‘No. But Mummy will know. She’ll have it in her address book.’
‘She won’t have her address book with her, will she?’
Vanessa nodded. ‘She never goes anywhere without it! She’s got a tiny one that fits in her handbag. It’s in case she’s travelling and needs a loo. There’s always someone she knows within reach.’
‘Goodness me! So, all we need now is an excuse to look at her address book.’ Lizzie tried to think up reasons why she might need an address, and quite quickly too, but failed.
Vanessa took on the problem more directly. ‘I’ll go upstairs and steal it from her room.’
‘Is that possible? Won’t she wake up and ask you what on earth you’re doing, rummaging in her handbag?’
Vanessa shook her head. ‘No. She takes sleeping pills. A bomb could go off in her room and she wouldn’t wake up.’
‘What about your father? Would he wake up? That would be scary!’
‘They’re not in the same room. They never share a room now. Patsy put him in the room Hugo uses when he’s here.’
‘Great! So, you go and get her address book and hope she’s got Simon’s current address.’
‘But how will we get there? I can’t drive. Can you?’
Lizzie said instantly. ‘David will help us. He’ll drive us wherever we need to go.’
‘He’s one of the ushers, isn’t he?’
‘Yes,’ said Lizzie. ‘And a very good friend. Now go!’
But before Vanessa could escape Patsy came in, wearing a paisley dressing gown and signs of a bad night. ‘Morning! I was going to bring you tea in your room, Lizzie.’ She pulled out a chair and sat down, her head in her hands. ‘Did I see tea? Could one of you be an angel and pour me a cup?’
‘Are you OK, Patsy?’ said Lizzie, anxious. Patsy was important to how the day went and if she was ill, someone would need to think of a plan B.
‘I’m fine. I just didn’t sleep all that well – worried about today I suppose, although I know everything is in hand.’ Patsy smiled reassuringly. ‘Although maybe the brandy last night was a bad idea. Nessa? If you go through to the scullery you’ll find a bottle of Alka-Seltzer. Would you be a love …?’
Vanessa fetched the slim glass cylinder and brought Patsy a glass of water. Everyone watched as Patsy slipped three of the huge tablets into the glass which began to fizz loudly.
‘I never thought you could take more than two of those,’ said Lizzie.
‘I never take fewer than three. They cure everything.’ Patsy gulped down the contents of the glass and belched discreetly behind her hand. ‘Excuse me. Now I can face anything!’
‘Did you have a late night?’ asked Lizzie, wondering if they could get the information theyneeded from Patsy, and not have to dash off across the countryside to find Hugo.
‘Yes. Hugo stayed talking to his father for hours—’
‘Do you know what they talked about?’ Lizzie interrupted. She smiled apologetically as Patsy gave her a surprised look.
‘I was just wondering’, Lizzie went on, trying to sound casual, ‘why the Lennox-Stanleys felt the need to come here last night? The wedding’s not until two.’ Lizzie was aware she was sounding a bit unhinged and hoped her status as bride would make this acceptable.
‘To be completely honest,’ said Patsy, ‘I’m not sure. Maybe toast will help me think.’
Vanessa took the hint. Once the bread was under the grill and she had found marmalade to add to the butter and Marmite that were already on the kitchen table, she said to Lizzie, ‘Can you make the toast? I just want to pop up and see if Mummy’s awake.’
Lizzie got up quickly. ‘Of course.’
But before Vanessa could get as far as the door, Patsy shook her head. ‘No point, Nessa. Annabel said she was going to take a pill and didn’t want to be disturbed until midday and then only in an emergency. She’s not coming down for breakfast.’
Lizzie and Vanessa exchanged glances. If only Vanessa had given a different excuse to leave the room.
‘While we’re talking about Nessa’s mother,’ said Lizzie, ‘I would find it easier not to see her parents before the wedding.’ She gave one of those smiles which people use as punctuation rather than because they’re expressing happiness or a greeting. ‘I expect you know we’re not on the best of terms. Would it be terribly rude if I went down to the cottage and had breakfast with Alexandra and Meg?’
