If Katarina and Amelia had always felt rather sorry for Guisi, they were in two minds about inviting her to their party.
“What’s wrong with Guisi?” asked Patrick.
“Nothing,” said Amelia. “She’s a little dull. That’s all.”
“She’s not dull,” said Katarina, “she is spectacularly boring.”
“You mean she’s a little dyed in the wool?”
Katarina laughed.
“It’s true,” she said. “She does spend a lot of time knitting.”
“Well,” said her sister, once Patrick’s joke had been explained, “I never thought of a zitella[1] as lamb’s wool before.”
The party was already in full swing when Raff popped up with a two litre bottle of something white and fizzy and his customary honk for the two sisters.
“Porco!” said Katarina.
“Maiale!” said Amelia, which for those who don’t know translates as pig in any language.
“Hello, hello,” he said as if to prove the point. “Who is that standing all by her lonesome?”
“Don’t touch.”
“What do you mean? Don’t touch.”
“She’s not for you, Raff.”
“Yes, Raff, she is off limits,” said Katarina, pulling him by the sleeve. “Come and have a drink.”
But Raff was not to be thwarted. A few hours later, he was seen leaving the party with a middle-aged woman in a wool jumper.
“Did you see that?”
“I don’t believe it.”
“Should we tell Sabi?”
“I don’t think it’s any of our business, do you?”
A few weeks later, Katarina and Amelia were invited for English tea. “Look what I’ve made,” said Guisi, pulling a crazy jumper out of her knitting bag. “Do you think Raff will like it?” Neither sister liked to say it, but you couldn’t get someone like Raff into lamb’s wool.
[1]Old maid.