Poor Derek, though! We'll be tearing him away from his garden for another evening.' 'Don't worry about that. He'll be glad of the break. He's got a bad back, just like he has every year because of the gardening.' 'He must work at it very hard,' Anna said wistfully, gazing out of the window at the perfectly formed rows of cabbages and potatoes, beetroot and peas in Pippa's garden. 'I'd rather have a bigger lawn, frankly – and Derek without a bad back! He's such a grouse when there's anything wrong with him.' 'But you can't beat fresh vegetables. And think of the money you must save.' 'Huh! I don't know about that. By the time he's paid for the special seeds, the various fertilisers, the organic compost – and I don't know what else! – it would be cheaper to buy the vegetables from the shop. Besides, I don't like slug holes in every potato, and the kids don't like caterpillars in the lettuce either.' Anna laughed. 'Me thinks you protesteth too much!' 'Probably.' 'Oh, I nearly forgot.
