Get her to tell you.
She'll come by train 3.18 I expect.
Must stop now and go to lecture.
Keep away from the Demon Rum.
xxxxx Brenda.
Saw Jock last night at Cafe de Paris with shameless blonde.
Who?
Cin no Djinn how? has rheumatism and Marjorie is v. put out about it.
She thinks his pelvis is out of place and Cruttwell won't do him which is pretty mean considering all the people she has brought there.
“Are you certain Jenny will be Tony's tea?”
“You can't ever be certain,” said Polly.
“She bores my pants off, but she's a good trier.”
“Is mummy coming down today, daddy?”
“Yes.”
“Who else?”
“Someone called Abdul Akbar.”
“What a silly name.
Is she foreign?”
“I don't know.”
“Sounds foreign, doesn't she, daddy?
D'you think she won't be able to talk any English?
Is she black?”
“Mummy says not.”
“Oh … who else?”
“Lady Cockpurse.”
“The monkey woman.
You know she wasn't a bit like a monkey except perhaps her face and I don't think she had a tail because I looked as close as anything … unless perhaps she has it rolled up between her legs.
D'you think she has, daddy?”
“I shouldn't be surprised.”
“Very uncomfortable.”
Tony and John were friends again; but it had been a leaden week.
It was part of Polly Cockpurse's plan to arrive late at Hetton.
“Give the girl a chance to get down to it,” she said.
So she and Brenda did not leave London until Jenny was already on her way from the station.
It was a day of bitter cold and occasional rain.
The resolute little figure huddled herself in the rugs until they reached the gates. Then she opened her bag, tucked up her veil, shook out her powder puff and put her face to rights.
She licked the rouge from her finger with a sharp red tongue.
Tony was in the smoking room when she was announced; the library was now too noisy during the daytime for there were men at work on the walls of the morning room next door, tearing down the plaster tracery.
“Princess Abdul Akbar.”
He rose to greet her.
She was preceded by a heavy odour of musk.
“Oh, Mr. Last,” she said, “what a sweet old place this is.”
“I'm afraid it's been restored a great deal,” said Tony.
“Ah, but its atmosphere.
I always think that's what counts in a house.
Such dignity, and repose, but of course you're used to it.
When you've been very unhappy as I have, you appreciate these things.”
Tony said,
“I'm afraid Brenda hasn't arrived yet.
She's coming by car with Lady Cockpurse.”