“Yes, I thought I was, but I turned out to be wrong.
I talked to her several times on the telephone.”
“But you can telephone her from here, can't you, daddy?
Why did you go all the way to London to telephone her? … Why, daddy?”
“It would take too long to explain.”
“Well, tell me some of it … Why, daddy?”
“Look here I'm tired.
If you don't stop asking questions I shan't let you ever come and meet the trains again.”
John Andrew's face began to pucker.
“I thought you'd like me to come and meet you.”
“If you cry I shall put you in front with Dawson.
It's absurd to cry at your age.”
“I'd sooner go in front with Dawson,” said John Andrew between his tears.
Tony picked up the speaking tube to tell the chauffeur to stop, but he could not make him hear.
So he hitched the mouthpiece back on its hook and they drove on in silence, John Andrew leaning against the window and snivelling slightly.
When they got to the house, he said,
“Nanny, I don't want John to come to the station in future unless her ladyship or I specially say he can.”
“No, sir, I wouldn't have him come today only he went on so.
Come along now, John, and take off your coat.
Goodness, child, where's your handkerchief.”
Tony went and sat alone in front of the library fire.
“Two men of thirty,” he said to himself, “behaving as if they were up for the night from Sandhurst — getting drunk and ringing people up and dancing with tarts at the Sixty-four … And it makes it all the worst that Brenda was so nice about it.”
He dozed a little; then he went up to change.
At dinner he said,
“Ambrose, when I'm alone I think in future I'll have dinner at a table in the library.”
Afterwards he sat with a book in front of the fire, but he was unable to read.
At ten o'clock he scattered the logs in the fireplace before going upstairs. He fastened the library windows and turned out the lights.
That night he went into Brenda's empty room to sleep.
Two
That was Wednesday; on Thursday Tony felt well again.
He had a meeting of the County Council in the morning.
In the afternoon he went down to the home farm and discussed a new kind of tractor with his agent.
From then onwards he was able to say to himself,
“Tomorrow this time Brenda and Jock will be here.”
He dined in front of the fire in the library.
He had given up the diet some weeks ago. “Ambrose, when I am alone I don't really need a long dinner.
In future I'll just have two courses.” He looked over some accounts his agent had left for him and then went to bed, saying to himself,
“When I wake up it will be the week-end.”
But there was a telegram for him next morning from Jock saying, Week end impossible have to go to constituency how about one after next.
He wired back, Delighted any time always here.
“I suppose he's made it up with that girl,” Tony reflected.
There was also a note from Brenda, written in pencil:
Coming Sat. with Polly, and a friend of Polly's called Veronica in P.'s car.
Maids and luggage on 3.18.
Will you tell Ambrose and Mrs. Massop.
We had better open Lyonesse for Polly you know what she is about comfort.
Veronica can go anywhere — not Galahad.
Polly says she's v. amusing.
Also Mrs. Beaver coming, please don't mind it is only on business, she thinks she can do something to morning room.
Only Polly bringing maid. Also chauffeur.