Chapter Twelve
TWELVE
The next day, they all slept late, even the children.
One by one, their friends came downstairs, got cups of coffee and glasses of juice, and straggled out to the terrace, where they sat around discussing the party and asking Kate about the house.
Without the Aga, she couldn’t cook them breakfast, but there were croissants and her own home-made jam, and fresh fruit from the orchard – as well as the plums, the first greengages were ripening, and there were still a few peaches left, which she cut and put in bowls with the last of the raspberries.
A plan to walk to the pub for lunch was slowly emerging, but no one was in a hurry to move.
‘There’s your lovely neighbour,’ Lucy said, pointing down the garden.
Kate looked. Sure enough, Rosemary was walking up the lawn towards them.
‘We should really put an intercom on that gate,’ Matt muttered.
Ignoring him, Kate waved. Rosemary, she saw, was carrying a bunch of flowers.
‘How are you all?’ Rosemary called as she reached them.
‘There are a few delicate heads at The Old Tennis Court this morning, I can tell you. Naming no names, but some people didn’t make it back to their own beds.
’ She held the flowers out to Kate. ‘For you. To say we’re so terribly sorry about the racket.
I didn’t even realise our windows were open until someone fell out of one.
’ She nodded at the flowers. ‘I thought you might put them in the oriel window, so they’ll catch the light. ’
‘Oh – it was fine, really,’ Kate said as she took the flowers. ‘But thank you.’
It hadn’t actually been fine at all. Somehow, The Old Tennis Court had acted like a huge loudspeaker, pumping out bass so deep she’d felt it in the pit of her stomach, while the vocals echoed back from the woods like a shriek bouncing off a cliff.
Even with the windows closed, which made her and Matt sticky and overheated, it had been hard to get to sleep.
‘And I’m the bearer of good news,’ Rosemary said, beaming. ‘I spoke to Mary Snow last night, and she’s just texted an invite for Tilly and Will to go and sit on Fresco this morning. She’s going to take them both out on a leading rein, to see what they think of him.’
‘Actually,’ Matt said, ‘I think we’re all going to the pub.’
Rosemary frowned briefly, then her expression cleared. ‘That’s all right. I can take them over in the Popemobile.’
‘They don’t often get to see their friends from London,’ Matt explained, just a fraction more firmly than Kate would have liked. ‘Sorry, but we’d better rearrange your thing. Presumably Fresco isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.’
‘Well, why don’t we ask Tilly and Will which they’d rather do?’ Rosemary said reasonably. ‘I’d rather not say no to Mary, not when I’ve worked so hard to get her to offer.’
‘I know which they’d choose,’ Matt said tersely. ‘That isn’t the point, Rosemary – we want to keep them with us today.’
Rosemary didn’t reply, but just for a moment Kate thought she saw a flash of irritation cross her face.
Will ran up, slightly out of breath. ‘What’s going on?’
‘Nothing,’ Matt said. ‘Rosemary’s passed on a really kind offer for you and Tilly to go and ride someone’s pony, which we’ll definitely take her up on sometime. Now, go and round up the others – we’re making a move to the pub.’
‘Pizza!’ Will yelled enthusiastically, running off again.
‘Is that all right?’ Matt said to Rosemary, his tone friendlier now he’d got his way.
‘Of course!’ she exclaimed. ‘I’ll text Mary and say they’re busy. I’m sure she’ll be happy to rearrange.’