‘I may be dense, but I still don’t see the point in taking this step. It’s no good pretending to me that you are passionately in love with Giles Stanworth, or anything so silly as that.’
‘Actually I am rather in love with him. But that’s neither here nor there. The point, as I’ve told you already, is that I don’t want to be taken up by Oxford undergraduates.’
‘I think you exaggerate the danger of these youths, the modern young man is not quite so importunate as perhaps you may imagine.’
‘No, that’s just it, one wouldn’t mind so much if he were. It’s the maiden aunt relationship that I object to more than anything.’
‘You’re incorrigible, Amabelle.’
‘Pig-headed, you mean. Anyhow, you might wish me luck, old boy.’
‘I do – I do. Oh, how bored you’ll be after about six months of country life.’
‘You said that before, if you remember, when I took this house. Actually I was at first, terribly bored for about a day, but since then I’ve enjoyed myself top-hole.’
‘For a few weeks, yes. You’ve had people to amuse you and so on. But think of months and years on that awful farm.’
‘It isn’t awful at all. It’s a sweet little house. I think I shall adore being a farmer’s wife. I intend to have a still room and make my own face creams out of herbs, and Giles has lent me a book of syllabubs and flummery caudles and all sorts of art and craft food, and did you know before that ye rhubarbe maketh to go to ye privy? I bet you didn’t.’
The news of Amabelle’s engagement spread like wildfire after the banns had been read out in church the following Sunday. Bobby came round in a state of high excitement, and after kissing her repeatedly he said to Major Stanworth:
‘Amabelle has always been in love with me really, of course, and that’s why she’s going to marry you, simply in order to live near Compton Bobbin. Darling, darling, you ought to have seen Mummy’s face in church! She said afterwards, “Poor Giles, I must say I never imagined that he would end up by marrying a woman of the demi-monde, but I suppose she has got him into her clutches like so many others. It will be a finisher for him.”’
Major Stanworth got rather red. Although by his own lights he was an exceptionally broadminded man, he never could quite accustom himself to hearing Amabelle’s friends refer in this light-hearted way to her past.
‘You heard what Mother said to Auntie Loudie,’ went on the tactless child. ‘You see apparently she found out somehow that I know you quite well, and she was talking it over with Auntie Loudie, who was divine as usual, and said nothing matters for boys in that sort of way, and Mother agreed with her more or less, and finally she said, “Anyhow I am told it costs £10,000 to sleep with Mrs Fortescue, so I suppose it’s all right for Bobby to go over there sometimes.”’
‘Your mother can’t know much about the state of the market in these days,’ observed Amabelle drily.
‘However, she said at lunch that she will receive you when you’re married for Giles’ sake, because she always stands by her friends in their misfortunes. It’s one of her boasts, like changing for dinner in the bush – she’s white all through, my mother is. And she’s going to the wedding with the whole hunt, they’ll meet at the church and play “gone to ground” over you on the horn and everything. It will be a riot, won’t it?’
‘Won’t it just?’ said Amabelle delightedly. ‘Will you be able to get away from Eton for it, my sweet?’
‘Well, I’ve been thinking about that. May I be best man? Then they’ll simply have to give me leave.’
‘No, you may not,’ said Giles Stanworth.
19
‘I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you,’ said Paul. ‘I love you. And if there were anything more to say I should say it, but there isn’t, really.’
‘Oh, isn’t there just,’ said Philadelphia rather tartly, drawing herself to the other end of the sofa and smoothing down her ruffled hair. ‘Personally, I should have thought there was a good deal more that you might have said by now.’
‘That only shows that you don’t love me as much as I love you, my sweet poppet.’
‘Yes, I do. Much more, as a matter of fact.’
‘What makes you think that?’
‘For one thing I’ve never loved anybody in my life before.’
‘Nor have I.’
‘What about Marcella then?’
‘Oh, Marcella! She never meant a thing to me, not a thing. I thought she was rather attractive, but as for loving her –’
‘And Susan and Elizabeth and Sheila and Sonia and Rosemary and Joan and Veronica?’
‘Sally’s been talking to you. I think it’s very naughty and horrid of her. I promise you I never cared for any of those girls in the way I care for you. No other woman will ever be the same to me, you’re something quite special in my life, quite apart.’
‘Well, I believe you, darling, though I expect it’s very silly of me to, and you must see it’s a risk I’m taking. In any case, it’s time we began to think of what we’re going to do next.’
‘Darling, don’t be so practical. Everything will be all right in the end, I promise you it will, only don’t fuss.’
‘But I am fussing. Here we’ve been engaged for two whole days, and you’ve done nothing about it except to kiss me on the sofa and tell me lies about other girls you’ve been in love with.’
‘But, my darling, what d’you expect me to do?’
‘I expect you to
