Chapter IV
The Other Parish‘Of course, Christopher, your mother always had the most delicious food – even during the war. One never would have thought’ – Alice Varrow turned to John – ‘that Dame Sophia, ascetic blue-stocking that she was, would have been interested in something so mundane as mere food.’
John made a quick mental note that the name of Sir Christopher’s mother was pronounced ‘So-fī-a’, not ‘So-fē-a’, which he never would have guessed on his own.
‘She was terribly trouble-taking about her table, your mother. Wasn’t she, Christopher?’ Alice Varrow continued.
‘She was just very trouble-taking about life in general,’ Sir Christopher said stiffly.
‘I remember those savouries,’ Alice Varrow persisted.
‘Savouries? Yes, that’s quite true,’ Sir Christopher said more warmly. ‘Mam
