Richard
“Didn’t you tell me this would be a small gathering?” I look over the thronging room. “I think I took the last space in the car park.”
James looks glum, brooding into his glass. “Michael invited Ben, and Ben invited the rest of the Summerford Hoard.”
I’m struggling not to laugh. “An Agony of Aunts?”
“Is that the collective noun for aunts?”
“How about an Amalgamation of Aunties? Or a Condescension of Aunts?”
“Grandmothers too. Both of them.”
“A Grumbling of Grannies then?”
Accusation in his eyes, “You think it’s funny.”
“Damn right I do. Tell me, is Marie here too, to complete your evening?”
“No, she isn’t.” He swigs back a mouthful. “We must be thankful for small mercies.”
I slap him between the shoulders and he glugs on his drink. “Great party, James. Nice and buzzy. Ju
