‘You seem very relaxed about this,’ drawled Xander. ‘I didn’t realise you were so fond of Lavinia. Or maybe it’s someone else making you feel the party vibes?’
He looked at me meaningfully and the hateful flush filled my face yet again.
‘Oh, do shut up, Xander,’ said Bunny to her brother. ‘Seeing as you’re a self-styled party animal, you can be in charge of looking after the parents.’
‘Suits me,’ he replied. ‘Are you going to be leading the conga, Lando? I assume youaregoing to help out?’
‘I’ll help where it’s needed,’ replied Lando evenly. ‘Just make sure everyone gets their children home safely, Xander. I’m confiscating car keys after half a glass of wine.’
Xander opened his mouth to make some doubtlessly cutting remark, but Bunny stepped in.
‘Quite right, Lando. I’ll keep an eye on that too – and on this one.’
To give him his credit, Xander grinned good-naturedly.
‘All right, all right, responsible fun it is. But it’s not like the old days.’
‘Thank God,’ said Lando and Bunny in unison, and the ensuing laughter set the scene for the day ahead.
Lavinia arrived an hour or so later, her huge car laden down with party paraphernalia, which we all helped to carry in. Pilar looked askance at the piles of food as they were carried into her kitchen, but somehow managed to stash it all away in the fridge and cupboards.
‘I can’t thank you all enough for your help,’ panted Lavinia, hefting two huge bags filled with wrapped presents out of the car. ‘It’s bad enough that poor Toby was born so near Christmas – not his fault, obvs – but with the flood I could havewept.’
I helped her with the bags.
‘Has Giles found out where it’s coming from yet?’
‘I don’t know what it is, but he managed to turn it off. The water was going down when I left, but it’s a big clean-up job. Oh well, new carpets for Christmas, I suppose.’
I was impressed by how sanguine she was but thought that having a huge wodge of family money behind you couldn’t hurt in these situations.
‘Well, as far as Lando is concerned, his casa seems to be your casa.’ That strangulated bit of Spanglish earned me a glare of mock disapproval from Pilar. ‘What on earth are all these presents, by the way?’ I asked, putting my bag down with some relief.
‘They’re the going home presents. I always go overboard, can’t help myself. They’re little devils, most of them, but so sweet to see them enjoying themselves.’
I grinned, thinking of Bunny’s words earlier, and wondered whose children’s party philosophy would still be intact by the evening.
Lavinia, Pilar, the children and I spent the day buttering bread for sandwiches and decorating a large cake. The rest of the Lord clan had vanished for this part of the proceedings, except for Xander, who had spent a jolly half hour setting up a parents’ bar in Lando’s little-used study. The room was styled to such perfect National Trust specifics with its polished wooden furniture, book-crammed shelves and masculineobjetsthat I wondered if we should be charging entry.
‘Gorgeous, isn’t it?’ sighed Xander, plonking down bottles on the leather-topped desk. ‘I’d love a man cave like this, but Lando never comes in, far happier knee-deep in wood shavings. All decorated by his ex, Zara, who held lady of the manor aspirations for a while.’
I couldn’t resist taking the bait, and summoned up my most casual tone of voice.
‘What was she like?’
‘Zara? Absolutely stunning, but a total bitch. Ditched Lando precisely when he could have done with a soothing hand on his brow and belted off to find someone else to keep her in Jimmy Choos. She even tried her luck with me, but although I look stupid, I know a good woman when I see – or don’t see – one.’
‘And you see one in whoever’s at the end of your phone all the time?’
He reddened.
‘Hmm, well, I don’t know about that. Probably too good for me, but maybe one day I might even reform a bit.’
I grinned at him.
‘Aw, no, don’t ever change. Well, nottoomuch…’
His merry laughter echoed behind me as I left the room in search of a balloon pump, mulling over what he had said about Zara. It sounded as if she had gone for good, which was all I needed to know. Not that I was that interested, you understand.
