Sarah, proper and stylish in her light summer coat and dress, lifted up her suitcase onto the table and immediately began rummaging through it. Behind her, Reg, her husband wandered into the living room through the large doors leading to the garden, carrying more of their bags. He was followed by Norman, Reg's brother-in-law, looking impossible hairy, shaggy and forlorn. Dragging a battered old suitcase and wearing a floppy woolly hat, Norman flung himself grumpily into a chair.

As Reg set down the cases he happily burst out "That's the lot. Well come on. Where is she? Where's my sister?"

Sarah immediately shushed the cheerful Reg. "Ssh. Mother's resting."
Turning from Reg, Sarah focused on Norman. "I thought you were in a hurry to go somewhere, Norman."

"Not at all," Norman replied grumpily, sinking further into his chair.

"Yes, I thought you said you had a librarian's conference," Reg said.

"It's been cancelled. 10 seconds ago. Due to lack of interest," Norman said with disappointment.

Reg just shrugged cheerfully. "Funny lot these librarians. Now, where's Annie, do you know?"

Sarah turned a disapproving look to Reg again. "She's in the dining room, but you can't go in there yet."

"Why?" Reg asked.

"She's busy. Tom's in there with her, having a talk." Sarah replied.

"Well, she's can talk to Tom anytime. I've come all the say to see her." Reg complained, starting towards the door.

"Wait." Sarah said. She returned to rummaging through the suitcase, and Reg retreated from the door.

Reg continued, "What made her change her mind? About going? I mean, I thought the idea was, we came down her, nursed Mother for the weekend and Annie went off somewhere and had a good time. No point in us being here now, is there? Might as well not have come. Not that I mind. Nice to see the country. Beautiful evening. No kids..."

Sarah, who hadn't really been listening, broke in "Where did you pack that present for Mother?" Reg, shaken from his ramblings looked confused. "The bed jacket. The blue bed jacket. Where is it," Sarah said.

"Never set eyes on it," Reg replied finally.

Sarah continued her search through the suitcase, coming up with a large bulky game board and assorted bits and pieces. "What's all this?" she said.

Reg grabbed the board cheerfully. "It's my game. I've invented it and I want to try it out. I mean, the kids won't play with me, you won't play with me--how do I know if it works if no one will play it? Norman can play."

Norman looked up from his brooding at the sound of his name. "Eh?" he said.

Sarah shot another disapproving glance. "I should think Norman's had enough of games, haven't you Norman? Anyway Norman's going in a minute, aren't you Norman?" As Reg puzzled about all the disapproving looks Sarah was shooting at Norman, Sarah turned to the suitcase and gave up her search. "Oh well, no present for Mother. You've forgotten to pack it." She picked up a huge stack of old women's magazines. "Well just give her these magazines and send the bedjacket later."

"Hey one of my little men is missing," Reg suddenly said, looking through his game pieces. "I've lost my Chief Superintendent. I he at the bottom of the suitcase?"

"I've no idea," Sarah said rolling her eyes. Now Reg starting rummaging through the suitcase, eventually finding his Chief Superintendent in a big mass of blue wool, which Sarah promptly grabbed and straightened out into a tangled bed jacket. "Would you mind taking the suitcases upstairs?" she said.

"My pleasure," Reg replied happily picking up the cases, "I'll go a say hallo to Annie first."

Sarah shot again. "I've told you, she's--"

"I haven't seen her for months. She's my sister. I want to say hallo," Reg interrupted. Quickly, Reg strode through and out the door, whistling happily.

Sarah frowned, and then turned her attention back to Norman, the depressed librarian on the chair.