Read Online Knit One Pearl One by Gil McNeil - Free Book Online Page B

too long over the dusting. I wish I could do it, because I’m sure it would come in very handy.
    “I’ll give you the dates, my dear, as soon as we get the official letter.”
    She pours the tea, and tops up their teapot with hot water from the jug. Connie and I were determined to have proper tea sets, there’s something so cozy about the clink of china teapots and cups, even if it does mean the café dishwasher is on all the time when we’re busy. We’ve got a few little glass teapots too, for herbal teas, not that there’s much call for them. But if we ever get a rush of people needing peppermint tea, we’ll be ready.
    “Excellent pot of tea as usual. Do you know I ordered a cup on the train and they gave me a plastic beaker, with a tea bag floating about, and a plastic pot of milk that it was impossible to open. Absolutely revolting.”
    Lord Denby leans forward to pour milk into his tea and clangs the bucket against the table leg.
    “Better watch out, Pru, nearly kicked the bucket.”
    He’s so pleased with himself for making such an excellent joke he manages to order a slice of chocolate cake from Tom while Lady Denby is mid-chortle.
    “Kick the bucket. Don’t want any of that, do we, Pru, not yet anyway. Want to see us win the Gold first.”
    She gives him a fond look as he picks up his cake fork in readiness.
    “Always been a devil for cake. Worse than the dogs. Goes back to tuck boxes at school, I shouldn’t wonder.”
    “Only way we survived. Food at my prep school was absolutely filthy; used to have to bribe the porters to bring us in bars of chocolate, or we’d have wasted away.”
    They’re enjoying a light bicker about whose school had the most revolting food as I go upstairs to check on the website orders. Elsie is helping Mrs. Frencham choose a pattern for a sweater in the chunky tweed, and I want to look at the new shade cards for the summer cottons and try to work out why we seem to have ordered three packs of ten balls of the forest green and none in pebble, which is one of the most popular colors. I bet Elsie ticked the wrong box on the online order form again; she refuses to wear her glasses if she thinks anyone can see her, which plays havoc with her orders. But if I mention it, she’ll sulk for days, so I think I’d better just return them and put in a new order. Either that or hope we get a sudden rush of people wanting to knit sweaters that make them look like Robin Hood.
    By the time I’ve collected Jack and Archie from school and walked home, I’m in the mood for a nice little lie-down. But I’ve still got to feed everyone, and then get back to the shop for the Stitch and Bitch group. Connie’s walked back with us, so the kids are watching cartoons while we have a peaceful half hour sitting at my kitchen table and trying to persuade Pearl not to keep bringing us saucepans. She’s wearing the pink plastic tiara I bought at the supermarket on Saturday—it was either that or the full fairy dressing-up outfit—it’s her new favorite thing. She even wears it on top of her balaclava, given half a chance. Diamanté, pink shiny stones, and pink plastic; it’s completely perfect as far as she’s concerned.
    “Mum, tell him, he keeps singing.” Jack’s giving me a beseeching look.
    “Just ignore him, love.”
    “He’s doing it really loud.”
    Archie appears in the doorway. “I am not, and anyway, Mrs. Berry says I’ve got a lovely singing voice.”
    Jack shakes his head and puts his hands over his ears, which makes Cinzia laugh.
    “You sing to us here, Archie, yes?”
    “No. I want to watch cartoons with everybody else, and just do singing if I want to.”
    “Mum, tell him.”
    “Okay Jack, don’t make such a fuss, and Archie, you can’t sing while people are watching telly. Either sing somewhere else or sit with the others. But not both.”
    Please God, let him choose the telly.
    He tuts as they both go back into the living room.
    Sometimes I think I should get