The Ink Well Prompt #19: Tea Time or Tee Time?/ SECRETS REVEALED AT TEA TIME

This week I focused my story on the famous English-style tea time, combining it with the tee time that occurs for some of the characters. I narrate the events of the meeting and I titled it:

SECRETS REVEALED AT TEA TIME

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In the early spring of the year 2000, Grandma Margaret was in failing health. A rare thing for her, who had always enjoyed excellent health, her relatives thought. But a bad cold, which she did not treat in time, had affected her lungs. She was affectionately known by all as the "Queen Mother". Even at 75, she was still working as a consultant in the family's chemical export business.

Margaret had only one daughter, Agnes. But Agnes died at the time of the birth of her third son, Albert, the only male grandson she would have, who was a man with very different ideas from those of his grandmother. For that reason Margaret took the reins of the Scott family, although the others also participated.

That year the company's board of directors was chaired by her third cousin Phillip, a 45-year-old industrial engineer, but also included her sister Elizabeth, 65, an administrator; her brother Edward, 57, an economist; and her granddaughters Joanne, 24, a recent graduate in international business, and Charlize, 35, who has a degree in chemistry. The rest of the family had shares in the company, but they accepted and trusted the board of directors, which was elected annually by a vote of the entire family clan.

The Queen Mother was a tea time fanatic. She always told the young descendants that the traditions had to be maintained. She always had fond memories of these gatherings, which were still held with great care.

All the Scott heirs have a country house on the outskirts of London. They call it the "Hidden Manor" because it is in an idyllic setting, surrounded by lush greenery, which is not easy to come by for those unfamiliar with the area. This huge house, dating from the Victorian era, is the only property they hold in common. Although several descendants had some noble titles, they could not contribute anything for the maintenance of the mansion, because they had lost money due to bad investments. For this reason they reached an agreement so that everyone could use it. They undertook to make a plan and to strictly comply with it.

But because they feared that Margaret could get worse, they decided to break that rule, for a weekend, with the illusion that the Queen Mother would improve her health. There everyone without exception would be present to share tea time with her.

They made preparations and each member arrived as planned. They all thought that Edward and Albert would be present on this occasion. But uncle and nephew would go together to enjoy their tee time, as they always did, so as not to arouse suspicion. They would later arrive with unexpected surprises.........

Meanwhile, the cook, Amelie, was planning with Elizabeth, Margaret's favorite cousin, what would be served at teatime. They were planning to prepare the savory salmon sandwiches and cream, watercress and egg, cucumber, cheese and tomato, roast beef and mustard, stuffed with different vegetables and lobster pie. For sweets they decided to make the classic scones with exotic guava jam, violet-filled macarons and, Margaret's favorite, coconut cream-filled macarons made with the recipe of the famous Argentinean chef Osvaldo Gross. They would also include carrot cake, chocolate muffins and fig-filled cupcakes, the latter made from Margaret's best friend Chelsea's recipe.

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But what the Queen Mother enjoyed most was the presence of the entire family clan together. It had been a long time since they had done so. This thrilled her to the point that the symptoms of the illness seemed to disappear.

Margaret chose for the occasion a beautiful hand-embroidered tablecloth made by her great-aunt, Mrs. Clotilde Brown, which she placed on the table in the main dining room of the mansion. There she would use her beloved Royal Kent porcelain tableware, a gift from her late husband, and arrange the sweet and savory morsels on it. At that moment the butler, Mr. Dylan, arrives and asks:

  • It is already 5:00 p.m. Mrs. Margaret, shall we serve tea?

-No, tea will be served when everyone is present.

-All right, it will be done as you say," replies the butler and leaves.

They are all talking in the meeting room. ........ Beep beep beep beep, suddenly Albert's car horn is heard. All astonished, they look at each other's faces ......... to see that Albert has a group of ladies, with inappropriate clothes for the occasion, in the garden of the mansion.......

Margaret asks, "What's going on?" and suddenly she hears Albert's voice:

-Mommy come and see.....-

-What do I have to see?

-Oh, Mom, come and find out," Albert answers.

Margaret leaves the living room and, when she arrives at the door, she is surprised to see her son and his companions.

-What's the meaning of this? Is this a joke?- asks Margaret, annoyed.

-No, Mom, do you remember I told you that on my last trip to Polynesia I met a beautiful lady and that someday I was going to introduce her to you?

-Yes, I remember. But I thought it was just a passing romance because you never spoke about it again," says Margaret.

-No, I kept it a secret because I knew most people wouldn't approve of the relationship. I found the love of my life and I decided to take the opportunity to introduce her to the whole family and also to announce our marriage.
I also hired a Polynesian dance group to liven up the reunion," Albert replies.

........ Almost nothing, the whole tradition of my family is starting to crumble. And we're still missing my brother, who was always the craziest. I hope that because of his age he will integrate or better still enjoy his tee time. Lest he also comes up with something unexpected.....Thinks Margaret and reacting quickly says:

-Well, you've made your decision, come in and do what you had in mind - Margaret replies.

As soon as they arrive in the living room Albert greets the whole family and introduces his girlfriend. He immediately adds:

-Now as a gift for the occasion I brought a group of dancers and oh! oh! oh! oh! the Polynesian dance begins to everyone's surprise. ........

At the end of the dance, the attendees, out of politeness, did not comment and began to taste the snacks. They were about to serve tea when they heard vroom, vroom, vroom, vroom, it sounded like Edward's cart........

At that moment Margaret got a rainbow on her face. Then she turned pale and everyone ran to help her. The butler steps forward and says:

-get out of the way so she can breathe better.

She was taken to the sofa. Already seated and recovered, she feels a hunch, which she awaits with astonishment. And it reminds her of her brother's romance with an African princess, a descendant of the Zulu ethnic group. She was always surprised that Edward traveled to Africa every year, to spend a vacation, but she never suspected the reasons. Only she was the keeper of that secret. At that moment she had a whirlwind of thoughts, in her head, after her son announced his marriage. Although she did not imagine the huge surprise that was about to come ........

Still sitting, Margaret listens to the sound of drums. Here her heart began to beat faster. At that moment her brother enters the house with a group of dark-skinned people, dressed in garish colors, too ordinary for her taste. Behind them a young African girl of spectacular and strange beauty attracts the attention of all those present.

Everyone was speechless.......... They did not know how to react to such an event.

-Good afternoon everyone," says Edward with a big smile and continues speaking.

  • Today I also want to tell you a secret that I have kept for a long time. But I decided it's time for the whole family to know. I don't want to take this secret to my grave. Let me introduce you to my eldest daughter, her name is Ayanda.

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Here Margaret can't stand it and stands up. -What? What? What? How? Since when? And she faints.

Her brother lifts her up and places her on the couch. Everyone is frightened. The butler calls the doctor. When they arrive, they tell him what has happened. The doctor examines her and says that everything is normal for her illness, but warns them that further news of this kind could cause unexpected and irreversible damage. ......

Margaret recovers and stoically orders them to continue with the meeting. She calls the butler and says:

  • At last we are all assembled. Please serve tea to everyone present.

Now in a better mood, he addresses the whole group and says:

-Today all the descendants of the Scott family have gathered to continue the tradition and share this wonderful meeting. I hope that this will be the last secret to be exposed at tea time in the Hidden Mansion.

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