21
Tea For Two – Frank Sinatra/Art Tatum
A few minutes later she came back empty-handed. A kitchen crisis, I thought. Tea’s off.
‘You can help me now,’ she said. ‘This way.’
I got up and followed her back into the house. What I’d taken for a cupboard door in one wall was now open, and she leant in and gave something a tug, and with a mechanical whirr a box appeared in the opening complete with two trays. One full of plates of sandwiches, scones with cream and jam, and a Victoria sponge on a dish, the other with a teapot, complete with cosy.
‘A dumb waiter,’ I said. ‘You don’t see those every day.’
‘No. Come on, grab a tray.’
I did as I was told and we parked the trays on the table outside. Madge played mother with the tea in china cups, milk and sugar for me, lemon for her.
The san
