‘Wonderful evening’ Harriet declares with a contented sigh, her shoes discarded and her evening gown wrinkled to her knees as she tucks her legs beneath her on the sofa,

‘I need a walk’ Kester announces from the depths of an armchair, his bow tie pulled undone, his legs outstretched, hands clasped across his stomach, singing quietly to himself.

‘I..I had better be going’ Helen says, acutely embarrassed. ‘I’m sorry, I hadn’t realised’ she stutters ‘I didn’t know so many would be staying… here, I mean…overnight, I know it had thinned out a little but…’ She glances to the lit patio beyond the open French doors where several of the overnight guests are enjoying a cigarette or a cigar while they wind down. The creak of floorboards overhead reminds her that some have already retired and gone to bed.

‘Helen?’ Kester grunts, his eyes closed ‘Shut up!’

‘Kester!’ Harriet scolds.

‘It doesn’t matter’ Kester mumbles ‘You weren’t to know…besides….you were..’ he yawns noisily ‘having a good time. No bums rush here you know’ he slurs slightly

Harriet bites her lip, sharing a look with Helen, her eyes twinkling with amusement.

‘Oh gosh…he’s not about to snore is he?’ Simon swans into the room wearing a purple satin robe and flicks Kester a wary look as he passes his chair. ‘Harriet, darling, have you got such a thing as an aspirin? Jeremy has this blinding headache. I tell him not to mix grape and grain but will he listen? No, he will not!’

‘Are there none in the cabinet in your bathroom?’

‘I’ll go and check again.’

‘If not, ask Penny to look in the cabinet in my en-suite. There are definitely some in there’

‘Will do, darling’ Simon swirls, pausing only to do a double take at Helen. ‘Oh, are you staying too? Wonderful! We can carry on with Ridley Scott over breakfast. Cheeribye!’ He waves and is gone.

‘Good idea’ Kester pronounces, patting the arm of the chair to get attention and lifting a curled arm. ‘You come sleep here.’ The last of his words are lost in a sleepy mumble and his arm falls to his side.

Helen blushes and Harriet titters. ‘He is going to have such a head in the morning’ she says. ‘In vino veritas, perhaps?’ She cocks an eyebrow at Helen.

Helen purses her lips at Harriet. ‘Stop it, now’ she says with mock severity.

‘You have enjoyed yourself though? He was right as far as that went?’

‘I’ve had a marvellous time. Thank you…and your Mrs. Brown was so nice to me. Everyone was.’

‘What did I tell you?’ Harriet smiles.

Interrupted by a loud juddering snore, they both grin.

‘I’ll see you soon, thanks again.’ Helen stands up.

‘Let me see you to your car.’ Harriet swings her feet to the floor.

‘No, no…that’s fine…I’m walking back. I have flat shoes hidden in your porch’ she laughs ‘I came by taxi’

‘Oh no you are not! Not at this time of night….or should I say, morning?‘

‘I’ll be fine’ Helen assures, holding up her hand to still her.

‘Stay, please. I can only offer you a sofa but you would be very welcome.’

‘No, honestly’

Harriet swivels round and Helen looks up in surprise as Kester staggers to his feet. ‘See you home’ he mumbles. ’Coffee then see you home. Need a walk anyway’ He weaves his way out of the room.

‘Not sure if I’d be worse off with him or without him’ Helen mutters to Harriet in an undertone. ‘Heck!’

Harriet sighs. ‘Oh dear’

‘Now what do I do? We’ve called a truce but if he insists and I say no, we’ll be back to square one. I can see it coming’

‘Even Kester in his current state is better than nothing’

‘You really think so?’ Helen asks hearing a clatter from the hall and the muffled clonk of the grandfather clock, protesting as the umbrella stand knocks against its case on the way to the floor

‘Probably not’ ‘but at least he won’t be in any fit state to…. you’ll be quite safe.

‘I would rather not take that risk!

