He took off his white jacket and turned towards the bathroom. ‘Let’s just go and find her, shall we?’
Clover was lying spreadeagled on the bathroom floor when they found her, vomit trailing from the side of her mouth. Tania followed them in, and gasped when she saw her idol in such a state.
‘Is she dead?’ she gulped, both hands flying to her mouth.
Giles turned on her. ‘Didn’t I tell you to go and get a golf cart?’ he barked. ‘And has Alex gone to get Security?’
‘I think he’s gone to the bar.’
Giles was too distracted to get angry.
‘All right, stay here and help me,’ he said in a low voice that left no room for argument. Giles pulled a towelling robe from a cupboard and folded it around Clover’s naked body.
‘Help me lift her,’ he said to Tania.
Meanwhile, Cassandra had left to find Leopold to help locate Ste and get him out of the party. Ten minutes later, two security guards dressed in white loaded Ste’s limp body into a golf cart before helping to put Clover in beside him too.
‘I’ll go back with them to the yacht,’ said Giles.
‘Tania. Why don’t you go too?’ said Cassandra. ‘I’m sure Clover will be really grateful for your help.’
Tania looked at Alex who had just come from inside the villa.
‘Are you going to come?’
‘There’s no point us all going,’ said Cassandra, touching Alex’s shoulder.
‘I agree,’ he replied, after viewing the events with the superiority of a Roman emperor watching lions and Christians.
By the time they reached Le Soleil, Guillaume had already been woken and he had alerted the deck hands to help Tania and Giles bring Clover and Ste on board. Guillaume was out on deck in his long, navy, silk dressing gown. His mouth distorted into an expression of distaste and then disbelief as Clover crouched down on her hands and knees and puked onto the deck.
‘Get her off this boat as soon as possible,’ he whispered to the captain.
‘We’ll throw them in the hold to cool off,’ said the captain.
‘And get one of the crew to hose them down,’ added Guillaume, picking an imaginary fleck of dust from his robe. ‘And remind me next year to be more careful with the guest list.’
Back at the party Cassandra took her mobile out of her white clutch bag and propped it under her neck. Everything was turning out more beautifully than she’d hoped. She’d had one agenda for this evening but this was like a bonus prize.
‘Can I have the entertainment desk, please?’
‘Jacqui speaking. How can I help you?’
‘I have a story that I think might be of interest,’ she said, looking at her watch. It would only be 8 p.m. in London; perhaps not too late to make the late edition of the Sunday papers.
‘Who about?’ asked the journalist.
‘Clover Connor and Ste Donahue.’
‘Keep talking.’
‘They are on Guillaume Riche’s yacht in Greece taking enough cocaine to build a snowdrift. Tonight the pair of them collapsed at a fashion party after overdosing and have been forcibly removed. Clover was completely naked when they dragged her out.’
‘Without decent pictures I’m afraid we can’t offer you much.’
‘Money is not necessary,’ said Cassandra shortly. ‘Just make sure you mention in the copy that Clover Connor is the new face of Milford.’
She flipped down the phone and tossed it into her bag. Spotting a silver atomizer inside, she spritzed her body with Fracas. Then she shrugged and fished the mobile out again. While she was at it she might as well call Page Six. Just a quick call, she couldn’t be long. She had other things to attend to tonight.