Fatty O'Leary's Dinner Party by Alexander McCall Smith

Freddy Guinness before he started his own restaurant. You know Freddy Guinness?”
    â€œMy cousin,” said Lord Balnerry. Then, turning to Betty, he said: “You have a very good restaurant in Fayetteville. My friends took me there. Everything is so pleasant in Arkansas.”
    â€œThank you,” said Betty, beaming with pleasure.
    â€œYou been to Arkansas, Mr. O’Brien?” asked Lord Balnerry.
    â€œNo,” said Rupert O’Brien. “But–”
    â€œPity,” said Lord Balnerry. “It’s a charming state. You should go there.”
    â€œWell,” said Rupert O’Brien. “I’m often in New York, you know.”
    Lord Balnerry reached for his glass of water. “Never go there myself.”
    The meal progressed. The waitress, who was the same waitress who had given Fatty and Betty the sandwiches she had made for the O’Briens, seemed very fond of Lord Balnerry and responded well to his suggestion that she givegenerous helpings to their “American friends” so that they should return home with a positive impression of Irish hospitality. It was a concomitant of this, of course, that there was less for the O’Briens, whose plates arrived barely covered, while Fatty and Betty received large mounds of delicious food. And then, entirely accidentally, at the end of the meal she spilt the remnants of a raspberry sorbet over Rupert O’Brien’s white jacket, for which accident she apologised profusely, but was defended stoutly by Lord Balnerry.
    â€œDon’t worry,” he said quickly. “Mr. O’Brien understands how hard it must be to be a waitress and not spill things. I’m always spilling things myself. I spilled soup over Freddy Guinness once. You won’t know him, O’Brien, but he’s a very charming man, and he didn’t make me feel bad about it, not for one second.”
    Over coffee, Rupert O’Brien and Niamh sat in silence. Lord Balnerry continued his easy conversation with Fatty and Betty and, just before he looked at his watch and announced that it was time to retire to bed, he issued his invitation.
    â€œYou must come and spend a weekend with me, Cornelius and Betty,” he said genially. “I have a place near Cork. It would be grand to have you over for a weekend,or even a week if you can spare the time. Please do make a point of it. But anyway, I’ll see you tomorrow, as we arranged.”
    Fatty and Betty immediately replied that they would love to do this. And then there was a silence. Rupert O’Brien was sitting on the edge of his seat, but nothing more was said. There was no further invitation and Lord Balnerry now rose to his feet and bade goodnight to the assembled company.
    â€œWhat a charming man,” said Fatty, after Lord Balnerry had left the room.
    â€œYes,” said Betty. “He was so warm and kind to us. He made us feel so special. What a nice, nice man. And a lord too.”
    Rupert O’Brien looked steadfastly at the ceiling.
    â€œWell, good night,” said Fatty, rising to his feet. “We’ve had a busy day and we have a lot to do tomorrow. Lord Balnerry invited us to accompany him to the horse sales tomorrow. Will you be coming too?”
    â€œNo,” said Rupert O’Brien.
    In their room, they lay together holding hands across the space between their beds.
    â€œHe was such a kind man,” said Betty. “I really felt as ifI had known him for years.”
    â€œThat’s what people here are really like,” said Fatty. “We should have realised it. After all, think of all the kindness we’ve met since we came here. That kind Mr. Delaney and then Mrs. O’Connor, and even the plumber. And now Lord Balnerry himself.”
    â€œHe made me feel so clever,” said Betty. “He seemed so interested in everything I said.”
    â€œBut you are clever, my dear,” said Fatty. “And everything you say