about the decorations and it’s driving me mad.”
It wasn’t what Lola had hoped to hear, but it was a start. “The customer’s always right, Carrie, remember. Anna, what about you?”
Anna glared at her. “I’m furious because I am thirty-four years old and you are treating me like a child.”
“You’re all behaving like children, so I’m going to treat you like children. Thank you, Anna. Bett?”
Bett hesitated. “I’m upset because I hate this.”
“Do you really?” Lola said a silent thanks. Now she was getting somewhere. Say it, Bett, she urged. Say how much you have hated fighting with your sisters. How much you’ve hated being away from them. “What do you hate exactly?”
Bett lifted her head, a picture of defiant misery. “You telling us off. And this truth stick business. I’ve always hated it.”
Lola put down the imaginary stick. It had been a last-ditch effort in any case. “Very well. I’ll try some straight talking instead. You see, I’ve always had the idea that you might have missed each other during the past three years. That perhaps there had been times when you’d wished you could call on each other. And then I had the even more obviously ridiculous idea that all it would take for you to become friends again was to get you together to talk about it.”
No response.
“No? Then it seems in my old age I am getting not just feeble of body but feeble of mind, and I have got it all wrong. Such a shame. However, as has always been my wont, I am going to try to make the best of a bad situation.” She glared at them. “So, my little brat-faced princesses—”
Bett suddenly had to bite back a smile. Lola hadn’t called them brat-faced princesses in years.
“Do you think it would be possible for the three of you to put this ridiculous fight—all right, not ridiculous, this extremely worthwhile and valid fight—behind you for a short time? Because, girls, the way of it is, I want to enjoy my party and I certainly won’t if I have to see your sulky faces all night long. Or all week long. And possibly beyond that. In fact, let’s say definitely beyond that.”
She ignored their looks of surprise and clapped her hands again. The three of them jumped. “From now on, there is to be conversation between you, do you hear me? I want some smiles, too. So I hereby lay down the law. There is to be no mention whatsoever of the events of three years ago. Do you understand?”
There was a flash of temper from Anna. “Oh, sure, Lola. As if we aren’t thinking about them.”
“You can think all you like. You can think of nothing else if you like. But while you are all living and working here, I want peace and conviviality between you.” She turned to Carrie. “I know this will be hardest on you at the moment, Carrie, Matthew being your husband and all. But I’d like you to keep him away from here for the time being. Do you think you can manage that?”
Carrie swallowed hard. If Lola only knew how easy it was going to be. She nodded, not daring to speak.
“I think it’s better if he doesn’t come to the party tonight, either. Tell him I’m sorry, but that’s the way it has to be. There’ll be enough gossiping about you all without him being there as well and everyone watching and listening to see what happens. Besides, I want all the attention to be on me, not him.” She gave a broad grin.
Carrie looked at her feet again. She’d long ago banned Matthew from coming to the party.
“So there we have it. Now, get to work please. It won’t be long before my guests come marching up the carpark, and there’s still plenty to be organized. Carrie, ask your sisters to help you. Bett and Anna, do what she says.” She was almost at the door when she remembered something else. “One last thing.”
They turned to her as one, like a chorus line, waiting.
She gave them a beautiful smile. “Thank you all for being here. You’ve made an old lady very happy.”
Chapter Six
T he
It wasn’t what Lola had hoped to hear, but it was a start. “The customer’s always right, Carrie, remember. Anna, what about you?”
Anna glared at her. “I’m furious because I am thirty-four years old and you are treating me like a child.”
“You’re all behaving like children, so I’m going to treat you like children. Thank you, Anna. Bett?”
Bett hesitated. “I’m upset because I hate this.”
“Do you really?” Lola said a silent thanks. Now she was getting somewhere. Say it, Bett, she urged. Say how much you have hated fighting with your sisters. How much you’ve hated being away from them. “What do you hate exactly?”
Bett lifted her head, a picture of defiant misery. “You telling us off. And this truth stick business. I’ve always hated it.”
Lola put down the imaginary stick. It had been a last-ditch effort in any case. “Very well. I’ll try some straight talking instead. You see, I’ve always had the idea that you might have missed each other during the past three years. That perhaps there had been times when you’d wished you could call on each other. And then I had the even more obviously ridiculous idea that all it would take for you to become friends again was to get you together to talk about it.”
No response.
“No? Then it seems in my old age I am getting not just feeble of body but feeble of mind, and I have got it all wrong. Such a shame. However, as has always been my wont, I am going to try to make the best of a bad situation.” She glared at them. “So, my little brat-faced princesses—”
Bett suddenly had to bite back a smile. Lola hadn’t called them brat-faced princesses in years.
“Do you think it would be possible for the three of you to put this ridiculous fight—all right, not ridiculous, this extremely worthwhile and valid fight—behind you for a short time? Because, girls, the way of it is, I want to enjoy my party and I certainly won’t if I have to see your sulky faces all night long. Or all week long. And possibly beyond that. In fact, let’s say definitely beyond that.”
She ignored their looks of surprise and clapped her hands again. The three of them jumped. “From now on, there is to be conversation between you, do you hear me? I want some smiles, too. So I hereby lay down the law. There is to be no mention whatsoever of the events of three years ago. Do you understand?”
There was a flash of temper from Anna. “Oh, sure, Lola. As if we aren’t thinking about them.”
“You can think all you like. You can think of nothing else if you like. But while you are all living and working here, I want peace and conviviality between you.” She turned to Carrie. “I know this will be hardest on you at the moment, Carrie, Matthew being your husband and all. But I’d like you to keep him away from here for the time being. Do you think you can manage that?”
Carrie swallowed hard. If Lola only knew how easy it was going to be. She nodded, not daring to speak.
“I think it’s better if he doesn’t come to the party tonight, either. Tell him I’m sorry, but that’s the way it has to be. There’ll be enough gossiping about you all without him being there as well and everyone watching and listening to see what happens. Besides, I want all the attention to be on me, not him.” She gave a broad grin.
Carrie looked at her feet again. She’d long ago banned Matthew from coming to the party.
“So there we have it. Now, get to work please. It won’t be long before my guests come marching up the carpark, and there’s still plenty to be organized. Carrie, ask your sisters to help you. Bett and Anna, do what she says.” She was almost at the door when she remembered something else. “One last thing.”
They turned to her as one, like a chorus line, waiting.
She gave them a beautiful smile. “Thank you all for being here. You’ve made an old lady very happy.”
Chapter Six
T he
Similar Books
