in the parlour and absorbed herself in a book.
Eventually she wandered over to the window and looked out at the grounds of the
Grange. The vivid blue sky had disappeared and it had started to rain. She
sighed sadly when she realised that they would have to cancel their round of
golf. But lunch might still be possible if Jason returned early enough.
She
walked round the room, scrutinising the photos on the unit and smiling at one
in particular, showing Jason on his graduation day. She picked it up and
examined the robe he was wearing and his look of absolute pride. He must have
been in his early twenties and she noticed with amazement that he had attended
Cardiff University.
How
she found herself in the kitchen she couldn’t remember but she strongly
suspected that the sound of laughter had drawn her down the stairs. Irene and
her daughter, Fran, were busy cooking the lunch for that day as well as making
the final preparations for the birthday meal. Anna asked if she could help.
“Oh,
no! miss, it wouldn’t be right. You being a guest and all. And besides the rest
of the staff will be here shortly to give a hand.” The broad, flushed face of
the cook smiled at her over the steaming pans.
“Well,
I have peeled a fair amount of potatoes and carrots in my time. Please let me
help.”
In the end, the
cook relented and set Anna on the sprouts. As it neared lunchtime, the sherry
was brought out.
“I
generally don’t drink alcohol! Only at weddings and funerals and special
occasions,” said Anna.
“Well
this is a special occasion, ain’t it?” said Fran, drinking down her glass
quickly.
“It
doesn’t hurt to have a tot, once in a while, my dear,” the cook laughed as she
sipped her drink. Anna picked up her glass and the thick liquid slipped down
her throat, making her radiate with warmth to the very ends of her fingers and
toes. Somehow, it reminded her of the feelings Jason had aroused in her, when
he had kissed her the previous night. She wanted more and finished the whole
glass. Taking the bottle she poured herself another measure. “Steady, my
dear. It’ll go to your head quite quickly if you’re not used to it,” said the
cook.
Anna
ignored her and drank it down.
She
finally left the kitchen when the part-time staff arrived. Lunch would be
ready soon and as Anna made her way up the kitchen stairs to the hall, she was
conscious of her head feeling extremely light. She tried to shrug it off and
went into the dining room. Taking a seat, she watched as the tureens of food
arrived and the diners helped themselves. As Ben passed the peas to Anna, he
noticed she missed the target and her hand shot to the left. He placed the
tureen down in front of her and watched as she scooped the vegetables
unsteadily onto her plate, mostly tipping them on the tablecloth.
“Are
you OK, Anna?” he asked, suddenly feeling concerned.
Anna
grinned. “I’ve been helping the cook and she brought out the sherry bottle.”
Margaret
smiled. “I didn’t know we had an alcoholic in our midst.”
Anna
jerked her head in her direction. “Oh, no, I’m not a drinker. Really, I’m
not. It’s just that…please excuse me.”
She
headed for the door before Margaret could explain, “Oh dear, I was only joking,
but I seem to have offended her.”
“She
wanted to make a good impression,” nodded Ben. “She was worried what you’d
think of her.”
Margaret
sighed. “I think she’s a lovely girl, but a little too sensitive perhaps.”
“I’ll
go and see how she is,” said Mrs Wilby, rising from the table.
“And
tell her I apologise,” Margaret called after her.
Mrs
Wilby rejoined them at the table after a couple of minutes.
“She’s
fast asleep. The poor girl was already out cold when I got there.”
Anna slept for
an hour and when the events at lunch finally sieved through her memory, she let
out a groan and jumped to her
Eventually she wandered over to the window and looked out at the grounds of the
Grange. The vivid blue sky had disappeared and it had started to rain. She
sighed sadly when she realised that they would have to cancel their round of
golf. But lunch might still be possible if Jason returned early enough.
She
walked round the room, scrutinising the photos on the unit and smiling at one
in particular, showing Jason on his graduation day. She picked it up and
examined the robe he was wearing and his look of absolute pride. He must have
been in his early twenties and she noticed with amazement that he had attended
Cardiff University.
How
she found herself in the kitchen she couldn’t remember but she strongly
suspected that the sound of laughter had drawn her down the stairs. Irene and
her daughter, Fran, were busy cooking the lunch for that day as well as making
the final preparations for the birthday meal. Anna asked if she could help.
“Oh,
no! miss, it wouldn’t be right. You being a guest and all. And besides the rest
of the staff will be here shortly to give a hand.” The broad, flushed face of
the cook smiled at her over the steaming pans.
“Well,
I have peeled a fair amount of potatoes and carrots in my time. Please let me
help.”
In the end, the
cook relented and set Anna on the sprouts. As it neared lunchtime, the sherry
was brought out.
“I
generally don’t drink alcohol! Only at weddings and funerals and special
occasions,” said Anna.
“Well
this is a special occasion, ain’t it?” said Fran, drinking down her glass
quickly.
“It
doesn’t hurt to have a tot, once in a while, my dear,” the cook laughed as she
sipped her drink. Anna picked up her glass and the thick liquid slipped down
her throat, making her radiate with warmth to the very ends of her fingers and
toes. Somehow, it reminded her of the feelings Jason had aroused in her, when
he had kissed her the previous night. She wanted more and finished the whole
glass. Taking the bottle she poured herself another measure. “Steady, my
dear. It’ll go to your head quite quickly if you’re not used to it,” said the
cook.
Anna
ignored her and drank it down.
She
finally left the kitchen when the part-time staff arrived. Lunch would be
ready soon and as Anna made her way up the kitchen stairs to the hall, she was
conscious of her head feeling extremely light. She tried to shrug it off and
went into the dining room. Taking a seat, she watched as the tureens of food
arrived and the diners helped themselves. As Ben passed the peas to Anna, he
noticed she missed the target and her hand shot to the left. He placed the
tureen down in front of her and watched as she scooped the vegetables
unsteadily onto her plate, mostly tipping them on the tablecloth.
“Are
you OK, Anna?” he asked, suddenly feeling concerned.
Anna
grinned. “I’ve been helping the cook and she brought out the sherry bottle.”
Margaret
smiled. “I didn’t know we had an alcoholic in our midst.”
Anna
jerked her head in her direction. “Oh, no, I’m not a drinker. Really, I’m
not. It’s just that…please excuse me.”
She
headed for the door before Margaret could explain, “Oh dear, I was only joking,
but I seem to have offended her.”
“She
wanted to make a good impression,” nodded Ben. “She was worried what you’d
think of her.”
Margaret
sighed. “I think she’s a lovely girl, but a little too sensitive perhaps.”
“I’ll
go and see how she is,” said Mrs Wilby, rising from the table.
“And
tell her I apologise,” Margaret called after her.
Mrs
Wilby rejoined them at the table after a couple of minutes.
“She’s
fast asleep. The poor girl was already out cold when I got there.”
Anna slept for
an hour and when the events at lunch finally sieved through her memory, she let
out a groan and jumped to her
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