‘Yes!’ said Helena vehemently. ‘I’ve practically got a boyfriend, too!’
‘Lovely!’ said Gilly, trying to match her daughter’s enthusiasm.
‘So, how did you two meet?’ asked Helena when all the initial passing things round the table and Gilly getting up to fetch the horseradish had been got over. She was looking at her mother.
‘Didn’t Leo value the house for you?’ asked Cressida, her fork loaded with broccoli.
Gilly felt herself blush and hoped Helena would think it was a hot flush. ‘Er … yes.’
‘And I was able to give it a very good value,’ said Leo, sounding satisfied with a job well done.
‘I didn’t know you were going to have the house valued,’ said Helena bleakly.
‘Well, of course she would, if she’s thinking of selling it,’ said Cressida, looking at Helena as if she were two sandwiches short of a picnic.
‘I hope you’re not selling,’ said Jago. ‘This is such a beautiful family house.’
‘You can’t expect Gilly never to downsize because you like her house!’ said Cressida.
Jago looked quizzically at Cressida. ‘I was just saying …’
‘Mummy, can I have a roast potato?’ asked Ismene.
‘Just one,’ said Cressida. ‘All those bad fats and carbs. Not healthy.’
‘Oh, come on, Cress!’ said Helena. ‘It’s Sunday lunch. Let Issi have a roast potato and a Yorkshire pudding!’
‘I have!’ said Cressida, glaring at Helena.
Gilly’s heart sank. Just when she needed her family to behave, when they had strangers among them, Helena got irritable with Cressida. She found herself sending Leo a desperate look.
‘So, what do you do, Jago?’ asked Leo, responding to Gilly’s silent appeal.
‘I’m a builder,’ said Jago cheerfully.
‘He’s my landlord,’ said Helena. ‘Only not for much longer. I have to move out very soon.’
‘That doesn’t sound very friendly,’ said Leo.
‘Darling,’ said Gilly, putting her hand across so she could touch Helena’s. ‘You could always have the ground-floor bedroom if you need it. In spite of what my accountant said,’ she added, not meaning to say it out loud.
Leo looked at her. ‘Oh, accountants. They’re always stuffy and boring,’ he said. ‘Take no notice of him.’
‘I always take notice of mine,’ said Jago. ‘He keeps me out of trouble.’
‘So, Jago,’ said Gilly, keen to take control of the conversation. ‘Tell us about your building work?’ Only after the words were out of her mouth did she realise it might be hard for someone to talk about being a bricklayer, or whatever. Sometimes she wished she wasn’t so middle-class.
‘I mostly do conversions,’ said Jago. ‘I buy big old dilapidated houses and turn them into flats.’
‘Creating second homes for Londoners, no doubt,’ said Cressida.
‘Actually,’ said Helena, ‘Jago creates homes for first-time buyers who can’t afford much.’
‘Can you afford to be so philanthropic?’ said Leo.
‘Yes,’ said Jago, smiling calmly.
Gilly felt a bit put off by that remark from Leo. But when she looked at him he caught her gaze and smiled in a way that made her melt inside. ‘Who’s for seconds?’
