‘Mattie reckons it is, but I have my doubts.’
‘By Jove, so have I! The holy peace of the downland shattered by little girls in jodhpurs and loud-voiced London trippers? Perish the thought! My grandmother will never wear it.’
‘Mattie won’t be livable with if her don’t.’
‘So that’s why you’re so down in the mouth! I don’t wonder. A disgruntled Mattie is not going to be the easiest of stable companions.’
They were met in the hall at Headlands by Maria, who said: ‘Watch your words this evening. We are more than a little put out.’
‘Why, what’s happened?’ asked her son, although, from his conversation with Lunn, he could guess.
‘We’ve had a stormy interview with Mattie which has left us rattled and uneasy.’
‘Uneasy? Why?’
‘No time to tell you now. Come along. The sherry is waiting and so is she.’
‘So you have not quite forsaken me, Fiona,’ said Romula, as the guests entered the room.
‘I was invited to come and it is churlish to refuse invitations unless one has good reason.’
‘Are you happy where you are?’
‘Not as happy as I was here and I miss you and Maria very much.’
‘I am glad to hear it. So you will come back, will you?’
‘I would rather be kept by you than by Rupert.’
‘So that is how matters have turned out!’
‘The destitute have little choice as to where their daily bread comes from. They are lucky that it comes at all.’
‘It is most unsuitable that Rupert should make himself responsible for your maintenance. What does Diana think of it?’
‘I have not canvassed her opinion. She may be rejoicing to see me sink so low.’
‘Mother,’ said Maria, ‘we are ready to drink your health.’
‘Some of you may have cause to do so, others not,’ said Romula. ‘You had better leave it until later.’
‘I don’t much like the sound of that,’ muttered Garnet to his sister.
Bluebell murmured in response, ‘We are out of it, anyway. She will never forgive us for taking Fiona into our home.’
‘Fiona had to be taken in by somebody. In any case, I think you may be wrong. By the look of them, I think mother has forgiven Fiona for her show of independence. She may even respect her for it. In that case, commendation rather than blame may be our lot.’
‘I wouldn’t put any money on it if I were you.’
The dinner places were arranged somewhat differently this time. Gamaliel, preening himself as usual, was accorded the place opposite Romula at the far end of the table.
‘Now I am chief man,’ he said.
‘Or the lowest of the low,’ said Bluebell.
‘It is better than to be mediocre. Besides, I get the best view of my dear old lady from here.’
‘Wouldn’t you rather be seated next to her as you were before?’ asked Diana.
‘No, because next to her I have to eat prettily and not make a noise with my soup. Down here I can enjoy my food in my own way.’
‘Pigs don’t have wings,’ said Diana nastily. ‘So you won’t fly.’
‘Oh, no, neither do cows jump over the moon,’ retorted Gamaliel, making his forefingers into two little horns and grinning ferociously at her.
Garnet, from his seat on Romula’s right, said: ‘That will do, Greg. Spoon up your soup and pipe down.’
‘Is Greg a way of shortening his name?’ asked Maria. ‘It sounds better than Gammy, I must say.’
‘It is not a shortening,’ said Gamaliel. ‘It is the name I shall use later on when I fight.’
‘I did not know that you proposed to join the Army.’
‘Not the Army or the Navy or the Air Force. My fighting will be done in the boxing ring.’
‘The first I’ve heard of it,’ said Bluebell. ‘Is that really your plan for the future?’
‘Oh, yes, I am to be world champion at my weight. I hope it will be heavyweight. People think more of a heavyweight than any other.’
‘You are a very silly boy,’ said Romula, smiling at him.
‘We have our own plans for you,’ said Parsifal.
Gamaliel scooped up the remainder of his soup and laid down his spoon. ‘Then you must forget them, these plans,’ he said.
