find the lemons.’
They agreed that lunch would now have to take place in the dining room and Bella set the table before rushing into the garden with a pair of secateurs. She just needed a few sprigs of something to gussy up the flowers in the dining room, and she really wanted some fresh air. If only she could stay out there until lunch was over and everyone had gone home. The prospect of Dominic and Michael’s overprotective daughters was not inviting. But she owed it to Jane and Alice to do her bit with a sunny smile.
Not long after this, the kitchen full of the smells of roasting lamb, garlic and rosemary, Alice and Bella heard the crunch of gravel and looked out of the window.
‘Nice car!’ said Bella, hiding her relief it wasn’t Dominic and Jane. ‘Is it Michael’s?’
‘Yes,’ said Alice peering out of the window beside her. ‘And there are those terrifying young women and one of their – which one?’
‘Lucy,’ said Bella.
‘And Lucy’s City boy husband.’
‘Don’t worry, it’s all going to be fine,’ said Bella, giving her godmother an affectionate squeeze.
‘You’ll be just as jittery when Dominic and Jane turn up,’ said Alice.
They just had time to share an agonised look and a reluctant chuckle before the doorbell rang.
‘Do come in, everyone,’ said Alice. ‘Michael, how nice to see you.’
‘We’re rather a crowd, I’m afraid,’ he said, putting a bottle into her hand.
‘That’s all right,’ said Alice. ‘You’re not the only ones coming.’ She smiled at the young man who followed the others into the house.
‘This is Phillip,’ said Michael. ‘Lucy’s husband.’
Phillip kissed Alice’s cheek. ‘Hi.’ He had a deep, well-bred voice and a lot of confidence: the air of someone who knew he had loads of charm and was prepared to be generous with it.
‘This is Bella,’ said Alice, and Phillip kissed her cheek too.
‘Come on through to the sitting room. It’s a shame it’s not warm enough to sit in the garden but we can look at it. It might warm up later.’ Alice shooed everyone down the hall.
‘Sounds like a lot of fun,’ Bella overheard Lucy mutter, which made her wonder why on earth they had come if they didn’t want to be there.
The sitting room did look lovely, thought Bella. It was a large, well-proportioned room with French windows opening on to the garden. The furniture was comfortable and stylish, although none of it matched. The room had never been designed, it had just developed organically and the effect was charming.
As Bella watched the group finding places to sit on the sofas, she thought again it would have been a lot less stressful if it had just been her, Alice and Jane there to enjoy it.
‘Right, drinks,’ said Alice. ‘Who wants what? Gin and tonic? Wine? Sherry?’ She and Bella had loaded a tray with enough different drinks to open either a small cocktail lounge or a juice bar.
‘Who drinks sherry?’ asked Hannah, unable to hide her disdain.
‘Quite a lot of people actually,’ said Phillip. ‘It’s getting quite popular with the younger crowd. Although it is served chilled, usually.’
Bella smiled at Phillip. He was probably just showing off his greater knowledge to his sister-in-law, but she was grateful anyway.
‘You could have ice in the sherry, and Alice’s G and Ts are amazing,’ said Bella. ‘If you’re not driving, that is.’
Just then a kitchen timer buzzed in Alice’s pocket and Bella spotted a look of panic cross her face for a second.
‘You go and see to that,’ said Bella. ‘I’ll carry on here. What would you like, Lucy?’
Before Lucy had a chance to answer the front-door bell went again.
‘I’ll do drinks,’ said Michael, ‘they’re well within my skill set – unless you’d rather I got the door?’
Bella would have loved to let him get the door, but she knew it was her responsibility. ‘Drinks would be brilliant. Thank you!’
No wonder Alice likes him, Bella thought as
They agreed that lunch would now have to take place in the dining room and Bella set the table before rushing into the garden with a pair of secateurs. She just needed a few sprigs of something to gussy up the flowers in the dining room, and she really wanted some fresh air. If only she could stay out there until lunch was over and everyone had gone home. The prospect of Dominic and Michael’s overprotective daughters was not inviting. But she owed it to Jane and Alice to do her bit with a sunny smile.
Not long after this, the kitchen full of the smells of roasting lamb, garlic and rosemary, Alice and Bella heard the crunch of gravel and looked out of the window.
‘Nice car!’ said Bella, hiding her relief it wasn’t Dominic and Jane. ‘Is it Michael’s?’
‘Yes,’ said Alice peering out of the window beside her. ‘And there are those terrifying young women and one of their – which one?’
‘Lucy,’ said Bella.
‘And Lucy’s City boy husband.’
‘Don’t worry, it’s all going to be fine,’ said Bella, giving her godmother an affectionate squeeze.
‘You’ll be just as jittery when Dominic and Jane turn up,’ said Alice.
They just had time to share an agonised look and a reluctant chuckle before the doorbell rang.
‘Do come in, everyone,’ said Alice. ‘Michael, how nice to see you.’
‘We’re rather a crowd, I’m afraid,’ he said, putting a bottle into her hand.
‘That’s all right,’ said Alice. ‘You’re not the only ones coming.’ She smiled at the young man who followed the others into the house.
‘This is Phillip,’ said Michael. ‘Lucy’s husband.’
Phillip kissed Alice’s cheek. ‘Hi.’ He had a deep, well-bred voice and a lot of confidence: the air of someone who knew he had loads of charm and was prepared to be generous with it.
‘This is Bella,’ said Alice, and Phillip kissed her cheek too.
‘Come on through to the sitting room. It’s a shame it’s not warm enough to sit in the garden but we can look at it. It might warm up later.’ Alice shooed everyone down the hall.
‘Sounds like a lot of fun,’ Bella overheard Lucy mutter, which made her wonder why on earth they had come if they didn’t want to be there.
The sitting room did look lovely, thought Bella. It was a large, well-proportioned room with French windows opening on to the garden. The furniture was comfortable and stylish, although none of it matched. The room had never been designed, it had just developed organically and the effect was charming.
As Bella watched the group finding places to sit on the sofas, she thought again it would have been a lot less stressful if it had just been her, Alice and Jane there to enjoy it.
‘Right, drinks,’ said Alice. ‘Who wants what? Gin and tonic? Wine? Sherry?’ She and Bella had loaded a tray with enough different drinks to open either a small cocktail lounge or a juice bar.
‘Who drinks sherry?’ asked Hannah, unable to hide her disdain.
‘Quite a lot of people actually,’ said Phillip. ‘It’s getting quite popular with the younger crowd. Although it is served chilled, usually.’
Bella smiled at Phillip. He was probably just showing off his greater knowledge to his sister-in-law, but she was grateful anyway.
‘You could have ice in the sherry, and Alice’s G and Ts are amazing,’ said Bella. ‘If you’re not driving, that is.’
Just then a kitchen timer buzzed in Alice’s pocket and Bella spotted a look of panic cross her face for a second.
‘You go and see to that,’ said Bella. ‘I’ll carry on here. What would you like, Lucy?’
Before Lucy had a chance to answer the front-door bell went again.
‘I’ll do drinks,’ said Michael, ‘they’re well within my skill set – unless you’d rather I got the door?’
Bella would have loved to let him get the door, but she knew it was her responsibility. ‘Drinks would be brilliant. Thank you!’
No wonder Alice likes him, Bella thought as
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