‘This is our new guest, Bernadette Brennan,’ Brenton said.
My grandmother nodded dumbly, saying nothing.
‘May I extend to you my sincerest apologies for what I loosely call my family,’ Brenton stated with a grand sweep of his hand. ‘Some days they succumb to the same unfortunate plight as my great aunt Esther here.’
‘Edwina Montrell, pleased to meet you,’ my grandmother said, but she did not sound pleased at all.
‘And I am pleased to be here,’ the new guest said, sounding as though she genuinely was.
‘I’ll show you to your room.’
My grandmother never showed guests to their rooms. The stairs were getting too much for her and a staff member usually did the job of settling the guests in. Esther’s hands fluttered up and down. My brother and I exchanged looks. He shrugged his shoulders.
