‘What would you have me say, then? You know everything already. Mama’s always finding fault with Georges, and I hate that.’
‘Come now, you exaggerate. Both Papa and Mama like him well enough.’
‘I know, I know! But when it comes to showing him a bit of courtesy. . Anyway, you said so yourself.’
‘What did I say?’
‘You said that taking him along would make things stiff!’
‘If I’d known you cared so much, I wouldn’t have said it. Only I can’t bear to see you getting all upset about nothing, Lili. You carry on as if your whole life is in ruins, just because Mama thinks it better not to invite De Woude for once.’
‘But it’s very awkward for me! I already told him about the outing, and so naturally he now thinks—’
‘Well, you shouldn’t have given him ideas. It’s awkward for Mama, too, with people beginning to gossip about you. Only yesterday Madame Eekhof was saying—’
‘I don’t care a straw about what Madame Eekhof says, since we love each other! Everyone’s against us, it’s not fair.’
‘Indeed, Lili,’ breezed Marie, attempting to hide her own secret emotion. ‘It is deeply tragic. You love Georges and Georges loves you, and the whole world is against you, Mama, Madame Eekhof and everyone else, too. Very sad, my dear, very sad indeed! And of course there isn’t a glimmer of hope that anything will ever change. Very sad.’
‘Marie, how could you? Making fun of me while you know how upset I am!’
‘Yes, I’m very cruel, am I not?’ Marie pursued, softening. ‘Come on, Lili, dry your tears and give me a kiss, all right? I didn’t mean to be unkind. Shall I try and get Mama to change her mind?’
‘Oh, if only you would! Mama’s sure to say yes if you ask her.’
‘Ah yes, I’m the one no one can refuse, aren’t I? And you’re the one everybody’s always against, aren’t you? You poor thing!’
Lili had to smile through her tears. ‘Marie, you’re so funny when you talk like that! You’ve made me laugh!’
‘Yes, Lili dear, you can laugh. Let’s all laugh while we may. Bye for now. Why don’t you do up your hair, and I’ll go downstairs and have a word with Mama.’
Marie left the room, feeling a pang of envy for her sister’s ability to unburden herself. And as she descended the stairs she smiled wistfully at the depths of Lili’s despair only a moment ago, and at her infatuation with Georges. Her sister was a mere child as far as she was concerned, crying over the temporary loss of a toy, and she was confident that all would be forgotten within the half-hour. How lucky Lili was! Free to shed tears when she was sad and free to say things like: ‘I don’t care a straw about what Madame Eekhof says, since we love each other!’
. .
They were bound for a farmstead that was owned by an old acquaintance of the Verstraetens. The overladen charabanc rolled along Loosduinseweg under a blazing sky, with the occasional steam tram passing them as it came the other way. Madame Verstraeten and Mathilda sat in the back with Nico between them, Marie, Lili and Frédérique sat in the middle facing Paul, Etienne and Georges, and the front bench was occupied by Ernestine, Madeleine and the Verstraeten boys. Johan sat on the box, while the dickey was shared by Cateau van der Stoor and Jan. It was to be a jolly family outing, nothing formal, so everyone could relax and enjoy themselves. Marie dispensed handfuls of cherries from a large basket, and Etienne, between mouthfuls, told them that according to Marguerite van Laren going on an outing in a charabanc was a very bourgeois thing to do.
‘I suppose the Van Larens always go on their outings in a liveried carriage, complete with footmen in powdered wigs!’ said Georges.
‘Naturally! With the ladies wearing great billowing skirts like in the Watteau paintings, and leading little lambs by pink ribbons!’ rejoined Lili, smiling fondly at Georges.
There was much hilarity at this; they were all in high spirits, the womenfolk in their simple cotton frocks as much as the young men in their light summer suits and straw boaters.
‘Do have some cherries, Cateau,’ said Marie, passing her a handful. ‘You can share them with Jan.’
‘Oh yes, we’ll share!’ exclaimed Jan, with a roguish air. ‘Shall I show you a trick, Cateau?’
‘What sort of trick?’
‘See these twin cherries? Well, put one of them in your mouth.’
‘What for?’ asked Cateau, doing as he suggested.
‘Then I’ll have the other one. Look, like this!’ the rascal replied, quickly brushing her lips with his before biting into the second cherry.
‘Jan! Behave yourself!’ scolded Madame.
‘She fell for it! Silly Cateau!’ giggled Freddie.
‘I had no idea what he was going to do!’ protested Cateau. ‘Wretched boy!’
‘Nonsense, you don’t mean that. Of course you knew!’ scoffed Paul.
The charabanc rattled on through a flat landscape of meadows with sleek, grazing cows whose black-and-white coats gleamed like satin, past endless rows of pollard willows unfurling their silvery fans.
‘Willows are such melancholy trees, don’t you agree, Georges?’ asked Lili with feeling.
‘There she goes, waxing poetical again!’ Etienne cried out. ‘Come on then, Lili, let’s hear an ode to the willow.’
‘I can’t say anything these days without everyone poking fun at me, goodness knows why,’ she moaned.
Now it was Lili’s turn to be teased, and they all laughed heartily as they munched their cherries.
The road began to climb towards undulating horizons. Here and there stood a country retreat, lost in the greenery, or a farmhouse surrounded by fields planted with carrot and cauliflower or beanstalks in neat rows, and gardens ablaze with sunflowers, peonies and hollyhocks. A washerwoman wringing out clothes on the bank of a stream drew herself up to smile at them as they passed, and two youngsters ran after the carriage while Jan and Cateau threw them cherries.
. .
The road ran between fields of yellow corn and green flax dotted with blue cornflowers and red poppies, rising and falling until finally they reached the farm. The farmer’s wife appeared at the gate, smiling broadly, and the young people sprang down from the charabanc while Madame Verstraten and Mathilda took charge of unloading the cargo of boxes, cloth-covered baskets and hampers.
The coachman unhitched his steaming horses and led them to the stable.
Jan Verstraeten, Cateau and the Van Rijssel foursome made a beeline for the two swings, but not before Jan had assured Madame van Rijssel that he would be very careful and Cateau had promised to pay particular attention to little Nico.
‘They’re just like a married couple with their offspring!’ laughed Marie, following the merry band with her eyes.
‘I’m going to chase them away from the swings shortly, because I want a turn myself!’ declared Etienne, already a little light-headed from the sun and the fresh air. ‘Lili, will you join me on the other swing? If De Woude will let you, that is!’ he whispered, rolling his eyes.
‘De Woude has no say over what I do! But no thanks, I don’t like swings. They always give me a headache.’
‘But I just love swings, Etienne!’ cried Marie. ‘So I’ll be counting on you as a gentleman to push me as high as I can go, really high, do you hear? Up to the clouds!’
‘Let’s go and find a nice spot to sit — over there, by those dunes,’ suggested Paul.
‘He thinks it’s time for a rest, how typical! But my dear Paul, it’s hot in the dunes,’ said Freddie.
‘No, there are some trees, oaks I think, over there, beyond the pavilion.’
‘All right, let’s go. It’s too hot for anything strenuous, anyway. I agree with Pauclass="underline" I like a lazy outing. Just lying in the cool green shade, watching the clouds drift by overhead — lovely,’ said Lili.