The Angel in the Corner - Monica Dickens [57]
‘I will indeed,’ he said, ‘but perhaps you and Mr Eldredge and your charming daughter would have dinner with me one night before you sail.’
‘That’s very kind of you, but we’re leaving in two days’ time.’
Virginia’s mind came back to the party in an instant. She swung round to look at her mother, but Helen was talking lightly on, as if she had not said anything unusual.
The man from the United Nations went away to get Helen a drink. Helen was turning to talk to someone else, but Virginia grabbed her arm and pulled her round.
‘Why did you say that?’ she demanded.
‘Say what? Oh, dear, have I made a gaffe?’
‘We’re sailing next month. Why did you say we were leaving in two days’ time?’
‘Didn’t I tell you?’ Helen said casually. ‘I meant to. Spenser has changed his mind. He doesn’t want to go by sea, and his New York office needs him, so we’re flying over on Friday. You’ll have to start packing tomorrow.’
‘I know why you’ve done this.’ Virginia kept her voice low, but the words were as vehement as if she had shouted them. ‘It’s because of Joe, isn’t it? You want to get me away.’
If Helen had denied it, it was possible that Virginia might have believed her. But Helen was so sure of herself, so certain that she could make people do what she wanted, that she said: ‘What do you think? Of course.’
The man in the tartan dinner jacket came back with the drinks, and Helen turned to him with a smile, as if she and Virginia had been discussing no more than the weather.
Virginia moved away from her into the crowd, hurried to get her fur cape, and went out into Grosvenor Square to take a taxi to the club.
Mary gave a wolf whistle when he saw her in the dazzling white dress. ‘How lovely you look,’ William said. ‘I never knew you were so beautiful.’ His spectacles gleamed as brightly as the glass he was polishing behind the bar.
‘Where’s Joe?’
‘He isn’t in tonight,’ William said. ‘I thought he was probably with you, but you look as if you’d been keeping finer company. What’s the matter, my dear? You look upset. Is something wrong?’
‘No, it’s all right,’ Virginia said breathlessly. ‘I just want to see him about something.’
Mary looked over the top of the piano. ‘You’ll have to go down to Victoria then, if you want to see him,’ he said, still playing the accompaniment to his song. ‘I heard him say last night he was going to a wrestling match.’
‘Where is it, do you know?’
‘Yes, but I won’t tell you. It’s no place for a nice girl like you to go, especially looking like that.’ He took up the words of the song again.
‘You must tell me.’ Virginia went to the piano. ‘I have to see him. It’s very important.’
Mary gave her his lewd smile and continued to sing softly, caressing the suggestive lyric with his slippery lips as if it were great poetry.
‘Oh, please,’ Virginia said across the empty glasses on the top of the piano. Mary shook his head.
Virginia turned back to William. ‘Do you know?’
‘Don’t tell her,’ Mary said. ‘She shouldn’t be chasing after that character. He’s no good for her, and if she appears in that den of thieves looking like that, the wrestling won’t all be in the ring.’
Some of the people sitting at nearby tables had been listening to the conversation. They laughed, enjoying the scene, and Mary winked at them and chuckled.
‘Don’t laugh at her,’ William said. ‘The poor girl is in trouble of some kind, aren’t you?’
‘Yes, I am. Please help me.’
‘I thought so.’ William nodded. ‘It’s not for me to say what you should or shouldn’t do. If you really want to find Joe, here –’ he was drawing a rough map on a bar chit. ‘This is where the place is. I don’t say whether Joe will be glad to see you, but that’s your affair. And for heaven’s sake keep that fur done up round your neck.’ He was staring at her bosom.
‘Oh, yes.’ Virginia drew her cape round her shoulders. ‘Thanks so much. You’re very kind.’
‘I try to be,’ William said. ‘We are all put into this world to help each other,’ he added sententiously, and Mary made a rude, sardonic noise.
Virginia took a taxi to Victoria, and then walked behind the