jumping from one car to the next, tossing his bowler up and catching it on his head. ‘Who’s out of champers? Come along now, glasses at the ready, chaps.’
Evelyne felt as if she and David were royals; everyone followed him, and accepted her as being with him. They proceeded to get into their cars.
‘I say, look at the posters, be a jolly good wheeze, why don’t we go?’
The posters, in crude, bright red letters, were stuck to the walls on the stand, ‘freedom stubbs versus dai
“HAMMER” THOMAS’.
There was a rough sketch beneath the lettering of two boxers, fists up, about to fight each other. David immediately began charging around with his fists up, dodging, and tapping his friends with mock punches.
‘What say we all go to the fight, it’s a gyppo fair, chaps, should be jolly?’
Evelyne smiled with the rest of David’s crazy antics. She felt a tap on her shoulder and turned. A face loomed from the past — Captain Ridgely.
‘Well, well, hello there, I don’t remember meeting you deah gel, do tell me where he found you? Captain Ridgely at your command, at your feet, deah, lovely lady.’
David bellowed across the grass.
‘Ridgelyyyyy… Get off her, she’s mine!’
David leapt to Evelyne’s side and put a protective arm around her shoulders.
‘She’s mine, you no-good rascal … now, Evelyne, we are all waiting on your decision. Do we or don’t we go to the fight? What do you say, eh?’
Evelyne saw that everyone was waiting, and shrugged, smiling.
‘Whatever you say.’
‘It’s the fight, everyone, meet at Bianco’s first…’
The cars began to roar out, cheering passengers shouting to each other and waving their arms and champagne bottles. David got into his car.
He leaned back, slithering lower in his seat, and closed his eyes for a few moments. Then he turned his head, still resting on the back of the seat. ‘Where in God’s name have you been all my life, Flamehead, especially when I needed you? Why have you taken so long to come back, my gazelle, my strange, wonderful lady from nowhere?’
The kiss she had dreamed of had not been so hard or brutal. She could feel his teeth, then his tongue pushing open her lips and licking them, then thrusting inside her mouth. She actually felt disgusted, the taste of champagne and cigar smoke was so strong. His hand began slowly to unbutton her dove-grey jacket with the white collar, her lovely Vogue suit, and he was pushing her against the side of the car … and her hat? He was crushing her hat! She pushed him away, and he lolled against the opposite door. He turned his face away, slapped the steering wheel with his hand, and when he looked back he frightened her. His eyes were blazing, staring straight through her, and again he hit the steering wheel with his fist. He was muttering, swearing, a jumble of words. Evelyne didn’t know what to do. David began to rock backwards and forwards, banging his head on the steering wheel. His actions, behaviour frightened her, was he drunk?
‘David, stop it please, don’t… Davidl Don’t. Stop!’ Freddy ran to the car and cupped David’s chin in his
hands.
‘You okay … David? All right, old chap, eh? All
right, are we?’
David shrugged Freddy’s hands away. Freddy gave Evelyne a grin and then ran back to his motor. ‘Everyone follow me!’
David pulled himself together, crashed the gears, then the sports car spun round and followed Freddy’s car, way up in front. Evelyne clung to her daisy hat, terrified it would blow away. David was relaxed again, smiling to himself as though nothing had happened. Evelyne glanced at him and he caught it, winked at her. Everything was all right again, and she felt better when he reached for her hand, held it to his lips and whispered quietly, gently, ‘Sorry flame … make it all up to you.’
The kiss she held in her memory now didn’t seem so bad, and if he kissed her again she would open her own mouth.
‘I love you, I love you, I love you …’ but David didn’t hear because it was all inside her bursting head, besides, he was singing at the top of his voice as he swung the car this way and that in a zig-zag across the road. His craziness was contagious and soon she was joining in with him, standing with one arm raised, the other holding on to her hat.
‘My Lili Marlene… Ahhh … my Lili Marleeeeeeeeene …’
The tiny, elegant restaurant was almost entirely filled by David’s party, the tables, covered in checked cloths, placed close together. A pianola played at full blast. Steaming bowls of spaghetti and chilli were promptly served and wolfed down by all, while they drank themselves into a loud, drunken state with more champagne and red wine.
The proprietor, a good-natured, roly-poly Italian, served the food, opened bottles and turned a blind eye to the damage. They would pay — this young set always did — and he could feel their madness, their desperation for fun. The men were all officers and he knew they had seen sights that had left them scarred — he knew because often they were too drunk to leave. He had sat with many of them crying drunkenly for their comrades, spilling out their nightmares to him, a stranger, a nobody.
Captain Ridgely stood up on a table, glass in hand. ‘Here’s to unemployment… here’s to us, to us, the ones who made it home… Cheers!’
They sang, ‘It’s a long way to Tipperareeee, it’s a long way to go …’At first glance this party of beautiful young people seemed not to have a care in the world. It was only when one looked close that one could detect their lostness. Seemingly hell-bent on living life to the full, in reality they despaired for those they knew had no life left.
Evelyne looked hard at the women, as outrageous as their men, dancing on the tables holding their skirts high, garters flashing. One girl named Tulip had stripped off her dress and was dancing in her shift. She had bobbed hair and was very pretty.
One young chap with a lady’s garter around his head seemed to be having a great time, waving a walking stick in the air. Evelyne craned her neck to see over the table then sat back quickly — he was in a wheelchair, he had no legs. As she looked around the dark, music-filled restaurant she could see that several of the boys were minus one or two limbs. The crazy atmosphere began to change, it became hotter and hotter, and Evelyne wanted to leave. David sat staring sullenly into space. She tapped his arm. ‘David, I think we should go.’
He turned and stared at her as if he didn’t know her for a moment, then he smiled his wonderful smile and cocked his head to one side.
‘Whatever you say, darling one.’ He jumped up on to the table and yelled at the top of his voice that it was time to go. ‘Come on, come on or we’ll miss the fight, we can have our fortunes read, everybody, let’s rollll…’
From beneath a table Tulip emerged, her lipstick smeared, pulling down her undershirt. She searched for her dress and spotted one of the boys dancing round in it. She gave chase with squealing laughs.
‘Tulip, you naughty girl, come along and get your knickers on.’
She turned, and pursed her smeared, cupid’s bow lips.
‘I would, duckie, but I can’t find ‘em.’ At the reception desk Freddy Carlton swayed, a large cigar in his mouth, holding his open wallet. Tulip leaned on his arm.
‘Give me some too, Freddy, I want to make a bet on the boxers, ohhh, Freddy, who’s a booful boy!’
‘I say, Bunny, are we splitting this or what, it’s jolly expensive, ya know … Bunny?’
Bunny waved as he slithered down the wall, and Freddy handed over all he had and tossed the empty wallet over his shoulder.
Evelyne caught David’s hand as he led her back to his car. He stopped, holding her at arm’s length.
‘What a lovely creature you are.’
Evelyne’s heart was pounding. He pulled her to him, cupping her face in his hands, and gently kissed her. She moaned with pleasure, and he kissed her neck, her ear. Then he whispered.
‘Where are you staying? Back at the house?’
She touched his silky hair, said she was in a small hotel. He caught her in his arms, swung her round.
