Devoted to bread and butter

To christen my newly-revised sittingroom, I gave an impromptu tea party for an old friend, a scholar of Asian art.  We had egg-and-cress sandwiches with chèvre, lemon curd cake, plum tart, a small dense chocolate cake (that's it in the eggcup)--all from the obliging bakery up the street--and the last of this season's raspberries, with a good vanilla-bean ice cream.  The tea was Darjeeling, by Taylor's of Harrogate.  The conversation was excellent.

You can't quite see the pattern in the napkin, but there are dancing maidens damasked in the cloth.  "The Nine!" I said when I discovered them:  eleven napkins, and much later and elsewhere, the tablecloth.  Serendipity.

This is going to be a lovely and comfortable room.  I hope some of you will come to tea--it would be a joy to sup with you.

Nine