Page 11 of A Spot of Tea
“Who said that!”Patty boomed, slamming the box of tea down onto the counter and sending her Golden Retriever, Derby, running under the kitchen table.
Sheila knelt down. “It’s okay, Derby. Some people just don’t have manners.”
“You tell me who it was and I will teachhimsome manners!”
Derby wagged his tail and placed a paw on Sheila’s knee. She stroked it with her hand.
“I don’t know who it was,” she said over her shoulder. “Besides, we’re not going to show up at his house to teach him a lesson.”
“Speak for yourself,” Patty snapped. “When I find out who he was, I’ll make sure he will never set foot on this property. I’ll have Reggie –”
“You will not have Reggie do anything.”
The front door opened and Sheila stopped talking. She mimed zipping her lips and pointed at Patty.
Patty mimicked her, pointing back forcefully.
“Is anyone home?”
Sheila yelled, “We’re in the kitchen!”
Eliza walked in, dropping her coat on a chair. Her cheeks were flushed red, her hair wind-blown. “Were you yelling at each other?”
Sheila and Patty looked at one another and saidnoat the same time.
“Hm.” Eliza stared at them. “I thought I heard yelling.”
“Your mom was just telling me about the permits with the sea pen,” Patty said, turning around to pour water for the tea.
Eliza groaned and took a seat at the kitchen table. “I thought that was sorted out?”
Sheila wasn’t the best at lying to her children on the fly, but she managed to say, “It is now. It’s nothing to worry about. Did you go for a walk?”
“I did.” She smiled. “When are they supposed to actually start building the sea pen?”
“That’s still up in the air. We have the funding, but—”
“You do?” Eliza’s mouth popped open. “When did this happen? I thought you were still waiting for the money from Russell’s next movie.”
Sheila smiled. What a wild ride this was turning out to be. The initial plan to raise funding was for Russell to do another movie. He hardly wanted to, but his fans were thrilled. He ran a poll on his website, agreeing to do whatever type of movie they picked. All the profits would go to building the sea pen and the surrounding research site for Lottie.
He was now in preproduction for a historical vampire romance with the working title “Fangs of Waterloo,” where he played the dashing vampire who risked life and reputation to save a damsel in distress during the famous battle.
Sheila swooned just thinking of him in a waistcoat. “We thought we’d have to wait for the money, but a few of Russell’s celebrity friends – actors, directors, even a few musicians – have made some big donations. It’s fully funded.”
“That’s incredible!” Eliza said.
“I just don’t believe he can’t get Idris Elba out here,” Patty said with a sigh. “Theyhave toknow each other.”
Sheila had to force herself not to smile. “I’ve told you Russell knows him a little, and while he’s a very nice guy, Russell doesn’t feel comfortable asking him to—”
“Of course he’s a nice guy!” Patty shouted. “I’m sure if Russell sent him a letter with an invitation to see the sea pen, he would at least respond. The worst he can do is say no.”
Eliza met Sheila’s eyes across the table, then they looked away, suppressing laughter. Patty had been campaigning for her celebrity crush – whom she flatly refused to acknowledge as a crush – to come out to Hollywood’s favorite future sea pen for months.
“That’s so exciting, Mom. I can’t believe this is really happening.”
“You and me both.” Sheila shook her head.
