‘Dolly, how can you be so unkind?
Roger’ll be terribly disappointed.
His first day at home; besides, I want to see you.
I haven’t seen you for ages and I miss you terribly.
Can’t you break your engagement, just for this once, darling, and we’ll have a good old gossip after lunch, just you and me?’
No one could be more persuasive than Julia when she liked, no one could put more tenderness into her voice, nor a more irresistible appeal.
There was a moment’s pause and Julia knew that Dolly was struggling with her wounded feelings.
‘All right, darling, I’ll manage.’
‘Darling.’ But when she rang off Julia through clenched teeth muttered:
‘The old cow.’
Dolly came.
Roger listened politely while she told him that he had grown and with his grave smile answered her suitably when she said the sort of things she thought proper to a boy of his age.
Julia was puzzled by him.
Without talking much he listened, apparently with attention, to what the rest of them were saying, but she had an odd feeling that he was occupied with thoughts of his own.
He seemed to observe them with a detached curiosity like that with which he might have observed animals in a zoo.
It was faintly disquieting.
When the opportunity presented itself she delivered the little bit of dialogue she had prepared for Dolly’s benefit.
‘Oh, Roger darling, you know your wretched father’s busy tonight.
I’ve got a couple of seats for the second house at the Palladium and Tom wants you to dine with him at the Caf? Royal.’
‘Oh!’ He paused for a second.
‘All right.’
She turned to Dolly.
‘It’s so nice for Roger to have somebody like Tom to go about with.
They’re great friends, you know.’
Michael gave Dolly a glance.
There was a twinkle in his eyes. He spoke.
‘Tom’s a very decent sort of boy.
He won’t let Roger get into any mischief.’
‘I should have thought Roger would prefer to go about with his Eton friends,’ said Dolly.
‘Old cow,’ thought Julia. ‘Old cow.’
But when luncheon was over she asked her to come up to her room.
‘I’ll get into bed and you can talk to me while I’m resting.
A good old girls’ gossip, that’s what I want.’
She put her arm affectionately round Dolly’s vast waist and led her upstairs.
For a while they spoke of indifferent things, clothes and servants, make-up and scandal; then Julia, leaning on her elbow, looked at Dolly with confiding eyes.
‘Dolly, there’s something I want to talk to you about.
I want advice and you’re the only person in the world whose advice I would take.
I know I can trust you.’
‘Of course, darling.’
‘It appears that people are saying rather disagreeable things about me.
Someone’s been to Michael and told him that there’s a lot of gossip about me and poor Tom Fennell.’
Though her eyes still wore the charming and appealing look that she knew Dolly found irresistible, she watched her closely for a start or for some change in her expression. She saw nothing.
‘Who told Michael?’
‘I don’t know.
He won’t say.
You know what he is when he starts being a perfect gentleman.’
She wondered if she only imagined that Dolly’s features at this slightly relaxed.
‘I want the truth, Dolly.’
‘I’m so glad you’ve asked me, darling.
You know how I hate to interfere in other people’s business and if you hadn’t brought the matter up yourself nothing would have induced me to mention it.’