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The car pulled into Su Yi’s long driveway. Outside, clusters of people were disembarking and smiling at each other as they entered.
“Oh God,” Rachel said, taking in the huge, beautiful house and the grounds that stretched as far as the eye could see.
“Come on,” Astrid said, soft but firm. “You’ve met my Ah Ma already. Since she’s accepted you, the rest will have to too.”
Rachel shot her a wary look.
“Are you sure this is how this works? Your family are conservative.”
“Yes, but they all have to kow tow to Ah Ma. I promise it’ll be fine.”
Astrid swept a lock of soft black hair off Rachel’s cheek and pressed a kiss to her lips briefly.
“And you look beautiful.”
Rachel smiled.
“Plus Nicky said Lauren Lee will be there, and she came out last month, and she’s bringing a girlfriend. So nobody will be paying us any attention anyway.”
Rachel knew that wasn’t true, but she trusted Astrid anyway. She opened the car door, swept her midnight blue skirt over her legs and stepped out. Her makeup was simple and she wore her hair down – it looked better with the dress and she liked it better that way.
Astrid was wearing soft grey cigarette pants and a white peasant-style blouse. Rachel looked at her girlfriend, wondering how she knew how to put these things together just so. What she loved about Astrid, however, was that Astrid was just as comfortable in a big t-shirt and with no makeup on the beach as she was in the front row of a fashion show. It was a lot to take in, but Astrid had told her after their second date, and Rachel had had time to get used to the idea, long before Astrid suggested travelling to Singapore with her.
As they walked into the house’s hall, Rachel stared wide-eyed at all the opulence around her. It was one thing to go shopping with Astrid and watch her buy clothes that cost more than a car without blinking. It was another to see precious antiques decorating a private home like it was nothing, all of it guarded by Gurkhas and electric fences.
Rachel spotted Astrid’s parents immediately. Felicity gave her a tense little smile and Harry looked her up and down and then nodded.
Rachel exhaled. “Oh God.”
Astrid’s hand squeezed hers fiercely, as she steered Rachel through the crowd. They approached a short-haired girl dressed in a simple rose pink cotton dress that immediately put Rachel at ease, and her dark eyes were friendly.
“Rachel, this is my cousin Sophie,” Astrid said.
“Good to meet you at last, Rachel,” Sophie said, eyes sparkling. “I’ve heard so much about you.”
“You’re Australian?” Rachel said, a little confused.
“I went to school in Sydney.”
“Sophie is a surgeon,” Astrid said, proudly. She turned to Rachel.
“Rach, I’ll be right back, I’ll get you a drink.”
“Sure,” Rachel said, raising her eyebrow as Astrid parted the crowd with ease and started making her way to her family.
Sophie smiled at her warmly.
“So you’re the lucky girl everyone’s jealous of?”
“I can’t believe you just did that,” Astrid whispered to her parents, safely out of view in a side room. This was where Ah Ma had taught her to play mah-jong so many years ago. Felicity had never been patient enough to teach Astrid herself.
“Me?” Felicity hissed. “You’re the one who brought that girl here!”
Harry pinched the bridge of his nose.
“I’m going back to the party.”
Felicity rounded on him.
“Don’t leave me alone to deal with this!”
Astrid sighed, and stared at them both in turn.
“Why can’t you be happy for me? Do you want me to go away like Alex? Can you deal with another stain on your name?”
Felicity looked at Harry, who looked both guilty and infuriated.
Passing through the hall on the way to wash his hands, Oliver T’sien heard the raised voices and stopped in his tracks to listen.
“This food is to die for,” Nick said, offering Rachel his plate.
“Wow! Did you both grow up eating like this?”
“Yes. My Ah Ma has the best cooks, wait until you taste Ah Ching’s chocolate chiffon cake.”
Rachel nodded, excited. “Oh yes, Astrid mentioned it! Apparently the recipe is to die for and nobody but her knows it?”
There was a delicate cough, and Rachel was aware of an older woman who’d approached them.
