‘Of course not, I’ll go and do it now. It will only take me five minutes.’
‘I’ll give you a hand,’ said Lando, darting out after her.
I wasn’t sure what Zara’s agenda was, exactly, but it didn’t seem as if Lando was glad to see her.
‘And maybeyou’ – the hardness had returned to Zara’s voice, and I realised she was talking to me – ‘would bring me up some hot water and lemon juice?’
I left the curtains and walked over to the twins, reaching out my hands which they immediately took.
‘I’m sorry, I’m busy looking after these two, they’re having something different from us for lunch. But I can show you where the kettle is if you like?’
‘Iknowwhere the kettle is,’ she hissed. ‘This wasmyhouse once, and probably will be again, so don’t play lady of the manor with me because you’ve had your feet under the table for five minutes.’
I ignored her.
‘Come on, you two, let’s see if those toaster waffles actually work. Waffles in under five minutes do seem too good to be true.’
We scurried out and were soon assembling lunch together, me silently praying that the venomous Zara wouldn’t come in to boil the kettle for her drink. Somehow, I thought it was unlikely; she’d probably make Pilar do it for her. There was a woman who was used to having people running around after her.
‘Who is that lady?’ asked Seraphina, squeezing ketchup into a perfectly placed dimple on her moulded woodland creatures plate. ‘She’s very pretty, but I don’t think she’s kind.’
‘She used to be a friend of your Uncle Lando’s,’ I said carefully.
‘Doyouthink she’s kind, Pixie?’
I hesitated. I believe in being honest with children, but I wasn’t sure what the situation was with Zara, and I didn’t want to tell the whole, unvarnished truth – that I thought she was a class A bitch with the soul of a vampire.
‘Um, well, this is the first time I’ve met her, and although she wasn’t super friendly, maybe she was just tired. It’s always a good idea to give new people a chance.’
‘Well, I’ve known her for a lot longer than that and I agree with you, Phina darling – not at all kind. Pixie is being exceedingly charitable.’
‘Mummy!’ The children rushed to hug her, and she held them tightly, looking at me over their heads and rolling her eyes. I wondered how Zara’s reappearance would go down with the rest of the family.
Lunch was casual, but everyone was there, so it didn’t take me long to find out. Zara, of course, made her entrance after everyone else was already in the living room having a drink. The time she claimed to need to rest must have been almost wholly used on her appearance: her hair had been washed and blow-dried into glossy ringlets, punctuated by little crystal clips and her makeup was immaculate, giving her skin the appearance of flawless velvet, while her lips were full and shiny. She was wearing a skin-tight pale gold dress with a high neck and while it came down to her knees and should have been demure, it managed to give the impression of being virtually see-through. It was wholly inappropriate for the time of day, but you couldn’t deny that she looked amazing. I thought that I had put in a little extra effort, with my gauzy blouse and freshly washed hair, but I felt like Little Jimmy Krankie next to this vision of feminine perfection. She stood for a moment in the doorway to make and then assess her impact, and I wondered how pleased she would be. If it was reaction she was going for, she certainly got it, but there wasn’t much admiration shown. William – lovely, warm William – stared at her expressionlessly, then turned and murmured something to Daphne, who squeezed his hand, looking worried. Bunny didn’t glance over at all, but busied herself fussing over Caspian’s juice, probably for the first time ever. Lando, who had been talking to his father, stood up and went over to the drinks cabinet, where he merely added more soda to his glass. It was Xander who gave the gratifying response she was presumably looking for.
‘Zara! Stunning! Far too glamorous for this little corner of Dorset. Come and sit down –canyou sit down in that dress? And let me get you a drink.’
‘Thank you, Xander,’ she purred. ‘It’s beenagessince I’ve seen you. I’ll have champagne – thisdoesfeel like a celebration, after all.’
‘Great idea, you don’t mind if I open a bottle, do you, Lando? Anyone else?’
You would have thought it was a room full of strict Methodists, the way we all shook our heads. It seemed that no one else felt like celebrating. Undeterred, Xander and Zara soon held sparkling glassfuls and their loudly flirtatious conversation dominated the room. It was a relief when the time came to go through to the dining room. Grateful, I took my usual spot between the children, then grinned when Bunny sidled up and shifted Phina along so that she could squeeze in too.
‘It does feel a bitsafertucked in here, Pixie,’ she whispered. ‘Zara always makes me feel like she’s going to put something nasty in my food.’
I giggled. It made the whole thing less awful to know that Bunny detested the woman too. But my grin faded when Zara took the seat directly opposite me and fixed me with a gimlet glare.
‘I must say, Lando, I’m rather surprised that the children and their Help are dining with us.’
Way to go to make me feel a foot tall. But Lando snapped back at her.
‘The children are part of the family and so is Penny, while she’s living with us. And this familydinestogether.’
I smiled gratefully at him, and he held my eyes and smiled back.
Zara suddenly gave a little scream and, of course, everyone’s heads immediately swivelled towards her.
‘Oh, I’mdreadfullysorry, I’ve knocked over my water glass.’
