‘Well, they’re not diamonds,’ said David. ‘They’re paste, but very good quality. Georgian.’
‘How much did you pay?’ asked Alexandra. When David had told her, she whistled. ‘Isn’t that rather a lot for paste?’
He shook his head. ‘They are extremely rare. Here you are, Lizzie. They’re yours.’
Lizzie looked at the buttons. They were huge, nearly an inch across, the stones set in spirals. ‘They look like fireworks,’ she said. ‘They’re stunning. But I don’t think they’d look right on my dress. It’s quite a soft pink. Pearly buttons would be better.’
‘You could put them on another dress? Black velvet?’ David suggested. He obviously really wanted to give them to her.
Lizzie shook her head. ‘It’s too much. I’m only sewing on a few buttons. Besides, I think Electra’s dress would look better without them.’
‘But you got me the sale. I charged that woman a lot and I just found those Art Nouveau buttons in a button box I bought. They were practically free.’ David was being very insistent.
‘It was a pleasure! Really, it was.’ She felt a bit sad that it had been Hugo who’d paid the extra,but supposed the buttons had still been good value.
‘I’d like to do something for you,’ said David.
‘I know what you could do, David,’ said Alexandra.
‘What?’ David asked.
‘You could cook for a dinner party,’ said Alexandra. ‘You’re a brilliant cook.’
‘What dinner party?’ Lizzie made a start on her sewing task.
‘I think we should have one,’ said Alexandra. ‘Definitely.’
Lizzie felt a bit strange at the thought of giving a dinner party – she had so little experience of them – and was trying not to think of the people Alexandra might want to ask. ‘Do you really think that’s a good idea?’
‘Definitely! Firstly, we should invite Vanessa back, and secondly, it would be fun to get out all the silver and candelabra and make the dining room look lovely.’ Alexandra seemed very happy at the prospect.
‘A dinner party?’ said Terry. ‘Can I come?’
‘Of course,’ said Alexandra. ‘We’ll make a guest list. Put you on it. Do you have a wife you’d like to bring with you?’
Terry had not been expecting to be taken seriously. ‘Well, yes …’
‘We’ll send you an invitation,’ said Alexandra, taking pity on him. ‘Then you can decide at your leisure.’
‘I’ve never given a dinner party,’ said Lizzie, not sure how she felt about the idea.
‘Meg would love it.’ Alexandra was excited now. ‘She and David would be in charge of the food, and we’d help them.’
‘Why do you want to do that, all of a sudden?’ said Lizzie, tackling the next button.
‘Well, we owe Vanessa one, don’t we? She invited us. We should return her hospitality,’ said Alexandra.
‘You’re up to something,’ said David.
‘Not really.’ Alexandra rearranged a chain evening bag and a chatelaine hung with items considered useful for a nineteenth-century housewife. ‘I just think that Lizzie should have a proper crack at Hugo.’
Lizzie gasped and blushed as she cut off her thread.
‘Don’t you want to see him again properly, Lizzie?’ asked Alexandra.
Still blushing, Lizzie shrugged and picked up the last button. ‘Well, yes, but we’d have to invite Electra too. They’re a couple!’
‘We can invite her,’ said Alexandra. ‘But she might not want to come. She might have a prior engagement.’