“Rachel, this is my mother Eleanor. Mother, this is Rachel, Astrid’s…”
“Thank you, Nicky,” Eleanor said smoothly, extending a slender hand to Rachel’s. Rachel shook Eleanor’s hand even as she was aware of being scrutinised from head to toe, and found wanting. She found herself picturing Felicity’s grimace from earlier. That was a lot easier to take than this stiff sort of contempt. Admittedly Eleanor looked a lot younger and was much more stylish, but still. Rachel caught Nick’s eye; he smiled slightly.
This girl isn’t as pretty as Astrid, Eleanor thought haughtily, and she’s certainly got her eyes on the prize already, judging by that Alberta Ferretti dress she’s wearing. That’s from next season. Astrid must have pulled some strings to get it.
Astrid returned, and greeted Eleanor with a kiss, which broke her out of her reverie. Rachel visibly relaxed, and Astrid pressed a glass into her hand. Rachel took a long sip, breathing out.
“Astrid, you look beautiful as always,” Eleanor said, “is that Alexis Mabille? Did you pick that up in Paris?”
“Yes, auntie Eleanor,” Astrid said, amused. She could see Oliver mouthing something at her over Eleanor’s shoulder, but couldn’t see what.
“And Rachel too, what a stunning dress, did you choose it yourself?”
Astrid looked sharply at her aunt, knowing exactly what she was getting at. Eleanor meant that Rachel was both too unstylish and too poor to have picked this dress up herself.
“Actually, it was a gift from my mother,” Rachel said. Eleanor arched a perfect brow.
“Your mother?”
“Rachel’s mother is in real estate and she knows all the big names in tech and retail,” Astrid finished.
“How nice,” Eleanor said. “If you’ll excuse me, I think I see your great-aunt Rosemary over there.” She nodded stiffly to them, and swept away.
Rachel pretended to wipe sweat off her forehead.
“Nick, your mother’s a lot of work!”
“I know,” Nick smiled, “why do you think I stayed in New York?”
“Makes me wonder what she’d be like if I was here with you instead!” Rachel said, taking a long drink from her glass. They all laughed.
There was a commotion on the terrace; Ling Cheh bustled in.
“The tan huas are blooming!”
Astrid slid her hand into Rachel’s and squeezed. “Come on.”
They followed the rest of the guests out through the conservatory to the courtyard. Rachel gazed at all the beautiful Moorish architecture and the copper lanterns lighting the space.
She turned to Astrid with her eyes shining.
“I can’t believe this.”
Astrid smiled.
“I’m so glad you came here.”
“Look,” Astrid said, getting up. She walked to a large cluster of fleshy white flower buds and trailed a delicate finger across one carefully.
“The tan huas will bloom soon,” Astrid said.
“I’ve never heard of this flower,” Rachel said.
“It’s supposed to be a good sign when they bloom at night,” a man said behind them.
Astrid turned. “Oliver! How have you been?”
Rachel watched as the two embraced.
“Rachel, this is Oliver T’sien, Nick's cousin. Oliver, this is Rachel…”
“I know who you are,” Oliver smiled, “and you are so much prettier than the rumours.”
Rachel pulled a face.
“I’m going to get us some chocolate chiffon cake,” Astrid said, leaving Rachel alone with Oliver.
“Are the rumours that bad?” Rachel said immediately.
Oliver paused.
“It’s less about you – although it is about you – and more about Astrid. She’s the golden daughter of her family. They’ve given her everything. It’s unlikely they’d find anyone up to their standards…but even then, I don’t think they had an ABC who lectures in New York in mind. Even if you do teach economics.”
Rachel got to her feet.
“Wait!” Oliver said. Rachel folded her arms and stared him down.
“I’m just telling you what the truth is. Like it or not, her family didn’t deal well with the divorce. They’re not good at anything that would cause them to lose face. Then you come into all this – well. But we can see how happy Astrid is now, you know?”
“Yeah, she keeps telling me that,” Rachel said, still staring Oliver out.
“Don’t let it get to you,” Oliver said. He looked up. “Ah. Here’s Astrid with our cake.”
Astrid handed Rachel a plate and Oliver affected hurt.
“Two plates? I’m wounded.”
“Go get your own,” Astrid said, although she smiled as she said it.
Rachel tasted the cake. It was delectable, light and airy yet with a rich taste.
“This is incredible.”
