were keen to get the lowdown, and looked thrilled to bits. Nothing their grandmother did could ever shock them. They ran into her arms and whatever my mother was about to say about Sally’s new beau was lost in a flurry of greetings and
exclamations. They immediately went into a huddle to whisper about Jean-Claude.
James had made it up the hill by now and was viewing the scene with dismay. I couldn’t meet his eye.
‘Lizzie, what were you thinking?’ I hissed when she came back with her case.
‘I couldn’t stop her,’ she muttered. ‘You know what she’s like, batting her eyelids: bat, bat, bat. He was in the seat beside her before I could say, “
Comment s’apelle?
” ’
‘Oh, I
knew
I should have brought her with us. She’s not to be trusted.’
‘Well, never mind, he’s here now, and it won’t be for long. He’s actually terribly nice. Come on, show me around. And I need to talk to you.’
I linked her arm in mine and took her off, aware that James was tailing me. He caught up with us upstairs, despite me having taken the stairs at a canter, and cornered us halfway down the corridor. He was breathing rather heavily as he bore down on us.
‘Who, pray, is that man?’
‘He’s an antique dealer on his way to Aix. Lizzie gave him a lift.’
Lizzie glanced at me in alarm.
‘He’s clearly your mother’s latest lover.’
‘No, no, of course he’s not. He’s about fifteen years younger than her.’
‘Exactly. Where’s he going to sleep?’
‘Down the far end.’ I waved my hand to indicate a long way away. ‘Next to Rory. And Mum can go next door to us.’
‘What, and you’ll stay up all night patrolling the corridors on account of our daughter
and
your mother? Well, I
hope she creeps in his direction rather than ours. I really don’t want to lie awake listening to that all night.’
‘Well, imagine how I feel!’ I said heatedly.
‘I can’t think what Camille will say.’
‘What’s it got to do with Camille?’ I snapped.
‘Well, she’s bound to hear about it, isn’t she? It’s her house. It doesn’t look great, does it?’ He shot me a venomous look before stalking off pompously.
He was usually quite sympathetic towards my mother: the one telling me to relax about her attraction to increasingly younger men and to go with the flow, that it was no reflection on me. Under the opera singer’s roof, however, it was clearly a different matter.
‘Unlike James to take the moral high ground,’ commented Lizzie as I showed her into her room.
‘I think he’s got a crush on our hostess and he wants us to all match up. I wouldn’t mind, but when the Brig arrives he’ll launch into “When I was at Dartmoor …” as if it’s Sandy Lane, Barbados, but that’s all right, apparently. As long as it’s
his
family,’ I said petulantly, which wasn’t like me. I loved the Brig.
‘Crikey, I’ve even got a bell pull!’ Lizzie was exploring excitedly.
‘It doesn’t work. Amelia’s already tried it with Tara listening to the row of bells in the kitchen, but they still have to revert to texting me when they want something.’ I sat down miserably on the bed. ‘I’m so glad you’re here, Lizzie. I’ve a feeling I’ve bitten off more than I can chew by having both sets of parents here. And now bloody Jean-Claude.’
‘Or JC, as your mother calls him – totally without irony, incidentally. It’ll be fine, don’t worry. Um, listen,
Flora, talking of James’s family, we met the Brig and Rachel on the boat coming over.’
‘Yes, I know. Mum said. With the Brig looking like something out of a Brian Rix farce and Rachel telling her that Sally has met someone even my
mother
thinks is unsuitable.’
‘Exactly. And the thing is …’ Lizzie scratched her leg awkwardly. ‘Well, the thing is, you know how you always say Sally is so competitive with you. So keen to outdo you …’
‘Oh,
don’t
get me started on that. Remember that Christmas when James gave me some
exclamations. They immediately went into a huddle to whisper about Jean-Claude.
James had made it up the hill by now and was viewing the scene with dismay. I couldn’t meet his eye.
‘Lizzie, what were you thinking?’ I hissed when she came back with her case.
‘I couldn’t stop her,’ she muttered. ‘You know what she’s like, batting her eyelids: bat, bat, bat. He was in the seat beside her before I could say, “
Comment s’apelle?
” ’
‘Oh, I
knew
I should have brought her with us. She’s not to be trusted.’
‘Well, never mind, he’s here now, and it won’t be for long. He’s actually terribly nice. Come on, show me around. And I need to talk to you.’
I linked her arm in mine and took her off, aware that James was tailing me. He caught up with us upstairs, despite me having taken the stairs at a canter, and cornered us halfway down the corridor. He was breathing rather heavily as he bore down on us.
‘Who, pray, is that man?’
‘He’s an antique dealer on his way to Aix. Lizzie gave him a lift.’
Lizzie glanced at me in alarm.
‘He’s clearly your mother’s latest lover.’
‘No, no, of course he’s not. He’s about fifteen years younger than her.’
‘Exactly. Where’s he going to sleep?’
‘Down the far end.’ I waved my hand to indicate a long way away. ‘Next to Rory. And Mum can go next door to us.’
‘What, and you’ll stay up all night patrolling the corridors on account of our daughter
and
your mother? Well, I
hope she creeps in his direction rather than ours. I really don’t want to lie awake listening to that all night.’
‘Well, imagine how I feel!’ I said heatedly.
‘I can’t think what Camille will say.’
‘What’s it got to do with Camille?’ I snapped.
‘Well, she’s bound to hear about it, isn’t she? It’s her house. It doesn’t look great, does it?’ He shot me a venomous look before stalking off pompously.
He was usually quite sympathetic towards my mother: the one telling me to relax about her attraction to increasingly younger men and to go with the flow, that it was no reflection on me. Under the opera singer’s roof, however, it was clearly a different matter.
‘Unlike James to take the moral high ground,’ commented Lizzie as I showed her into her room.
‘I think he’s got a crush on our hostess and he wants us to all match up. I wouldn’t mind, but when the Brig arrives he’ll launch into “When I was at Dartmoor …” as if it’s Sandy Lane, Barbados, but that’s all right, apparently. As long as it’s
his
family,’ I said petulantly, which wasn’t like me. I loved the Brig.
‘Crikey, I’ve even got a bell pull!’ Lizzie was exploring excitedly.
‘It doesn’t work. Amelia’s already tried it with Tara listening to the row of bells in the kitchen, but they still have to revert to texting me when they want something.’ I sat down miserably on the bed. ‘I’m so glad you’re here, Lizzie. I’ve a feeling I’ve bitten off more than I can chew by having both sets of parents here. And now bloody Jean-Claude.’
‘Or JC, as your mother calls him – totally without irony, incidentally. It’ll be fine, don’t worry. Um, listen,
Flora, talking of James’s family, we met the Brig and Rachel on the boat coming over.’
‘Yes, I know. Mum said. With the Brig looking like something out of a Brian Rix farce and Rachel telling her that Sally has met someone even my
mother
thinks is unsuitable.’
‘Exactly. And the thing is …’ Lizzie scratched her leg awkwardly. ‘Well, the thing is, you know how you always say Sally is so competitive with you. So keen to outdo you …’
‘Oh,
don’t
get me started on that. Remember that Christmas when James gave me some
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