Page 74 of The Christmas Invitation
‘You’ve seen it?’
‘Mark insisted I go up and look at it weeks ago, though I told him my artistic expertise lay in pots, not paintings. Buteven I could see it probably wasn’t even School of, let alone the real thing.’
‘I think he’s accepted that now,’ I said, thinking Lex seemed a lot more chilled today and, if not friendly, at least not openly inimical.
‘Mainly because you found him something probably a whole lot more valuable that it won’t hurt Sybil to part with.’
We consulted the menus and then all chose the same thing: fish pie, followed bycrème brûlée. I noticed Lex addressed the pretty blonde waitress as Susie and she had trouble keeping her eyes off him.
‘It’s like an annual outing of Pescetarians,’ Tottie said, tucking in. ‘I suppose we do all grab the opportunity of a bit of fish when we’re out, even though we have it at home occasionally, too.’
‘Lex fell into our ways when he used to stay with us over the years,’ Henry said.
‘Zelda’s a little carnivore, though,’ Lex said, and I wondered what this unknown younger sister, Teddy’s mother, would be like.
‘I don’t really feel Ishouldbe eating fish,’ said Henry, ‘but I just can’t seem to entirely break the habit.’
‘I can manage anything fishy, so long as it isn’t still wearing its head,’ Clara said.
‘Or two heads, if it was the mutant pike,’ said Lex.
‘Let’s not go there,’ I said, ‘or it’ll put us all off our lunch.’
‘True,’ said Clara. ‘And I’m so glad you could join us today, Lex.’
‘Perhaps you should have invited Mark, too,’ Lex suggested. ‘Meg seems to have sweetened his temper no end.’
I turned and looked suspiciously at him and he gazed blandly back.
‘You mean, by finding that still life?’
‘I expect that helped, because he seemed practically genial the other day. Something, or someone, has certainly softened him up,’ Clara said.
‘I think he’s taken a liking to Meg – and who could blame him?’ said Henry with a twinkle, and I blushed.
‘It’s no such thing. He’s just delighted that I think his still life will fund the rest of his renovations.’
‘What did you really think of his plans?’ asked Lex.
‘I’m no expert on it, but I think if he can persuade people that it’s worth going all the way out to Underhill for a very upmarket wedding reception venue, he could be on to a winner.’
‘He’ll certainly have to charge a bomb if he’s going to make enough money between spring and early autumn,’ Lex said.
‘What about this idea of turning Underhill into some kind of small country house hotel?’ Tottie asked dubiously.
‘I think it’s more so he can accommodate some of the wedding party, rather than open it to the general public,’ suggested Clara.
‘I don’t know if it would be worth it, really, and it would make a lot more work,’ I said.
‘I agree,’ Henry said. ‘He’d do better concentrating on the receptions and later, perhaps, hold weddings there, too.’
‘It’s all a big disruption anyway. Poor Sybil will be glad to get away to stay with us, though I noticed she was still fretting over that ghastly old reprobate Piers Marten,’ said Clara. ‘But if he’s alone for Christmas, it’ll be by his own choice.’
‘Do you think there might be some kind of autumn/winter romance going on there?’ asked Henry.
‘I wouldn’t have thought so, really,’ replied Clara. ‘I mean, she calls him “Uncle Piers” and he’s the same age as George would have been …andhe’s not a very nice or attractive man.’
‘I’m sure she just feels sorry for the old blighter,’ Tottie said, spooning the last froth out of her cappuccino cup.