“Isn’t it? My cook has tried to recreate this so many times at home but it never comes out the same.”
“I bet I could figure out the missing ingredient,” Rachel said, solemn all of a sudden. Astrid laughed.
“I’ll hold you to that.”
“Look!” Rachel said, setting her plate down. The tan huas were beginning to bloom, slim white petals unfurling outwards. People gathered around to watch, taking pictures with their phones, but otherwise there was a hushed silence.
Astrid looked at Rachel’s expression of rapture, eyes wide and cheeks flushed with pleasure. In the stillness of the moment, nobody would have noticed her fingers intertwined with Rachel’s.
Astrid leaned over and kissed Rachel, and then everyone noticed.
They broke the kiss after only a few seconds, but even that was too much for some of the guests. Astrid heard Mrs Lee Yong-Chien muttering something in Cantonese she was grateful Rachel couldn’t understand. Oliver looked as though all his Christmases had come at once. Eleanor pretended to be shocked, but she was probably just as delighted as Oliver. Jacqueline Ling looked away, mouth pinched, and took a sip from her champagne glass. Nick smiled, but in an embarrassed sort of way. And here came Ling Cheh through the crowd.
“Your Ah Ma wishes to speak to you.”
Everyone stared at Astrid. Rachel looked shattered.
“Fine,” Astrid said. She looked briefly at Nick.
“Keep Rachel company, please?”
Nick nodded, and Astrid followed Ling Cheh out of the courtyard to meet with Su Yi.
Ling Cheh left them. Astrid looked at her grandmother. Su Yi was stroking the lid of a box with a mother-of-pearl inlay. Astrid knew it well. It had been her favourite as a little girl.
“That thing should be in a museum,” Eddie had said to her before, “and I bet she leaves it to you!”
“You wanted to see me, Ah Ma?”
“I never liked your father when I met him,” Ah Ma said in Cantonese. “He was too pushy, too brazen. The one thing he convinced me, though, was that he could provide and protect your mother. Do you remember the time he bought the Calthorpe because of that ang mor who wouldn’t let you stay there?”
“Yes,” Astrid said.
“Preposterous, and yet…he didn’t want your mother to be humiliated. I admired that.”
Astrid looked at her grandmother.
“Do you love Rachel?”
“Yes,” Astrid said again, a tear tracing down each cheek. Su Yi nodded.
“She will never be able to provide for you,” Su Yi said, “but you have your own money.”
Astrid nodded.
“Even if my parents cut me off, I would have more than enough. But I value your blessing more than anything, Ah Ma.”
Su Yi gazed at Astrid.
“You have it. I didn’t call you here to chastise you, whatever you may think. I called you here to give you this.”
She slid the mother-of-pearl box across to Astrid. Astrid opened it. When she saw what was inside, she raised her eyes to her grandmother, disbelieving.
“I trust you will know what to do with this, yes?” Su Yi said.
“Yes,” Astrid whispered.
Rachel sipped her drink and took in the sight of the tan huas in full bloom, soon to wither and die. There was something in that, she thought. The guests were drifting around, hardly eating now, huddled here and there in little clusters whispering. Were they talking about her and Astrid? Rachel decided she didn’t care. She was about to get up and get another drink when she saw Astrid’s father, Harry, staring across the courtyard at her. Without looking away, she stared back at him. He didn’t look angry, but he didn’t look as though he was going to come over to her to speak either.
Astrid reemerged from the house, shining as though she was illuminated from within, and Rachel immediately relaxed. She was carrying a small, lacquered box inlaid with mother-of-pearl, which she placed beside Rachel as she sat down. Rachel looked at the box curiously, and then Astrid took a deep breath and looked her in the eye.
Harry Leong was not someone who ever admitted he was wrong. But as he watched his daughter, radiant and beautiful, gaze at her equally resplendent girlfriend, he felt oddly choked up. He’d never seen Astrid happier, and this Rachel seemed to be level-headed and intelligent. He watched them, and a cloud came over him as he remembered Alex, and the things he’d said. Things he could never take back. But perhaps it wasn’t too late to avoid making the same mistake again. And if he could do that, well…
As if to underline the point, the first tan hua petal broke free and drifted soundlessly to the ground.