Debutantes (32 page)

‘No, it was raining,’ said Violet with another giggle. ‘But we found a little nook among the potted palms and –’ she faced her sister – ‘he asked me to marry him.’

‘Goodness,’ said Daisy. ‘You have had a busy weekend! What romance!’ She felt rather envious. Prince George paying marked attentions and then a proposal from David the Heir.

‘The proposal wasn’t actually that romantic,’ said Violet after a minute. ‘He was so keen to tell me about what his father “would do for him”, as he put it – all about him having the Barrington estate, and what the house there was like, and the revenues, and that when the first child was born some other estate would be added. You won’t believe this, but he actually asked his father if he could marry me before he even proposed.’

‘And what did his father say?’ Daisy bit back a smile. It was a pity that David had not kept his mouth shut about asking permission of his father but had to blurt it out to a romantic girl like Violet.

‘Apparently he said, “
Gel’s got good blood, good family; the Derringtons have a good name; no money of course, but that’s not a problem with us, my boy.
”’ Violet spoke in an exaggerated imitation of an upper-crust accent.

‘What did you say? Did you say “yes” straight off or . . . ?’

‘I said I would have to think about it,’ said Violet eventually.

‘And now you’ve thought about it, you don’t really want to do it,’ said Daisy with a sigh. So much for all the planning, she thought. So much for the dreams of ending their poverty. Elaine, she guessed, would go back to India at the end of the month – once Jack went she would have no particular friends to keep her in London – and Beech Grove Manor would return to normal.

‘Well, he’s nice, but he’s – well, he’s not very entertaining, is he?’ said Violet in a complaining tone of voice. ‘It’s a funny thing, but even as he was proposing I suddenly thought of the night when we made that Spanish omelette and ate it on the kitchen table, and I was thinking that I might never have that sort of fun again if I married David. He’s a bit strait-laced, a bit old-fashioned, and his mother . . .’ Violet shuddered.

And then when Daisy said nothing, she said crossly, ‘Well, all right, I’ll marry him if you want me to.’

‘No,’ said Daisy, and she was pleased to hear how strong and positive her voice sounded. ‘No, don’t do that. Marriage is for life and you’re only eighteen. I don’t think you should marry anyone you can’t visualize liking when you’re about sixty.’

‘Sixty might be all right,’ said Violet with a slight giggle. ‘It’s just the years between then and now that are the problem. But if I don’t marry him, who shall I marry? He’s the only offer I’ve had so far.’

‘There’s another possibility,’ said Daisy hesitantly. ‘I wasn’t going to tell you for a while – Sir Guy thought that I should wait until it was more certain – but a man from Hollywood has bought that film
Murder in the Dark
and he would like to meet you, would like you to do some tests . . .’

‘Me!’ Violet went white.

‘It’s not definite yet,’ warned Daisy. ‘But . . .’

‘Mr Justin Pennington,’ said Bateman, opening the door with a flourish and ushering Justin in as if he were one of the royal princes.

‘I say, girls, you’ll never guess! I’ve got a job!’ Justin was blazing with excitement.

‘Oh, Justin, how wonderful!’ Daisy came forward and gave him her hand, but he grabbed her and hugged her exuberantly and then before she could object he hugged Violet too.

‘Five hundred pounds a year,’ he said. ‘That’s what they are paying me. What do you think of that? Five hundred! It was that fellow who was at the Duchess’s house party – you remember him – he was there – one of the directors – well, that’s one in the eye for my father. He kept scolding me about wasting my time socializing when I should be looking for work. This fellow remembered me as soon as I came into the room and he told the others that I was a smart young fellow and then they all had to smile and make polite remarks. I knew things were going well once the interview started. They were all leaning forward and nodding their heads. I even made a few witty remarks, and as soon as I heard the first laugh, I knew it was in the bag.’

‘Oh, Justin! A job! Real money!’ said Violet with rapture.

‘You’ll be able to get yourself lodgings now.’ Daisy could hear the envy in her voice.

‘I’m thinking of getting myself a house,’ said Justin with his haughty air. ‘Fellow I know swears that it’s better in the end than going into digs and having landladies cheating you. Just one servant to start with – fellow I know says that you can always hire extra servants when you’re throwing parties and that sort of thing.’

‘Parties!’ said Violet ecstatically. ‘Oh, Justin, will you invite me?’

‘You’ll be the hostess,’ said Justin. His tone was light-hearted but there was a gleam in his dark eyes and Violet looked at the carpet. After a slightly awkward pause, Justin produced a newspaper from his pocket. ‘I say, you wouldn’t come with me to have a look at a few houses, would you?’ he asked, aiming his question at a midpoint between the two girls. ‘My father promised me a couple of hundred pounds to set myself up “like a gentleman” – those were his very words – as soon as I got a job in a law firm. Even he is going to be impressed by five hundred pounds a year. Wait . . . till . . . he . . . hears!’ Justin spaced his words emphatically and gave a whistle.

‘I’m sorry, Justin, I have some letters to write,’ said Daisy.

‘Violet, will you come and help me in my quest?’ Justin was saying. ‘Oh, dear, dear Violet, take pity on a poor fellow. How can I inspect kitchens and . . . what is it that this advertisement says?’ He inspected the newspaper. ‘Oh yes, “the usual offices”. How can I inspect “the usual offices” without a knowledgeable person by my side?’

Daisy heaved a sigh when they had gone out. Somehow she felt rather lonely. Poppy and Rose would be having a wonderful time at the jazz-club lunch – she could just imagine the fun and the jokes. Violet and Justin – well, that would be fun too. She wondered whether to go to the studios, but she had told Sir Guy that she would not come today as it was going to be Poppy’s last day in London. She would miss Poppy and Rose, she thought, and Violet had so many friends in London. The phone rang continually and the mantelpiece was covered with invitation cards.

