"Theresa, will you take your tea in the garden, or in the lounge, dear?" Margaret pronounced the second "e" as "ay" -- Ther-AY-sa -- making it sound royal to my American ear.

I was staying with Gathaen and Margaret Jones, friends of my parents, during my first trip to England. Margaret informed me right away that it was delightful to have a girl in the house. They had two grown sons, but no daughters, and so I received generous attention.

On sunny mornings, Margaret and I took our tea in the garden. We both preferred being outside. She would spread the daily newspaper out for me "to read at your leisure, dear"--each section stepped down to show the one below.

The "garden" included everything that was outside the back door--table, chairs, chaise lounge, clay flowerpots, an expanse of lawn, and at the far end of the property, a manicured rectangle of vegetables, herbs and flowers. I didn