‘I think I have a prior engagement, if it’s all the same to you, Madame Hostess,’ said David. ‘Although I’d be happy to cook.’
‘Well, if Dave’s not going, I won’t come,’ said Terry obviously glad of an excuse to refuse the invitation.
‘We’ll manage without you both if we have to,’ said Alexandra.
‘Who else do we know to ask, Alexandra?’ said Lizzie, sewing hard.
‘Vanessa, obviously, and Ted.’
‘We’ll make up a list. If necessary, we’ll invite some of David’s actor friends, to add a certain louche glamour to the occasion.’
Terry laughed. ‘You’re a one, Lexi, you really are.’
‘Does anyone else ever call you Lexi, apart from Terry?’ asked Lizzie.
‘Lexi is what my antique friends call me,’ Alexandra explained.
‘Friends who are a hundred years old?’ said Lizzie, feeling a bit better about life. ‘That’s amazing! They look so fit and healthy!’
‘Honestly!’ Alexandra rolled her eyes.
Lizzie looked up and saw Electra and Hugo in the crowd and felt she really didn’t want to see them. Electra had somehow made her feel belittled, as if she was beneath her in some way. She wasn’t going to be made to feel like that again. ‘OK, I’ve done the buttons. Would anyone mind if I had a quick look at the other stalls?’
Alexandra looked at her quizzically. ‘No, go on. You should have had a look before. But don’t be too long. We’ll be packing up in about an hour.’
‘And don’t pay the asking price for anything,’ said David. ‘Say “What’s the death on that?” for everything.’
Lizzie put her head on one side. ‘What? Even for a bunch of bananas?’
And then she walked quickly into the crowd.
Chapter Nine
‘I can’t believe you invited Electra and Hugo to our dinner party while I was buying bananas!’
They were back in Belgravia and Lizzie was putting the fruit on the table in the kitchen.
Alexandra shrugged. ‘No time like the present!’
‘What’s all this about a dinner party?’ said Meg, inspecting the bananas, possibly deciding if they were ready to eat. ‘When and where, and am I involved?’
‘Yes, when is it?’ Lizzie was still indignant. She had very mixed feelings about seeing Electra and Hugo again. Much as she liked Hugo – and she knew her feelings were more than ‘like’ really – she didn’t want to see Electra again, ever.
‘Sorry, Meg,’ said Alexandra. ‘I thought it would be fun to have a dinner party here. We’d invite Vanessa and some of the other people at her dinner party. The ones we liked and have telephone numbers for.’ She smiled endearingly. ‘David is going to cook, with you, if you fancy it? But not ifyou don’t. You could just be a hostess, like me and Lizzie?’
Meg made a face. ‘A hostess? That sounds very odd, if you don’t mind me saying so.’
‘You know what I mean! We all live here and we’re having a dinner party, so we’re joint hostesses.’
‘I’ll cook but I’m not being a guest, or even a hostess,’ said David.
Alexandra made a sad face. ‘Not even if we acquire a trolley?’
‘Not even if you give me a frilly apron.’ David was very clear about this. ‘I don’t want to be involved in all the social chat: “What do you do?” “Where do you live?’ I’m too old for your friends, anyway,’ he finished.
‘So what did you do about dates?’ said Lizzie, wishing she’d said no to this idea right at the beginning.
‘Electra had her diary with her – from Smythson, naturally, I couldn’t help noticing – and we chose a couple of dates. Midweek. They go to the country at the weekend.’ Alexandra did seem very slightly sheepish about this.
