all this a bit much.’
‘How long are they staying?’
‘I don’t know. We’re sort of living from day to day. They’re staying with us, of course, Daniel won’t go near the cottage.’ She sighed. ‘Well, I’d better get this food to Mother – she was very scornful about the buffet because there wasn’t a whole ham.’
I didn’t feel in the least like eating, but, for the look of the thing, I went over to the buffet. In spite of the lack of a ham there was a wide variety of food and I took various things at random and a glass of wine, which I felt was something I really needed.
‘Quite a good turnout.’ Matthew Paisley, with a group from Brunswick Lodge, came up beside me.
‘Yes,’ I said, ‘I’m glad the church was so full.’
‘We’re going to miss her,’ he continued, ‘she was always so helpful about doing things.’
‘Such a lovely person,’ Alison Shelby broke in, ‘and really quite distinguished in her own right – I read some of her articles, they were very good – she fitted in so well.’
‘Well, she did come from here,’ Matthew saidreprovingly, ‘and her family have lived round here for years.’
‘Oh yes, of course – I didn’t mean … So what will happen to her cottage?’ Alison asked.
‘I don’t know,’ I said. ‘I don’t imagine Daniel will want to keep it.’
‘Daniel?’
‘Her son.’
‘
Really
? I didn’t know she had a son.’
‘He lives in London.’
‘Fancy that.’ She looked round the room. ‘Which is he?’
‘I don’t think he’s here just at the moment,’ I said.
‘What a pity – I’d like to have told him how sorry we all are.’
‘I’m sure he knows that.’
‘I do feel so sorry for poor Donald,’ Maureen Philips broke in. She leant confidently towards me. ‘He was quite attached, wasn’t he? To Eva, I mean. Well, we all noticed and wondered if something might come of it.’ She looked at me expectantly.
‘I really don’t know,’ I said. ‘Do excuse me,’ I gestured with my glass, ‘I really must find somewhere to sit down with this lot.’
I was making my way towards an empty table – I really didn’t feel like talking to anyone – when I saw that Mrs Dudley was waving me over to join her. Iput my plate down on the table beside her and she regarded it critically.
‘I’m glad to see you didn’t have any slices of that ham,’ she said. ‘It gets so dry if it’s not cut freshly every time.’
I nodded agreement. Obviously the subject of the ham was her defence to hide her actual feelings. I looked at Rosemary and she smiled faintly.
‘How is Daniel?’ I asked Patrick.
He shrugged. ‘Not good. He went outside for a bit. It hasn’t really sunk in yet. So soon after his father. He’ll be all right – he’s pretty tough and determined under that casual exterior.’
‘He’s very lucky to have you to help him through things.’
‘We’ve been together for a long time now. And we work together pretty well.’
I glanced at Mrs Dudley, uncertain what she felt about this particular relationship.
She was smiling approvingly at Patrick. ‘It takes a very special kind of person to deal with someone like Daniel and he’s very lucky to have you.’ She turned to me. ‘Do you know, he arranged every detail of that service.’
‘Well, Rosemary had done most of it,’ Patrick said. ‘I just filled in a few things that Daniel wanted.’
‘It was beautifully done,’ I said. ‘I’m sure it’s exactlywhat Eva would have wanted.’ I paused for a moment then asked, ‘How long will you be staying? Do you have to get back to London?’
‘Oh no,’ Mrs Dudley broke in, ‘there’s no question of that. No question at all.’
‘I think I can persuade him to stay for a while,’ Patrick said. ‘I’ve cancelled all his commitments in London, there’s nothing he needs to get back for.’
Mrs Dudley nodded. ‘Exactly.’ She turned to him. ‘I still think you both should come and stay with me.
‘How long are they staying?’
‘I don’t know. We’re sort of living from day to day. They’re staying with us, of course, Daniel won’t go near the cottage.’ She sighed. ‘Well, I’d better get this food to Mother – she was very scornful about the buffet because there wasn’t a whole ham.’
I didn’t feel in the least like eating, but, for the look of the thing, I went over to the buffet. In spite of the lack of a ham there was a wide variety of food and I took various things at random and a glass of wine, which I felt was something I really needed.
‘Quite a good turnout.’ Matthew Paisley, with a group from Brunswick Lodge, came up beside me.
‘Yes,’ I said, ‘I’m glad the church was so full.’
‘We’re going to miss her,’ he continued, ‘she was always so helpful about doing things.’
‘Such a lovely person,’ Alison Shelby broke in, ‘and really quite distinguished in her own right – I read some of her articles, they were very good – she fitted in so well.’
‘Well, she did come from here,’ Matthew saidreprovingly, ‘and her family have lived round here for years.’
‘Oh yes, of course – I didn’t mean … So what will happen to her cottage?’ Alison asked.
‘I don’t know,’ I said. ‘I don’t imagine Daniel will want to keep it.’
‘Daniel?’
‘Her son.’
‘
Really
? I didn’t know she had a son.’
‘He lives in London.’
‘Fancy that.’ She looked round the room. ‘Which is he?’
‘I don’t think he’s here just at the moment,’ I said.
‘What a pity – I’d like to have told him how sorry we all are.’
‘I’m sure he knows that.’
‘I do feel so sorry for poor Donald,’ Maureen Philips broke in. She leant confidently towards me. ‘He was quite attached, wasn’t he? To Eva, I mean. Well, we all noticed and wondered if something might come of it.’ She looked at me expectantly.
‘I really don’t know,’ I said. ‘Do excuse me,’ I gestured with my glass, ‘I really must find somewhere to sit down with this lot.’
I was making my way towards an empty table – I really didn’t feel like talking to anyone – when I saw that Mrs Dudley was waving me over to join her. Iput my plate down on the table beside her and she regarded it critically.
‘I’m glad to see you didn’t have any slices of that ham,’ she said. ‘It gets so dry if it’s not cut freshly every time.’
I nodded agreement. Obviously the subject of the ham was her defence to hide her actual feelings. I looked at Rosemary and she smiled faintly.
‘How is Daniel?’ I asked Patrick.
He shrugged. ‘Not good. He went outside for a bit. It hasn’t really sunk in yet. So soon after his father. He’ll be all right – he’s pretty tough and determined under that casual exterior.’
‘He’s very lucky to have you to help him through things.’
‘We’ve been together for a long time now. And we work together pretty well.’
I glanced at Mrs Dudley, uncertain what she felt about this particular relationship.
She was smiling approvingly at Patrick. ‘It takes a very special kind of person to deal with someone like Daniel and he’s very lucky to have you.’ She turned to me. ‘Do you know, he arranged every detail of that service.’
‘Well, Rosemary had done most of it,’ Patrick said. ‘I just filled in a few things that Daniel wanted.’
‘It was beautifully done,’ I said. ‘I’m sure it’s exactlywhat Eva would have wanted.’ I paused for a moment then asked, ‘How long will you be staying? Do you have to get back to London?’
‘Oh no,’ Mrs Dudley broke in, ‘there’s no question of that. No question at all.’
‘I think I can persuade him to stay for a while,’ Patrick said. ‘I’ve cancelled all his commitments in London, there’s nothing he needs to get back for.’
Mrs Dudley nodded. ‘Exactly.’ She turned to him. ‘I still think you both should come and stay with me.
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