‘Oh bugger, he’s right.’
Devon threw the dice again.
‘Blue. What river shares its name with a Teletubby?’
‘That’s not a real question,’ howled Devon, trying to snatch the card from Bets.
‘Yes, it is.’
‘Oh God, I don’t know their names. Handbag one, smiley one, short fat red one and the other one.’
‘I’ll have to hurry you.’
Devon glared. ‘Orinoco.’
‘No, that’s a Womble.’
Ella threw the dice quickly. ‘Art and Lit, brown please.’
Bets groaned again. ‘What aged while Dorian Gray stayed young?’
Ella laughed. ‘A portrait in the attic.’
‘Ah, not quite correct. It sayshisportrait.’ She held the card up with a teasing smirk on her face. ‘So not any old portrait. I’m not sure I can give you this one.’
Ella raised an eyebrow. ‘You’re going to play dirty?’
‘Hell, yeah.’ Bets grinned.
‘Bring it on,’ replied Ella.
‘Oh Lord, spare me, are you two going to get all competitive over the last piece of pie?’
‘Of course,’ Ella winked at Bets. ‘To the death.’
‘As you almost got that one right, you can throw again,’ said Bets magnanimously, with a regal nod which was spoilt by the sudden dimples that appeared in her cheek.
‘Pink,’ said Ella as she counted out three places. ‘What subject’s that?’
‘Entertainment,’ said Devon.
‘Which rock ’n’ roller introduced the duck walk?’ asked Bets immediately flipping the card over to check the answer. ‘Hmm, never knew that.’
Ella knew that tactic. Bets was trying to put her off. She had no idea but she wasn’t going down without a fight. ‘Duckbill Hailey.’
Bets sniggered.
‘Chick Berry,’ suggested Devon.
‘Quacky Wilson,’ Ella added.
‘Bo Paddley.’
By this time they were all laughing so hard, the game was abandoned.
As Ella walked back to the house, Tess padding beside her, she smiled before wincing. She’d laughed so much today she’d pulled something in her side but she was still smiling now. She couldn’t remember when she had so much fun and she’d been to some much more supposedly fun, sophisticated events in her time. She also had a sneaking suspicion Bets was attempting a bit of matchmaking.
Chapter Twenty
