I motion to the sandwiches. “You didn’t make those yourself, did you?”
“Of course not.” Mum snorts. “I picked them up this morning from the Village Eatery. We’re trying to impress him, not poison him.”
As she exits the kitchen back into the sitting room, Dad smacks her on the bum.
“Dad!” I say.
“What will the in-laws think?” he says. “We’d better get back in there, otherwise Nana will scare him off and he’ll never return.”
After tea and thankfully uneventful conversation, we move into the dining room.
Dad brings in the roast he’s prepared, while Mum uncorks the wine. She pours glasses for Dad, Nana, and herself.
“Aren’t you going to let Edward and the girls have some, Jane?” Nana asks.
Mum looks startled. “I wasn’t planning on it, no.”
“Of course the children must have wine. Let’s not be provincial.” She turns to Edward, who’s sitting on her right. “Isn’t it terribly common how some people fret about these things? Libby and Edward are of age. And nobody’s driving tonight, are they?”
“We’re leaving tonight, Nana,” Libby says. “But we’re not driving—Edward has a car waiting to take us back to campus.”
“Absolutely not. You must stay here. We can play Scrabble after dinner and then watch Big Brother. Tonight’s the premiere, of course.”
“He doesn’t want to watch Big Brother and play Scrabble,” Mum says, sounding exasperated.
“Actually . . . that sounds like a perfect evening to me,” Edward says, looking at Mum hopefully. Nana beams. “But we haven’t brought any bags with us.”
“Not to worry,” says Nana. “You’re just Matthew’s size, isn’t he, Matthew?” My father looks Edward up and down, nodding.
“Probably just about. Size thirty-two waist?”
“That’s right.” Next to Edward, Libby looks panicked.
Nana continues, “And, of course, Libby already has clothes here. Edward can sleep in the guest bedroom across the hall from me. That way I can keep an eye on him to make sure he’s not sneaking off to Libby’s room late at night.” Nana winks at Edward.
“Oh, you don’t think we should put them up in the same room?” my father asks. “Isn’t it a bit provincial to separate them?”
“I might be a progressive old lady, but even I have my limits,” Nana sniffs.
“The guest bedroom sounds lovely, thank you,” Edward says. “But I really don’t want to be an imposition. You’re sure it would be all right?”
My mother opens her mouth, but Nana beats her to the punch. “Perfectly all right. We’d be delighted to have you.”
“Um, what about Simon?” Libby asks. Edward’s personal protection officer has been sitting outside in the waiting car for the past few hours.
“We have enough bedrooms,” says Nana. “He’s welcome, too.”
“Glad that’s settled,” my father says, suppressing a smile.
After dinner, the conversation turns to Dad’s Triumph motorbike renovation.
“I love motorbikes!” Edward says. “But my parents are paranoid. I’ve been forbidden to ride them—too dangerous, apparently.”
“Really?” Dad says. “That surprises me. Don’t you play polo?”
“I do.”
“That’s hugely dangerous. Isn’t it?”
“Yes, it is. But I guess my family is a bunch of hypocrites. My dad’s comfortable with what he knows.”
“You wanna go out back and check it out?” Dad asks. I’m struck by how excited he seems to be having Edward around. Knowing Dad, it has nothing to do with Edward’s status, or even the fact that he’s dating Libby. I think he’s simply happy to have another guy in the house.
“Yeah!” Edward’s face lights up.
“So long, Edward,” my mum says. “It’s been nice knowing you.”
“Mum,” I hiss. “Stop it.”
My parents dissolve into giggles as Nana looks at them with disapproval. Libby rolls her eyes.
“Sorry, Moose,” she says. “You knew what you were signing up for.”
Nana and I look at each other, our eyebrows nearly flying off our faces. Moose?
As my father takes Edward into the back shed, we girls pick up the dishes and ferry them into the kitchen.
“How do you think it’s going?” I ask.
“Fine, I think,” Libby says before lowering her voice. “There have been a few choice moments, of course. For somebody so obsessed with royals and propriety, Nana certainly knows how to put her foot in it.”
“I might be old, Elizabeth, but I am certainly not deaf,” Nana calls from the sitting room. “I can hear you.”
“Sorry, Nana,” Libby calls back, chastened.
“So, how are things going?” Nana asks, coming into the kitchen holding a snifter of brandy. “It certainly seems you two have a connection.”
“I think we do, too,” she says, smiling.
Nana takes a sip of her brandy as my mother begins washing up. “Is he a good kisser?”
“Mother!” Mum says, scandalized. “You don’t have to answer that, Libby.”
Libby turns bright red.
“Okay, then Charlotte can tell me,” Nana says, turning toward me.
Now it’s my turn to blush.
“Oh, honestly, the lot of you.” Nana looks grumpy. “Is nobody going to give me the dish?”
“Sorry, Nana,” I say.
“Just take care not to give too much of yourself away,” Nana says. “Boys don’t like running around with fast girls.”
I snort.
“Oh, Mother,” Mum says. “It’s not the 1950s.”
“It doesn’t matter. You lot make the mistake of thinking women’s lib has changed things when it simply hasn’t. Boys are boys. Girls are girls. No amount of wishing it away will stop girls from wanting to be courted and boys from wanting to conquer. It’s Darwinian. It’s the nature of the beast.”
“So, what’s next? Can we expect virginity tests from the palace? Is our Libby going to be subject to a rigorous physical from the physician of the King’s choice?” Mum shakes her head. “Honestly.”
“Don’t get mad at me. I don’t make the rules. It’s helpful to be aware of what’s expected from you.”
“Enough of this,” Mum says. “I don’t want you filling Libby’s head with rubbish. She’s dating a nice boy, and that’s that. Everything else is just noise.”
Nana rolls her eyes, looking grumpy. She takes another sip of brandy, changing the subject. “What kind of things do you do together? Date nights?”
“We go to our favorite Indian restaurant for fish curry and tandoori chicken. Sometimes I watch him play polo. I’m teaching him how to use my DSLR camera. And his marks are a bit low in history and biology, so we spend time together revising in the library every night.”
“Sounds like you’re building something very real,” Mum says, smiling.
“Sounds a bit dull, if you ask me,” Nana says.
“Well, thank goodness nobody’s asking you, Mother,” Mum says, frowning at her before turning back to Libby. “He seems like a lovely boy.”
“I’m so happy you like him.”
“And you’re fine with all this, Charlotte?” Nana asks.
“Oh, I’m totally over it. Edward and I dated for like half a second. Anyone could see their connection. I just want Libby to be happy.”