In any case, the atmosphere at the studio had changed. She was now extremely sorry that she had mentioned to Sir Guy that Harry had asked her out to lunch. Her godfather had been quite shocked, in his old-fashioned way, and told her that her father would be most upset if she were allowed to go out with the young men who worked at the studio. ‘Nice lads,’ he had said dismissively, ‘but not what your father would want for you.’ And he had added that when she had her season the following year she would have plenty of young men running after her. ‘I’m responsible to your father for you, you know.’

Daisy suspected that he had spoken to his workers because they had all been rather stiff with her the next day. Fred, in particular, had hardly looked at her since, though he had been very friendly and helpful to Rose, teaching her how to letter title cards when Daisy had brought her there for a morning.

And then she heard the front door open. For a moment she thought that Justin and Violet had returned, but there was no sound of voices, just a few light footsteps in the hallway, and then the door to the morning room opened and Elaine came in. Her face lit up when she saw Daisy and she immediately shed her coat on to a chair and came over and sat on the armchair opposite. She said nothing, but looked affectionately at her.

‘That was a short lunch,’ said Daisy after a minute.

‘Was it?’ Elaine had a bewildered, slightly delirious air about her. ‘Well, I rushed back. I hoped you would be here. I need to talk to you. I hoped I would find you by yourself. I must talk to you.’ The short sentences poured out from her almost in a series of gasps. Daisy smiled invitingly. She had begun to guess what had happened.

‘Jack has asked me to marry him,’ said Elaine in almost a whisper.

Daisy got up and kissed her, giving a warm hug before she returned to her own chair. ‘Now that’s a surprise,’ she teased. ‘What kept him so long?’

Elaine smiled a little. ‘He has been mentioning it,’ she admitted, ‘but I’ve always put him off. You see, I couldn’t – I couldn’t agree to marry him without telling him the truth.’

Daisy’s smile died away. She sat up very straight. She was not sure that she wanted Jack to know the truth about her parentage.

‘And then today, after lunch, I finally got up courage. We went for a walk in Green Park. It was cold, but very nice.’ She smiled to herself. ‘We were walking along, arm in arm, and he just said, “I don’t know what I’ll do unless you promise to marry me!” and then I told him the truth about myself and about you. And do you know what he said?’

Daisy shook her head. No words were needed.

‘He said that he wanted you to come back to India with us. You’ll be a bridesmaid at our wedding and you will live with us until you get married yourself. Oh darling, you would have the most wonderful time. India is the most beautiful place and you’ll find it’s full of handsome young men. You will have a wonderful, wonderful, wonderful time. It will be so lovely for me to have you with me at last. And Jack is so fond of you too. He says that you are the most sensible of all the girls. Oh, and darling, you will have everything that you want. Between Jack’s salary and my money and the money that my husband left me – well, this sounds a little vulgar, but we will be extremely rich. You can have everything that your heart desires – your own little car, clothes, furs, whatever you want. There’s just one thing though. Jack wants me, and you, to go back with him next week instead of waiting until the end of the month. But don’t worry, he’s promised to escort us to Paris for a few days’ shopping before we go.’

Daisy was already coming down the stairs for dinner by the time that Justin, Violet, Poppy and Rose all came through the hall door in an exuberant cluster. She was glad to see them. She had asked for a little time to think matters over and the thought of Elaine waiting in the morning room made her thankful to see the noisy crowd.

‘We’ve had the most wonderful day,’ shouted Poppy when she saw Daisy. ‘We heard King Oliver and his Creole Band. They were playing a tune called “London Café Blues”. It was sen-sa-tion-al!’ Poppy looked as if she would fly with excitement. She grabbed Rose’s hands and danced around the hall.

‘Sensational! You don’t know the meaning of the word, young Poppy!’ Justin tried to make his voice sound superior and elder-brotherly, but his eyes were blazing with triumph.

‘Shh,’ said Violet, but she too couldn’t suppress her excitement. She dragged him into the morning room, putting her hand over his mouth to stop him speaking. Poppy and Daisy exchanged knowing smiles and followed them, Rose sliding in behind.

Elaine looked up from her happy dream when they came in. ‘Has Daisy told you my news?’ she asked with a smile. ‘I’m getting married to Jack when we return to India.’

‘Oh, Elaine, that’s wonderful!’ Violet went across and kissed her. Poppy glanced enquiringly at Daisy, but said nothing.

‘India!’ shrieked Rose. ‘Oh, Elaine, I do feel that I would make the most wonderful bridesmaid. I would strew roses before your feet, like they did at the wedding of Lady Diana Cooper. Oh, do, pray consider my application for the post. I know all about India. I must have read Mr Kipling’s novel
Kim
about forty times at least. I know pages of it off by heart.’

‘We’d have to think about that, see what your father says.’ Elaine was taken aback. Her eyes went to Daisy.

‘That means no, of course,’ said Rose sadly. ‘Oh well, I shall wend my weary way to my bedroom, shed a tear, wash my hands and come down to dinner my usual composed and radiant self. But I do hope you will be very happy, Elaine, and that my misery will never cast a blight over your marriage.’

‘Wait a minute.’ Justin put an arm around Rose’s thin shoulders. ‘We all wish you well, Elaine,’ he said formally. ‘Jack is a lucky fellow. Is he coming here tonight? We want to congratulate him.’

Elaine dimpled and smiled radiantly. ‘He did say that he would come for dinner. And bring some champagne. I’m expecting him any minute now.’

‘Champagne,’ said Rose thoughtfully. ‘Well, that might “
minister to a mind diseased and pluck from the memory a rooted sorrow
”. Shakespeare,’ she added, looking a little more cheerful.