He saw Nicola standing there and frowned. ‘I said have her ready for seven.’ Nicola glanced at her watch. ‘It’s only a quarter after.’ ‘The clock is still ticking. How long does it take to cut a woman’s hair and put her in some clothes? I would have thought…’ He broke off and frowned as the intrusive sound of the army of stylists exiting noisily in the hallway drowned him out. ‘She’s still upstairs.’ Theo hid his frustration behind a stony expression. ‘Why?’ Nicola held up her hands. ‘Look, don’t blame the messenger. I tried, I really did, but your Beth is not what you’d call a big entrance girl.’ ‘What are you talking about?’ ‘Your date won’t come out—a first for you…?’ she observed, trying to disguise her amusement. A sound of irritation emerged from between Theo’s clenched teeth. ‘So she’s hiding in the bedroom. Presumably the makeover was not a success.’ ‘The makeover was…’ ‘What colour did they put her in?’ ‘Black.’ Theo clicked his tongue with exasperation.
