"Old dog, new tricks," I told her as Truffle flopped down beside Flurry, the Border terrier, in her basket.

“Except she used to. I taught her once, but she thinks it's beneath her now.”

“Quite right. She's an old lady.”

“Aren't we all?”

We perched on stools at the island, but only one buttock each, in case Belinda came in, and I told her I'd missed her last week, and she told me she'd been on her annuals in Newquay. Seeing her sister, but she wouldn't be going again. Too kiss-me-quick and she missed the dogs too much. I knew she meant these two, who she treated as her own. Years ago Yvonne had cleaned for friends of Mum's in the village, but Belinda had decided she didn't like the tittle-tattle and wanted Yvonne exclusively for herself. She threw money at it and Yvonne wasn't stupid. But the tittle-tattle continued, only more so, since Yvonne was here every day and had more to tell. She asked about Mum and I told her she was well.

"What's up with Flurry?" I pointed to the terrier, who'd failed to greet me. She was in her basket, shivering gently.

"Phantom pregnancy. I took her to the vet cos her ladyship wouldn't, and they gave her some canine Valium, for the nerves. I slipped one in Belinda's tea to see if it would make any difference."

I giggled. “Stop it. And it's Mrs Bellingdon to you, you've only worked here twenty years. Is she about?"

I glanced around nervously, expecting her to waft in, in all her floral glory, at any second. Yvonne got up and resumed her moping.

“She and Hugo have gone out for the day. An arboretum or something then lunch. Don't ask me. Christina and the kids have gone swimming, and Peter's gone out with some friends, far as I know."

"Oh good. And Roger?"

She grinned. "You'll be lucky. Gave me a message. Said he was just going to get his boat out of the water and he'd be back in a jiffy. To be fair, I thought I heard someone in the study earlier, so he might have crept back in."

“Thanks, I'll have a look." I surveyed the newspaper pieces which Truffle had scattered, rendering my return journey more tortuous.

"Go on, you can do it!" laughed Yvonne as she leaned on her mop, watching. “Twister! You remember that!"