Adelaide.
”I don’t want a muddle with you, Danby. I’ve got very fond of you. You make me feel happy-“
”What a lovely thing to say!”
”And I want that happiness to last. Not to be spoilt by-I could hold you-in a romantic friendship-let me try.”
”What you keep calling friendship looks to me like a wicked waste and impoliteness to the gods. Confess you’ve surprised yourself, Diana. We get on beautifully, don’t we? It doesn’t often happen, you know.”
Danby was indeed impressed by the peculiarly delicious ease of their communication, like an impromptu play with an impeccable form. He was enjoying the argument intensely. He had quite forgotten how delightful it was to flirt with an intelligent woman.
”Well, I want you as a friend, as a dear thing in my life, with no dramas, just always there-“
”I can be a dear thing in your life just as well if I’m your lover. Rather better, I should have thought.”
”No. It’ll set off a drama. And I shall lose you.”
”At least I notice that you’ve moved from the conditional tense to the future tense!”
”No, no, I don’t mean-“
”Anyway I don’t see that there’s much difference between what we’re doing now and going to bed.”
”Men always say that. You know there is.”
”You’re not suggesting we meet and don’t touch each other?”
”No. I want to touch you, to kiss you. But nothing more. Well, I do want more but I think it would be crazy.”
”Let’s be crazy then. I know what I want. All this touching and kissing would just drive me up the wall.”
”Oh God. I think perhaps I oughtn’t to see you at all-“
”Come, come. You’ve already gone too far, Diana. You’re a hedonist, just like me. You can’t deprive yourself of me now you’ve got me. Can you now?”
She stared at the cold sunny window and then slowly looked at him. “No.” She slid her arms under his and hugged him with violence. Danby looked down at the silvery golden hair which was tumbled over his sleeve. Holding her tight and questing with his chin he tried to find her mouth. “Number-“
Danby became aware that he was staring over Diana’s abandoned head straight into the eyes of a thin dark- haired girl who was standing and looking rather distraught in the door way.
He loosed Diana, pinching her arms slightly and coughing. Diana slowly lifted her head, looked behind her, and then began quite quietly to do up her dress, her eyes still vague and a little desperate.
”I’m terribly sorry!” said the girl in the doorway in a clipped rather prissy voice. She turned as if to go, still hesitating.
”Don’t go,” said Diana. She got up and Danby rose too.
”Danby, this is my sister, Lisa Watkin. This is Danby Odell.”
”Oh, hello-“ The girl hesitated, extended a hand, and gave Danby a crushing grip.
”Hello. I didn’t know you had a sister,” he said to Diana, in an effort to make something which sounded like conversation.
Lisa, who had now pressed her hand to her heart, seemed more shocked and upset by the encounter than Diana. She was looking anxiously at her sister. Then suddenly they both smiled and the smile revealed a fugitive resemblance. Only Diana’s smile was lazy and inward, whereas Lisa’s was a more outward smile, like a simple animal manifestation.
”Well, then, I’ll be off, upstairs.” Lisa made a quick awkward movement, rather like someone swatting a fly, and jerked out of the door without looking at Danby. The door closed and footsteps receded.
”Gosh!” said Danby.
”It’s all right,” said Diana, smiling faintly. They stood separated from each other, stiff and momentarily chilled.
”Will she tell Miles?”
”No. I’ll tell Miles you called in.”
”Without details, I hope?”
”Without details.”
”Better have a pretext. Say I called to say eleven-thirty tomorrow, not eleven. Are you sure she won’t tell Miles?”
”Of course I am. She’s perfectly discreet. She’s perfect.”
”She isn’t very like you. Is she ill?”
”No. She’s been ill. She’s all right now.”
”A pretty sister and an ugly one.”
”Lisa’s quite good-looking really but you have to know her.”
”How much older is she than you?”
”She’s four years younger.”
”She doesn’t look it. Is she visiting?”
”No. She lives here.”
”Oh hell, Diana, how are we going to organize things?”
”Who says any things are going to be organized?”
”Don’t start that again. Look, darling, I think I’ll go now. The appearance of sister Lisa has put a cold finger on me. But we’ll meet very soon, won’t we? And don’t decide anything and don’t worry. We’ll see how things are. But we must meet, mustn’t we?”
”Yes, Danby, I suppose we must.” She looked away from him down the narrow green garden which was just beginning to quiver a little in the evening light.
”Well, don’t look so sad about it, my sweet. You’ll telephone me at the works on Monday. If you don’t ring, I’ll ring you.”
”I’ll ring.”
”Number-I’ve lost count already.”
She stayed beside the French window, her arms hanging, as he had seen her at first, and turned slowly towards the garden leaning her head against the glass. Danby let himself out of the front door. As he turned to walk along towards the Old Brompton Road he looked up and saw a figure at an upstairs window and a pale face staring down at him. The figure hastily withdrew. Danby felt again the sense of chill, the cold finger laid upon his heart. She reminded him of somebody.
13
Miles paused outside the house with irritation. He could hear Danby singing inside. Miles had been feeling all the morning as if he were going to a funeral. He was dressed for a funeral. He felt more than a little sick. He savoured the solemnity of his action in coming to see his father, and wished that solemnity to be recognized and respected by all concerned. He smoothed the frown from his face and rang the bell.
Danby opened the door still singing.
”Ah, you’ve come, good, come in. Adelaide, meet the young master. This is Miles Greensleave. Adelaide de Crecy.”
A preoccupied young woman with a great deal of piled-up brown hair, wearing a blue and green check overall, nodded to Miles and disappeared beyond the stairs.
”Adelaide the Maid,” Danby explained. “I don’t suppose you want to go up straightaway? I think we’d better have a talk first. Would you like some coffee? Adelaide! Coffee!”
”I don’t want any coffee, thank you,” said Miles.
”Adelaide! No coffee!”
Danby had led the way down some stairs and through a connecting door and entered what appeared to be his
