“I wanted to speak to you about the bowling green. It’s shockingly overgrown. Put someone on to it, will you?”

MacDonald shook his head dubiously.

“It would mean taking William from the lower border, m’lady.”

“Damn the lower border,” said Bundle. “Let him start at once. And MacDonald⁠—”

“Yes, m’lady?”

“Let’s have some of those grapes in from the far house. I know it’s the wrong time to cut them because it always is, but I want them all the same. See?”

Bundle reentered the library.

“Sorry, Father,” she said. “I wanted to catch MacDonald. Were you speaking?”

“As a matter of fact I was,” said Lord Caterham. “But it doesn’t matter. What were you saying to MacDonald?”