She smiled a tight little smile at us.
"You brought the whole clan, I see," she said.
Mom nodded. "You'll understand why in a minute," she said. Mr Glover stepped from behind Dad.
"And you called in the Navy?"
"All in good time."
We were introduced one at a time to her. She had a firm handshake and long fingers.
Her place was furnished in Japanese minimalist style, just a few precisely proportioned, low pieces of furniture, large clay pots of bamboo that brushed the ceiling, and what looked like a large, rusted piece of a diesel engine perched on top of a polished marble plinth. I decided I liked it. The floors were old wood, sanded and stained, but not filled, so you could see cracks and pits underneath the varnish. I really liked that, especially as I walked over it in my stocking feet.
"I have coffee on," she said. "Who wants some?"
We all put up our hands. I glared defiantly at my parents.
"Right," she said.