Afternoon Tea on the Lawn

It turned out that Mrs Forrester, wife of a retired judge, lived in a large country house down a long gravel drive, lined with beautiful established oak trees and a delightful tendered garden. I was nervous and I rung the bell with trepidation as Trish got the bags out of the car. I rung before I saw the note on the door.

'She's out the back,' I shout, 'According to this she wants us to meet her in the garden.'

Trish glares at me. 'If you mean "she" it's Mrs Forrester can you please call her by her name, Mrs Forrester. She can be very particular about address?'

'Sorry,' I say as we walk round the back taking the ornate path through vineyards, a rose garden and alongside a pond.

We find Mrs Forrester entertaining three of her lady friends on the lawn. They are all sitting comfortably on teak furniture alongside a table under a sun parasol loaded with a china tea set, and cakes. A crochet set lay nearby.

The ladies looked as if they had steeped from a movie. They all wore impeccable floral tea dresses

Mrs Forrester wore a white cotton dress decorated with large English roses. A younger lady, but still in her fifties, wore a fuchsia pink dress with what looked like Flamingos on the hem and an older lady with very grey hair wore a frilly green dress with a leafy pattern. I glanced down at my own garden-print silk and chiffon dress with its matching jacket and almost laughed.

As we walk up to the party the ladies all stop talking and watch me saunter across the lawn the high heels of my sandals sinking in the perfectly maintained lawn and my skin prickled with goose bumps.

Mrs Forrester gave me a welcoming smile totally ignoring Trish 'Darling, so good of you to bring my things round. I've just been telling my friends what a treasure you are and how you helped me buy these absolutely beautiful things for my niece.'

I nod and smile stupidly tasting the fresh application of lipstick I applied in the car.

'Isn't she beautiful? Look at her flawless skin, look at her shiny hair, look at those long slender legs and what an hourglass figure. Why don't you stay for some earl grey?