Georgia jumps, quite violently, at a commotion from the fireplace and has to take a moment to breathe and find her heartbeat again before turning around to greet her visitor. Thereās a particularly potent kind of stress that comes with hostessing oneās mother for an afternoon, and another for introducing her to oneās lover, and Georgia has no idea what she was thinking when she decided to impose them both on herself at once.
āMum! Hi! Okay, er⦠weāve got tea in the pot, should be brewed by now, and a shiāI-I mean, a ton of cake. Fredās down in the shop but she said sheād drop in when she gets a moment, and I think Vatiās just⦠powdering her nose.ā In fact, Parvatiās getting changed, as they both have several times that day in spontaneous panics that their skirts are too short or heels too high or necklines too low. āCome in, sit down, make yourself at home, okay?ā