on what sort of property I want.’
‘Otherwise Bella would find him one,’ said Jane. ‘She’s a brilliant estate agent.’
Bella blushed. The property she’d shown him hadn’t been that brilliant, although it had been Nevil’s pick, not hers.
‘It’s not often you hear anyone say anything nice about estate agents,’ said Phillip. ‘They’re mostly hate figures.’
‘Hate is putting it a bit strongly,’ said Bella, smiling to make it clear she hadn’t taken offence, although she had. ‘People just don’t understand all that the job entails, that’s all. They’d be far more sympathetic if they knew what was involved.’
Hannah didn’t seem to care about the reputation of estate agents; she was still focused on Dominic. ‘You seem too independent not to have a place of your own.’
Watching her, Bella wondered if Hannah fancied him and suffered a pang of jealousy, the sharper because it was entirely unjustified.
He acknowledged Hannah’s comment with a polite nod.
Bella searched around for something to say to cover the awkward silence. Then to her enormous relief Alice came back in. ‘Bella, if you can just give me a hand in the kitchen. Michael, would you be a dear and get everyone sitting down? Jane’s place is obvious as it has her birthday present there, but otherwise people can sit anywhere.’
‘Oh, dauphinois potatoes!’ said Michael, when at last all the food was on the table. ‘My favourite!’
‘They’re a heart attack on a plate,’ snapped Lucy. ‘Don’t have any, Dad.’
‘Two sorts of potatoes?’ said Jane. ‘I’m very impressed.’
‘Well, I’ve got a huge cooker as well as a Rayburn, so it’s not hard,’ said Alice. ‘Now, carving. Dominic and I are sharing it to make things quicker. Are you all right with that knife? It’s nice and sharp.’
‘We had an electric one as a wedding present,’ said Lucy. ‘It’s really good.’
Bella was beginning to be seriously impressed with Michael. He poured the wine, found soft drinks, made sure everyone had something, all without saying a word. She sent him a smile of gratitude but he was looking at Alice – a look that made Bella understand why his daughters were so concerned. If she was any judge, he was very interested in Alice. Maybe she should worry in case he was just after a great cook who had a very lovely house – although looking at him now it seemed unlikely.
‘Has everyone got everything?’ said Alice, checking plates for omissions. ‘Wine?’
‘It all looks absolutely terrific,’ said Michael, sounding like a hungry schoolboy faced with pizza after a term of school meals.
‘I think so too,’ said Jane. ‘Can I propose a toast to the cook?’
Alice laughed. ‘Just a quick one, then, I don’t want it all getting cold.’
There were some moments of silence broken by the clatter and scrape of knives and forks. Then several people began speaking at once.
‘I have to say,’ said Phillip, ‘this is the best bit of lamb I have ever tasted. I wish you could cook as well as this, Lucy.’
Alice hesitated only a second. ‘Don’t worry, Lucy, it took me years to perfect my roasts. It’s not something that comes immediately. Phillip will be saying that about yours very soon.’
Phillip considered. ‘I don’t know about that. My mother must be older than you, Alice, and her potatoes are never brown and her gravy is rubbish.’
No one knew how to respond to this.
Chapter Thirteen
AT LAST THE sun came out, lunch was finally over and Alice offered to show Jane the garden. Michael tagged along having done more than his share of dirty-plate ferrying. Phillip, Lucy and Hannah went into Bella’s sitting room to watch some sporting event on television, and Bella was left in the kitchen, putting the last few items in the dishwasher and giving everything a final wipe down.
Dominic came in and took the cloth from her hand.
‘Come on. It’s done now. Show me Alice’s garden.’
She wanted to
‘Otherwise Bella would find him one,’ said Jane. ‘She’s a brilliant estate agent.’
Bella blushed. The property she’d shown him hadn’t been that brilliant, although it had been Nevil’s pick, not hers.
‘It’s not often you hear anyone say anything nice about estate agents,’ said Phillip. ‘They’re mostly hate figures.’
‘Hate is putting it a bit strongly,’ said Bella, smiling to make it clear she hadn’t taken offence, although she had. ‘People just don’t understand all that the job entails, that’s all. They’d be far more sympathetic if they knew what was involved.’
Hannah didn’t seem to care about the reputation of estate agents; she was still focused on Dominic. ‘You seem too independent not to have a place of your own.’
Watching her, Bella wondered if Hannah fancied him and suffered a pang of jealousy, the sharper because it was entirely unjustified.
He acknowledged Hannah’s comment with a polite nod.
Bella searched around for something to say to cover the awkward silence. Then to her enormous relief Alice came back in. ‘Bella, if you can just give me a hand in the kitchen. Michael, would you be a dear and get everyone sitting down? Jane’s place is obvious as it has her birthday present there, but otherwise people can sit anywhere.’
‘Oh, dauphinois potatoes!’ said Michael, when at last all the food was on the table. ‘My favourite!’
‘They’re a heart attack on a plate,’ snapped Lucy. ‘Don’t have any, Dad.’
‘Two sorts of potatoes?’ said Jane. ‘I’m very impressed.’
‘Well, I’ve got a huge cooker as well as a Rayburn, so it’s not hard,’ said Alice. ‘Now, carving. Dominic and I are sharing it to make things quicker. Are you all right with that knife? It’s nice and sharp.’
‘We had an electric one as a wedding present,’ said Lucy. ‘It’s really good.’
Bella was beginning to be seriously impressed with Michael. He poured the wine, found soft drinks, made sure everyone had something, all without saying a word. She sent him a smile of gratitude but he was looking at Alice – a look that made Bella understand why his daughters were so concerned. If she was any judge, he was very interested in Alice. Maybe she should worry in case he was just after a great cook who had a very lovely house – although looking at him now it seemed unlikely.
‘Has everyone got everything?’ said Alice, checking plates for omissions. ‘Wine?’
‘It all looks absolutely terrific,’ said Michael, sounding like a hungry schoolboy faced with pizza after a term of school meals.
‘I think so too,’ said Jane. ‘Can I propose a toast to the cook?’
Alice laughed. ‘Just a quick one, then, I don’t want it all getting cold.’
There were some moments of silence broken by the clatter and scrape of knives and forks. Then several people began speaking at once.
‘I have to say,’ said Phillip, ‘this is the best bit of lamb I have ever tasted. I wish you could cook as well as this, Lucy.’
Alice hesitated only a second. ‘Don’t worry, Lucy, it took me years to perfect my roasts. It’s not something that comes immediately. Phillip will be saying that about yours very soon.’
Phillip considered. ‘I don’t know about that. My mother must be older than you, Alice, and her potatoes are never brown and her gravy is rubbish.’
No one knew how to respond to this.
Chapter Thirteen
AT LAST THE sun came out, lunch was finally over and Alice offered to show Jane the garden. Michael tagged along having done more than his share of dirty-plate ferrying. Phillip, Lucy and Hannah went into Bella’s sitting room to watch some sporting event on television, and Bella was left in the kitchen, putting the last few items in the dishwasher and giving everything a final wipe down.
Dominic came in and took the cloth from her hand.
‘Come on. It’s done now. Show me Alice’s garden.’
She wanted to
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