She had been feeding the Angora rabbits.
On the gravel in front of the house the new memorial stood, shrouded in a flag.
Molly propped the motor-cycle against the wall of the drawbridge and ran in to breakfast.
Life at Hetton was busier but simpler since Richard Last's succession.
Ambrose remained but there were no longer any footmen; he and a boy and four women servants did the work of the house.
Richard Last called them his `skeleton staff.'
When things were easier he would extend the household; meanwhile the dining hall and the library were added to the state apartments which were kept locked and shuttered; the family lived in the morning room, the smoking room and what had been Tony's study.
Most of the kitchen quarters, too, were out of use; an up-to-date and economical range had been installed in one of the pantries.
The family all appeared downstairs by half past eight, except Agnes who took longer to dress and was usually some minutes late; Teddy and Molly had been out for an hour, she among the rabbits, he to the silver foxes. Teddy was twenty-two and lived at home.
Peter was still at Oxford.
They breakfasted together in the morning room.
Mrs. Last sat at one end of the table; her husband at the other; there was a constant traffic from hand to hand to and fro between them of cups, plate, honey jars and correspondence.
Mrs. Last said,
“Molly, you have rabbit feed on your head again.”
“Oh well, I shall have to tidy up anyway before the jamboree.”
Mr. Last said,
“Jamboree.
Is nothing sacred to you children?”
Teddy said,
“Another casualty at the stinkeries.
That little vixen we bought from the people at Oakhampton got her brush bitten off during the night.
Must have got it through the wire into the next cage.
Tricky birds, foxes.”
Agnes came next; she was a neat, circumspect child of twelve, with large, grave eyes behind her goggles.
She kissed her father and mother and said,
“I'm sorry if I'm late.”
“If you're late …” said Mr. Last tolerantly.
“How long will the show last?” asked Teddy.
“I've got to run over to Bayton and get some more rabbits for the foxes.
Chivers says he's got about fifty waiting for me.
We can't shoot enough here.
Greedy little beggars.”
“It will be all over by half past eleven.
Mr. Tendril isn't going to preach a sermon.
It's just as well really.
He's got it into his head that cousin Tony died in Afghanistan.”
“There's a letter here from Cousin Brenda.
She's very sorry but she can't get down for the dedication.”
“Oh.”
There was a general silence.
“She says that Jock has a three line whip for this afternoon.”
“Oh.”
“She could have come without him,” said Molly.
“She sends her love to us all and to Hetton.”
There was another pause.
“Well I think it's a jolly good thing,” said Molly.
“She couldn't show much widowly grief.
It didn't take her long to get hitched up again.”
“Molly.”
“And you know you think the same.”