Alexandra disappeared to find table napkins although Lizzie tried to persuade her that paper ones would do. ‘No,’ said Alexandra. ‘If we’re doing this, we’re doing it properly.’
‘But we’ll have to iron them!’ said Lizzie. ‘They’ll be very hard work.’
‘Not if we don’t have to wash and iron them before using them, in which case, paper ones will definitely do. We can send them to the laundry afterwards.’ Alexandra had been firm.
‘You go and look while I finish the table,’ said Lizzie, dipping her duster in the tin of polish yet again.
David helped Lizzie do the flowers in the end. He also helped carry the vases; they’d needed far more than three for both the dining room and the drawing room. The dining room was huge and atable for twelve with chairs didn’t take up all the space. There were tables at each end, and in the corners of the room. David and Lizzie agreed that all the tables needed a floral display.
They did huge ones for the end tables, and congratulated themselves on the wonderful sprays of delphiniums, freesias, irises and lilies. The fragrance mingled with the wax of the polish.
‘I really like your arrangement so let’s put mine this end,’ said Lizzie, ‘so they’ll see yours when they come in.’ She bit her lip. ‘I didn’t think I’d say this, but we haven’t left ourselves enough flowers for the side tables.’
‘Let’s not bother. We can keep one side table free to serve from and the other has a timepiece on it. It’s handsome, even though it’s broken. But I’ll go into the garden and see what I can hack off the bushes. Extra greenery will make it look lavish.’ He looked at her and smiled. ‘I have to say, you do have a gift for arranging flowers, little Lizzie.’
She liked it when David used his nickname for her. ‘It’ll help make me a perfect wife one day,’ she said, a little bitterly, thinking of her recent conversation with her mother. ‘I’ll be able to go on the church-flower rota, and decorate my lovely home when my husband wants to entertain business colleagues.’
‘Is that the plan?’ asked David.
‘It’s my mother’s plan,’ said Lizzie. ‘She does usually get her own way.’
‘But you wouldn’t marry to please her?’
‘No, I wouldn’t go that far. And I did hold out when she suggested grapefruit with a cherry as an easy starter for our dinner party.’
David was highly amused. ‘You’re not as much of a walkover as your mother thinks, obviously!’
Lizzie awoke on the day of the dinner party wishing they didn’t have to spend the morning in the basement kitchen in Pimlico learning how to prepare partridges and other small game birds. Although she liked to spring surprises, Mme Wilson had given them that snippet of information before they’d left the day before.
Meg was already in the kitchen, frying bits of braising steak, when Lizzie came downstairs.
‘I’m going to get this in the oven, really low, before we have to leave,’ said Meg. ‘Then I can just heat it up tonight. It’s going to be quite tricky doing all this on only four burners, although David’s promised to provide some sort of double burner thing you just plug in.’
‘You’re enjoying yourself,’ said Lizzie, accusingly. ‘And you’ve obviously been up since before dawn!’
‘I have – and I know! But I do just love the challenge,’ said Meg. ‘I feel if this dinner party goes OK I could actually go into people’s houses and cook. If I did directors’ lunches and cooked in the evening, I’d earn a proper salary.’
Lizzie nodded, opening the bread bin so she could make toast. ‘You just need a job in a café making breakfast and every minute of your day would be filled!’
‘Don’t tease. I love cooking and I love working and I especially love earning money,’ said Meg. ‘And if you could make me some toast while you’re grilling, I’d be grateful.’
Lizzie put two slices of bread on the grill pan and lit the gas. She would have to wait until the toast was done before she could leave her post. There were only moments between well done and burnt and she didn’t want to have to scrape it. It made such a mess. And giving Meg a properly made piece of toast seemed the least she could do.
Chapter Eleven
Alexandra was looking very like Audrey Hepburn when she opened the front door to the first guests that evening. She was wearing a long black sleeveless dress and long white kid gloves she had found in one of the chests of clothes in the attic. Her hair was in a pile on top of her head, and strings of pearls were looped snugly round her neck before falling down her front. Her eyeliner was a perfect curve with an Audrey flick at the corners. Demure but extremely sexy had been the verdict.
Lizzie was standing a little way behind Alexandra as part of the welcoming committee, wearing a very pretty long dress with elbow-length sleeves and round neck that showed just a hint of cleavage. She had a velvet ribbon round her neck and antique earrings that looked like daisies. Alexandra had done her make-up too, so she was wearing a bit more than usual. Her hair was growing out but she’d fashioned kiss curls of the ends and it had a certain look, she felt.
Meg was in the kitchen and would have to be prised away from it later. The fact that Meg was wearing make-up at all was down to Alexandra’s strength of character. Meg had protested that it would all be sweated off and there was no point in putting it on.
Lizzie wasn’t at all surprised to see that their first guests were Electra and Hugo.
‘I hope we’re not early,’ said Electra, not giving anyone time to greet them. ‘But we may not be able to stay late.’
‘Do come in,’ said Alexandra at her most stately.
‘Good evening, Alexandra, Lizzie,’ said Hugo, kissing them both in turn. He was wearing a suit that Lizzie thought looked smart and elegant. He was a perfect foil for Electra.