‘We could ring another cab’ Harriet suggests ‘but I guess that would have to come from Woodbury now. Ted would have been tucked up hours ago’

‘And I expect there will be hours to wait this close to Christmas with all the parties. Harriet, it’s a fifteen, twenty-minute walk…really, I’ll be fine. I’ll nip off now. I’ll take the chance he doesn’t even remember making the offer. If he does see me home, I’ll only be concerned he won’t make it back again’

‘Your coat, madam?’  Kester gives a lopsided smile and holds Helen’s full length cape open in front of him

Helen rolls her eyes as he moves towards her from the door. ‘Too late’ she mutters.

‘Stay’ Harriet mouths

‘I can’t’ Helen whispers.

Kester looks puzzled and peers first inside the cape and then checks the outside. ‘No sleeves’ he says, confused. ‘She’s armless!’ he giggles uncontrollably at his own joke as he tries without success to help her into her coat.

‘What on earth is going on? Such a kerfuffle!’ Simon takes in the situation in at a glance and strides across the room. ‘Come along, Helen, darling.’ The cape is taken from Kester’s grasp. ‘Let Uncle Simon see to it’ He sighs and swirls the cape around her shoulders. ‘I was hoping someone would leave this behind, I hadn’t realised it belonged to you, it’s gorgeous. There!’ he smiles.

‘I’m taking Helen home’ Kester’s mouth sets determinedly

Simon looks him up and down and clicks his tongue. He bustles into the hall and returns from the old boot room wearing his overcoat and a pair of Wellington boots.  He crooks his arm. ‘No, I shall escort you!’

‘Simon! You can’t possibly..’ Harriet puts a hand to her mouth in amusement.

‘Of course I can.’ He jams his fedora on his head and tosses one end of his scarf around his neck.

‘Me’ Kester sways forward. ‘I need a walk!’ he insists.

‘Simon?’ Jeremy stands in the doorway

‘Oh, what now, for goodness sake?’ Simon sighs heavily ‘Mogodon might have been a touch more effective than an aspirin’

‘I’m not feeling very well’

‘I know you aren’t, sweetie, but I’m busy! Back upstairs, there’s a good little Jeremy.’

‘But Simon…’

‘S’Marchant? I’m fine. See? I can straight a walk line, look!’ Kester carefully scissor steps along one edge of the Persian rug, his arms outstretched for balance.

‘I say, everything alright in here?’ Julian comes in from outside. ‘Need something from the car?’ he asks, noting Simon’s pyjamas peeking from beneath his coat. ‘Shall I get a torch? Won’t be a tick.’

‘Simon is just about to see Helen home’ Harriet explains

‘Oh, right you are. Might accompany you if I may, eaten rather too much. Only get raging heartburn if I try to go to bed now.’ He points a finger in the air. ‘Just get my togs.’

‘Well, if you’re going, so am I!’ Jeremy huffs

‘STOP IT!’ Helen’s hands fist at her sides and her face blazes with red embarrassment as the whole room comes to a sudden silent standstill. ‘I can see myself home’ she mumbles, as everyone looks at her in hushed contrition.

‘I need a walk’ Kester insists again, suddenly sobered by Helen’s distress.

‘Then go the other way!’

‘Helen’ Harriet soothes ‘Please stay, then all of this nonsense will just come to an end. Nobody will have to see anyone home, we can all go to our beds and the evening won’t be spoiled.’

‘I’m spoiling the evening?’ Helen’s neck arches with indignation.

‘No, of course you’re not. I meant your evening, not mine.’

‘I will be just fine!’

‘Helen?’ Kester’s shoulders sag as she swishes past him. ‘This is your fault!’ he levels at Simon before turning to follow her.

‘Mine?’ Simon chokes

‘Simon, I don’t feel well’ Jeremy whines.

Harriet sighs and returns to the sofa to bury her head under a cushion.

Tawny House, Manor Road

even later in the evening

Chapter Four