Peevish sighed and opened the door. Inside, Lord and Lady Rader-Wellorff were seated at the end of a very long table. Lady Rader-Wellorff still had a hat on, only now with what appeared to be a model of the garden and grounds, rather than the house, on it: there was even a small working fountain in the middle.
Also seated round the table were – Barry counted them quickly; he was good at maths – eight other children, of varying ages, boys and girls, all wearing plus fours and tweed jackets, of varying sizes.
“Barrington!” said Lady Rader-Wellorff, leaping up and slightly sprinkling him with fountain-splash. “Come and meet your brothers and sisters!”
“Potential brothers and sisters, Lady R-W…” said Lord Rader-Wellorff. “Let’s not jump the gun!”
“Fiddlesticks!” she replied. She came round and stood behind Barry, gently pushing him in the direction of the other children, who were all looking up at him. Most of them, it has to be said, in a not very friendly way. “Everybody! This is our new son – or soon will be, I’m sure – Barrington! Barrington, meet… Jeremy, Teremy, Meremy, Heremy, Queremy, Smellemy, Sea Anemone and Dave.”
“Hello…” said Barry.
“Hello…” they all said back. Not, it has to be said again, in an especially friendly way.
Lady Rader-Wellorff was looking at the boy called Dave, a small thin child with glasses. “We really must get around to your name change, Dave. What do you think of… Bellamy?”
Dave didn’t answer.
“Er… Lord Rader-Wellorff? Lady Rader-Wellorff?” said Barry.
“Please,” said Lord Rader-Wellorff. “Call me Henry. George Tristram Forbes Benedict Louis Jerome Mumford St Aubyn B’nard-B’nard Eugene. Rader-Wellorff.”
“Yes, and please call me…” said Lady Rader-Wellorff, “…Penelope. Virginia Phoebe Sienna Nigella Bubbles Daphne Clarissa Jemima Elizabeth B’nard-B’nard Virginia. Rader-Wellorff.”
“Er… you said Virginia twice?” said Barry.
“Yes. I’m called it twice! What was your question?”
“Why…” Barry continued, “…do you want to have more children if you’ve already got so many?”
Lady Rader-Wellorff and Lord Rader-Wellorff looked confused, as if this had never occurred to them before.
“Well! To be honest,” said Lord Rader-Wellorff eventually. “I think, when the Agency asks children what kind of parents they want, quite a lot of them say, um…”
“Rich…?” said Barry.
“Well…” said Lady Rader-Wellorff, “we don’t like to say. But yes.”
“And…” said Lord Rader-Wellorff, “some of our lot are growing up – Jeremy, Queremy and Meremy are almost ready to fly the coop! – so we really wanted a new young’un. Didn’t we, Lady R-W?”
“We did, Lord R-W!” said Lady Rader-Wellorff. “So, Barrington, tell us about this party we’re going to organise for you!”