Page 29 of Old Girls Behaving Badly

Harry had actually produced picnic baskets for everyone and we all scattered off in different directions with our lunch.

The temple was a large stone structure at the far end of a gravel path, which ran from the back of the formal garden and offered a wonderful view of the east side of the house. Because the house was longer than it was wide, this position really did show off its best aspect. I carried the basket and Dorothy held on to my arm while using her stick in her other hand for extra support. Once at the temple, Dorothy sat on one of the iron benches and I put the basket down next to her.

Standing on the steps and looking back to the house, I felt awed by its magnificence. I was interested to know the history of the house before Leonard came to inherit and live here.

‘What do you know about Walstone Hall?’ I asked Dorothy.

‘Not a lot, to be honest. It belonged to Leonard’s unmarried uncle who’d inherited it from his own father. Apparently they’re a very small family.’

‘It must be very hard for Paul to see Leonard take it all. Is it just because he’s older? I assume he’s older.’

‘Yes he is, but I don’t know the family dynamics. I don’t know what they did to warrant owning such a huge estate. Lords and ladies back in the day, perhaps, or criminals more likely.’

I lifted my hand to shield the sun from my eyes. I could see Paul and Sandra walking in the gardens down by the lake and Lavinia and Miles sitting on the chairs by the edge of the croquet lawn. Sophie and Luke were talking to Juliet, but then she turned and stalked away from them. Sophie raised both of her arms in a defeated gesture before slapping them down by her sides. No sign of Caroline and Toby, but if they had any sense they had tucked themselves away for a quiet and private lunch. I opened our own basket to find smoked salmon and cucumber sandwiches, pots of crab salad with chunks of homemade sourdough and large slices of Victoria sponge cake. There was also a half bottle of Prosecco and two tins of cloudy lemonade.

‘God, I shall be the size of this house by the end of the week,’ I said.

‘I really don’t want to enjoy myself in Leonard’s company, but he does make it very difficult when faced with all this delicious food,’ Dorothy said.

Just then there was a rustling in the bushes beside the temple and the sound of muffled conversation before an odd silence. It reminded me of Juliet on the landing outside my bedroom door yesterday.

‘Juliet, you can come out. It’s only Gina and your grandmother here,’ I said.

The silence continued for a moment and Dorothy and I glanced at each other, her eyebrows raised in question. Then another rustling and Juliet appeared.

‘Juliet! What are you doing in a bush?’ Dorothy asked her, but she wasn’t cross, because she was laughing. ‘You really must be bored.’

‘I’m recording for my Instagram channel,’ she said.

‘Well, if I knew what one of those was, I’d probably be impressed,’ Dorothy said. ‘Have you had any lunch?’

‘No, Mum and Dad have mine in their basket and there’s no way I’m picnicking with them.’

‘Have some of ours,’ I offered. ‘You’d be doing my waistline a huge favour if you’d take that cake off my hands.’

Juliet took a slice and sat down on the steps next to us.

‘Tell me about your channel,’ I said, and Juliet finished her mouthful of sponge before she answered.

‘It’s called My Mad Family and the Week from Hell,’ she said, her expression deadpan.

Dorothy spluttered on her lemonade, but once she’d finished coughing it was clear she was laughing again.

‘Oh, sweetheart, I know this week isn’t easy for you, but I do hope this channel of yours is a real thing because it sounds brilliant,’ Dorothy said, wiping her eyes.

Juliet got her phone out of her pocket and swiped her finger across the screen, then turned the screen towards us, so we could see a grainy image of Paul and Sandra standing in what looked like one end of the library. Their body language suggested they were in the middle of an argument.

‘I’m trying my best you know, Paul, but your brother is pushing my buttons with his constant lord of the manor act,’ said Sandra.

‘He is lord of the bloody manor. Look, it’s Caroline’s big week and she’s so happy you’ll just have to find a way to get— Hello, Juliet, I didn’t see you there.’

Juliet tapped again on her phone and then turned it until we could see the back of Sophie and Luke sitting on a bench by the lake. I glanced at Dorothy, but she seemed transfixed by her granddaughter. Juliet pressed again and Sophie’s voice could be heard.

‘But who is she and why is she here? Mum doesn’t even really need a carer. It was a minor fall, a small lapse in memory. This will be Lavinia sticking her oar in again. I should really have been consulted.’

Dorothy glanced at me with an apologetic smile.

‘I think that’s enough now, Juliet,’ she said.