It was such a frightful shock for him.
I told him at once you could not have done such a thing, and that it was sheer appalling luck that you had chosen that particular picture.'
'I ought to have known,' I repeated again.
'It's all my fault, I ought to have seen.
I ought to have known.'
'No, no.
Don't worry, you'll be able to explain the whole thing to him quietly.
Everything will be quite all right.
The first lot of people were arriving just as I came upstairs to you.
They are having drinks.
Everything's all right.
I've told Frank and Giles to make up a story about your dress not fitting, and you are very disappointed.'
I did not say anything.
I went on sitting on the bed with my hands in my lap.
'What can you wear instead?' said Beatrice, going to my wardrobe and flinging open the doors.
'Here. What's this blue?
It looks charming.
Put this on.
Nobody will mind.
Quick.
I'll help you.'
'No,' I said.
"No, I'm not coming down.'
Beatrice stared at me in great distress, my blue frock over her arm.
'But, my dear, you must,' she said in dismay.
'You can't possibly not appear.'
'No, Beatrice, I'm not coming down.
I can't face them, not after what's happened.'
'But nobody will know about the dress,' she said.
'Frank and Giles will never breathe a word.
We've got the story all arranged.
The shop sent the wrong dress, and it did not fit, so you are wearing an ordinary evening dress instead.
Everyone will think it perfectly natural.
It won't make any difference to the evening.'
'You don't understand,' I said.
'I don't care about the dress.
It's not that at all.
It's what has happened, what I did.
I can't come down now, Beatrice, I can't.'
'But, my dear, Giles and Frank understand perfectly.
They are full of sympathy.
And Maxim too.
It was just the first shock… I'll try and get him alone a minute, I'll explain the whole thing.'
'No!' I said.
'No!'
She put my blue frock down beside me on the bed.
'Everyone will be arriving,' she said, very worried, very upset.
'It will look so extraordinary if you don't come down.
I can't say you've suddenly got a headache.'
'Why not?' I said wearily.