ideas.

 I like to create clothes that reference a previous era rather than slavishly reproduce a costume- plenty of tinder there for creative kindling. 

As I walked along the narrow upstairs hall I paused by these french doors. Old glass ripples and distorts a distant view. I suspect we look at past times with similar occlusions. 

Starting Chapter 5

On Saturday evening Rhona appeared at the door wearing wide floating trousers made of black satiny fabric.  With them she wore an emerald green top that rouched itself around her to end in a wide cumberbund tie. This was not the same woman Mr Egan had first seen in a plastic raincoat.

As Bill had arranged, the taxi drove slowly to St Heliers and along the Tamaki Drive to Cin Cin’s on the waterfront. They were shown to a table on the seaward side. Pre dinner drinks arrived and the food was ordered.  Rhona looked comfortable and she was smiling at him as if he had delighted her. As he talked Bill watched her expressive eyes made deeper green by the colour of her blouse.

After a few moments conversation Bill noticed she was looking at him with great amusement but none of what he was saying was that funny. He was about to ask her to let him in on the joke when she leaned forward and said confidentially over the table “Have a look two couples behind you and tell me what you see.”

He turned discreetly, wondering what she was up to. “You mean the merchant banker type with the young asian girl? What about them?”

Rhona was sipping her wine and controlling her hilarity with effort. “They have just arrived. That’s my husband and his secretary.”

“Streuth,” Bill saw his careful plans going out the window. “Do you want to leave?”

Bill had a vision of her creating pandemonium and himself getting charged for the damage. “He’ll see you won’t he? Bloody hell.”

She said cheerfully. “Oh look. He’s coming this way.”

A glance back assured Bill the bald man had risen from his seat and was moving down the aisle to their table. “Shit. Are you OK Rhona?” Bill straightened his cutlery and smoothed the table cloth.

“Oh don’t worry” she said calmly. “What can he possibly do here?”

Bill kept his voice as quiet as possible, aware of the adjacent diners. “Jesus woman you have balls if I may say so. I never thought…”

She interrupted him brightly saying “Hello John what a lovely surprise.”

Rhona was wide eyed and sparkling an outstanding smile as the husband materialized at their table. Mr Manners wrinkled his nose at her companion as if to imply that some ordure had come in on his boots. Bill watched him lean down over Rhona and start hissing at her. The man was working at keeping his voice down too but Bill heard him say “Just what are you playing at?” He was certain that the nearby tables could hear it. Rhona was still smiling as if a dozen cameras were on her, giving a pat to the arm gripping her chair.

 “Can’t you guess? Just the same as you and Jasmine probably.”

Bill winced at how clear her low pitched voice sounded in the sudden surrounding silence. There was an art to vocal projection and she seemed to have learned it somewhere. The husband put both hands on their table saying “I don’t know what you’re game is Rhona but I’m not having you make an exhibition of yourself. Do you hear me?”

She was still smiling but there was tension around her jaw line now. Bill had seen that recently in another restaurant and could only guess at how much effort was going into that bright façade. He braced himself for fallout as she cut in to say with perfect clarity “Isn’t it a strange coincidence John? Did they cancel your conference in Rotorua? How disappointing for Jasmine.” Her husband seemed completely oblivious to the vitriolic undertone that raised a smothered titter from the young couple at the adjacent table.

The guy was overweight and Bill could see a slightly bluish tinge appearing around his clean shaven lips. As he took in the close clipped fingernails and shirtsleeves battened down with gold cufflinks he noticed the podgy fingers now rested on her sleeve.

He found himself on his feet, with his stomach clenching. Rhona caught his eye with a warning look so, rather than weighing in immediately, he just stayed standing near enough to force the peasant to move back from her. He had the satisfaction of calculating that his own dark grey suit complemented his well toned frame better than the strained navy polyester in front of him. He held himself at attention, in such as way as to emphasise that he was the taller by a good eight inches.

“Well?” The husband was back to hissing. Bill knew his hands were clenching but when his eyes found Rhona’s he saw her give the slightest shake of her head as she looked past them up the restaurant. She pouted in a theatrical way and said with assumed concern “Oh John, poor Jasmine looks so uncomfortable. Please don’t leave her there all on her own. Why don’t you join us?”

Bill could feel his eyes bulging, but she was winking at him as her husband turned to look at his table. The man adjusted his shiny tie and said “we will discuss this at home” in a tone Bill could imagine him using on his kids in the past, before striding back to his mistress.

Bill resumed his seat and waited a decent interval, before raising his glass to her. “Superb Rhona.”

“Thank you.” She was looking suitably demur. The younger couple next door had also raised their glasses and she acknowledged their salute with a becoming blush. Everyone then had the immense pleasure of turning to watch with a sympathetic expression as the husband and his partner made a swift departure from the restaurant.

They sat enjoying a moment’s triumph until Bill returned to the subject. “I thought you didn’t want to break up your daughter’s happy home.”

“I didn’t,” Rhona said, “but I’ve talked to her about it … well recently… She actually encouraged me to come out tonight. She felt I should find out if you were boring or not.”

Bill grinned. “That so? Am I?”

“Not yet. But then it’s probably too early to say. There have been diversions after all”.