I think she's the most beautiful lady I've ever seen … D'you think she'd like to watch me have my bath?”
Downstairs, Jenny said,
“What a heavenly child … I love children.
That has been my great tragedy.
It was when he found I couldn't have children that the Moulay first showed the Other Side of his Nature.
It wasn't my fault … you see my womb is out of place … I don't know why I'm telling you all this, but I feel you'll understand.
It's such a waste of time, isn't it, when one knows one is going to like someone and one goes on pretending … I know at once if someone is going to be a real friend …”
Polly and Brenda arrived just before seven.
Brenda went straight up to the nursery.
“Oh, mummy,” said John.
“There's such a beautiful lady downstairs.
Do ask her to come and say goodnight.
Nanny doesn't think she'd want to.
“Did daddy seem to like her?”
“He didn't talk much … She doesn't know anything about horses or natives but she is beautiful.
Please tell her to come up.”
Brenda went downstairs and found Jenny with Polly and Tony in the smoking room.
“You've made a wild success with John Andrew.
He won't go to sleep until he's seen you again.”
They went up together, and Jenny said,
“They're both such dears.”
“Did you and Tony get on?
I was so sorry not to be here when you arrived.”
“He was so sympathetic and gentle … and so wistful.”
They sat on John's small bed in the night-nursery.
He threw the clothes back and crawled out, nestling against Jenny.
“Back to bed,” she said, “or I shall spank you.”
“Would you do it hard?
I shouldn't mind.”
“Oh dear,” said Brenda, “what a terrible effect you seem to have.
He's never like this as a rule.”
When they had gone nanny threw open another window.
“Poof!” she said, “making the whole place stink.”
“Don't you like it?
I think it's lovely.”
Brenda took Polly up to Lyonesse.
It was a large suite, fitted up with satinwood for King Edward when, as Prince of Wales, he was once expected at a shooting party; he never came.
“How's it going?” she asked anxiously.
“Too soon to tell.
I'm sure it will be all right.”
“She's got the wrong chap.
John Andrew's mad about her … quite embarrassing.”
“I should say Tony was a slow starter.
It's a pity she's got his name wrong.
Ought we to tell her?”
“No, let's leave it.”
“When she was dressing Tony said,
“Brenda, who is this joke-woman?”
“Darling, don't you like her?”
The disappointment and distress in her tone were so clear that Tony was touched.