-14-

Elizabeth

"What on earth has gotten into our daughter, darling?" I ask as I cut up my bacon. I take a bite.

Bradley raises his fork to his mouth, pops a piece of egg into it, then chews for a moment. He looks towards the kitchen door where Margaret has just disappeared.

"Beats me, darling," he says. "She's been acting a little odd since The Incident. Perhaps it's that."

June lingers around us, bobbing up and down on her feet as though impatient for something. I snap my fingers.

"You can go," I say. "But prepare an apple pie for dinner. We have company tonight."

June curtseys.

"Yes ma'am, thank you ma'am."

She scuttles off to the pantry, slamming the door behind her. Moments later we hear a guzzling sound coming from within.

"Company, darling?"

"Yes, darling," I say, "I invited our closest neighbours around, the ones seven miles away on the hill."

I narrow my eyes.

"They think they're better than us because they have fancy jobs and a bigger house," I say. "But we'll show them. They won't think they're better than us after their visit here, darling."

Bradley smiles.

"No, darling," he says. "They won't."  

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