Page 134 of The Christmas Invitation
‘I expect so,’ she said, assuming the off-hand air that didn’t disguise her pleasure in having her portrait painted.
‘I suppose I’d better ring Flora and see if she still wants a lift to Underhill,’ said Lex, but when he came back, he reported that Flora would be going there under her own steam.
‘She remembered Deirdre’s four-wheel-drive was in the garage and found the keys, so she rang Gil – that’s Olive’s son, Meg – and he’s clearing and gritting the drive for her. But she won’t be able to stay long, because of her guests.’
‘Piers will certainly expect to get his feet in the trough for every meal,’ Henry said.
‘Flora says Rollo’s much improved and up and about,’ Lex said, then gave that arrowhead grin and added, ‘She said that last night she’d warned Piers that if he wanted a cooked breakfast, then he had to be down before eight thirty, so she seems to have him organized.’
‘I knew she would. She was a very efficient nanny and I expect she’s using the same technique,’ said Clara drily.
‘Piers had just asked her to ring us and remind Sybil that he wanted to see her this morning. I’d let him stew, though, Sybil.’Lex smiled at her. ‘There’s no reason you should have to traipse down there at his command, if you don’t feel like it.’
‘You could just ring up,’ suggested Clara.
‘No … I’d better walk down and see Uncle Piers,’ she said.
Clara was now looking at her narrowly, possibly puzzling about why Piers seemed to have such a hold over her. It was very odd. Perhaps he and her father had always barked their commands at her and she was used to obeying? But though she called him ‘Uncle Piers’, his attempt to kiss her last night hadn’t seemed very avuncular at all.
‘River and I are going to take the post round the village shortly, Sybil, so you could walk down with us as far as the guesthouse?’ suggested Henry.
‘That would be lovely. I could take the dogs with me for some exercise, if you don’t think Flora will mind them in the guesthouse.’
‘They’ll probably be a welcome relief after Piers,’ said Clara.
35
Stripped
Flora’s car was creeping down the drive of Bella Vista as we passed and she followed us up to Underhill. The journey was a little hairy, despite a fresh layer of grit on the road, and I suppose she was unused to her aunt’s car, because she fell back and arrived a few minutes after we did.
Mark came out, but had eyes only for Zelda, so I don’t think he even registered it when Flora parked next to the pick-up and got out with a palpable expression of relief on her face. We’d waited for her and followed the other two in, and then Mark gave us very much the same tour he’d given me, though in reverse order, starting with the almost-finished new reception room in the coach house and then through into the bare catering kitchen-to-be.
Lex and I hung back; I thinkhe’dheard enough about the plans already too. But Flora stuck with Mark and Zelda, asking questions and enthusing about everything until slowly it became clear even to her that she was an unwelcome third in the conversation. I felt a little sorry for her.
Zelda was coming up with some practical ideas of her own and by the time we’d toured the upstairs, she and Mark had begun an impassioned discussion.
‘Starting off in spring with the wedding receptions is very achievable, because the new catering kitchen will easily be ready in time,’ she said. ‘And, of course, you’ll need an en-suite room for the bride to use on the day, but it doesn’t have to be in the family wing, does it?’
‘But it’s one of the bedrooms I’m already renovating for guests,’ he pointed out.
‘Forget those for the moment, Mark. Why not turn the rooms over the old kitchen, which you’ve earmarked for your friends’ accommodation, into the bridal suite, instead?’
‘But why?’ demanded Mark.
‘Because when you go upstairs from the hall, those rooms are to the right, but the family ones are to the left. So if the bridal suite was there, it would leave the whole of the family part of the house separate.’
‘But only until the other guest bedrooms were finished.’
‘You’ll have to scrap that idea,’ she said decidedly. ‘I don’t think letting a few bedrooms would be worth the effort, and anyway, Underhill should remain a family home as well as a business.’
‘I don’t know about that,’ he said. ‘And where would I put Art and Gerry?’
‘If Sybil still has her old bedroom, then that little housekeeper’s parlour, with its own staircase up to a bedroom, could be made into a perfect little apartment for them.’
I thought she had something there, and Mark was beginning to look more thoughtful.
He turned it all over in his head for a few minutes and then said slowly, ‘Itcouldwork.’
