Miranda joins in.
I play with my iPhone. Actually I don’t want to show this picture to anyone specially after Aelita’s comment about the miniature gems.
“There it is!” Aelita spots the photo. Her eye sight seems to be better than we thought. Apparently I didn’t flick through the pictures fast enough ...
“Show me ... yes, that’s the ring on her finger.” Miranda takes a deep breath. “A fantastic diamond. On the picture it looks really white not yellowish at all. What size would you guess it is? I think it’s got minimum five carat! I’m sure you are aware that the engagement ring has to be worth four times of the mans monthly income. That’s how American women measure the value of their marriage and the to be expected future lifestyle.” Aelita’s honesty is outrageous.
“The ring doesn’t have such an importance to me, you know.” I try to save the situation.
I can’t see the boys. The day is about to come to an end and we go and sit again in one of the lounges enjoying the open fire.
“Chablis or would you prefer Champagne?” I ask my guests. Matthew is helpful opening both bottles with nonchalance. We enjoy the daily news paper, the wine and the end of the day warming up the cold atmosphere with the heat of the fire.
“I shall cook tonight. What about spaghetti carbonara? That’s a quick one and everybody likes it,” so I suggest.
“Great! I can help you if you like!” Aelita offers herself by suggesting she could be the chef de cuisine all week. We go to the kitchen and I take a the creme fraiche for the carbonara out of the fridge.
“What do you need this for?” Aeltita is asking me giving me an accusing look.
“That’s obviously for the sauce, isn’t it?” I reply expecting an “I—know—it—better—explanation”.
Aelita spent a few years in Italy and she takes the carbonara over for me. We all sip our wine while stirring in pots and cutting vegetable.
“The salad is delicious. Here, you can bring the smoked salmon on the dining table.” In the meantime Matthew is setting up the table followed by Miranda who re-sets each fork and knife in a different position.
“Matthew, we will use the silver cutlery. This one is only for a quick snack in the kitchen. The fork has to be left. You must put the knife facing the cutting edge to the left but to the right of the plate,” Miranda corrects Matthew’s effort. Yes, she is a lady with class!
“I’m left handed,” Matthew let’s us know.
“And we will change the glasses, Edwina, please. Where do you keep the batiste napkins? The children can also help us here. Eddie, go and get some wood from the shed. No, Daisy, you don’t have to do that. That’s a job for the boys,” Miranda adds to the grotesque dinner scene.
“First the adults will help themselves, then the children, Daisy first. Eddie you have to wait until it’s your turn. Be polite.” He just doesn’t have any manners. What do I expect from a boy whose mother is American ... and Edward who was unable to house train biscuit, the Labrador.
The phone rings. It is Mary Grace, Eddie’s mother calling him from San Francisco. I’m sure she is already pissed. Well, it is 11.00 o’ clock in the morning over there, I think.
“Hi mum, I miss you so much.” I can hear Eddie’s winging voice. The door is open.
“When will I see you again, mum?” His voice breaks and he almost starts crying. Felix looks at me almost shocked. “Please come here soon. I need you so much.”
“Eddie, please finish the call. We are having dinner,” I ask him. “She knows exactly that she is not supposed to call at this time. We don’t want to be disturbed by her calls when we are having our dinner.”
“The line was busy all evening before my mum says,”
Eddie mutters. We have a bad mobile phone reception so everyone calls us on the landline.
“Eddie, we have almost finished our dinner. Do you think we should all wait until you are ready before we have pudding?” Miranda criticises Eddie.
“May I please have some more spaghetti? It is really good,” Eddie is asking.
“Leave some for Daisy, Eddie.”
“But she already had two helpings ... sure, that’s ok. Here you go, Daisy, have some more.” Eddie hands the spaghetti bowl over to Daisy. Matthew watches the scene with a sceptical glance.
“Eddie, I haven’t touched my spaghetti carbonara yet. Have it!” Aelita hands her plate over to Eddie. She exchanges rolling eyes with Matthew wearing an arrogant smile.
Aelita is sitting next to Miranda who would love to have a deep conversation with Matthew. Tomorrow I change the dinner seating …
… No one noticed what she'd done,
by the pricking of the thumbs,
something wicked this way comes …
LADY MACBETH, written by John Lees, Barclay James Harvest
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