The Empire Trilogy - J. G. Farrell [395]
‘The fact is, my dear, that these emotional scenes do no good at all. Quite the reverse. I should like to know how much you have found out about this young man as a result of all this shouting and screaming? My bet is … nothing.’
It was true. Mrs Blackett hung her head. Joan had declared that she would rather be dead than reveal the least thing about him, where she had met him, where he worked, even what his name was. ‘His name appears to be “Barry”,’ said Walter with a sigh, perusing the letter, ‘and I can even tell you where he works, since he has written on his firm’s notepaper. As to where she met him, that is of no importance whatsoever. So all you have succeeded in doing is putting Joan’s back up. In future kindly consult me before you say anything to Joan about her boyfriends. I shall now go and have a word with the young lady.’
Walter climbed the stairs thoughtfully. The marriage of his daughters was a matter to which he had not yet given a great deal of attention. And yet it was undoubtedly a matter of great importance, not only to Joan, as it would be, in due course, to little Kate, his younger daughter, but potentially to the business as well. After all, if you are a wealthy man you cannot have your daughter marrying the first adventurer who comes along. To allow such a match is to invite disaster. The fact was that Joan would do far better for herself and for Blackett and Webb Limited if she agreed to marry someone whose position in the Colony matched her own.
There were, as it happened, two or three young men in Singapore with whom a satisfactory alliance of this sort could have been made and who, given Joan’s attractions, would have asked for nothing better. But when, on her return from her finishing school, such a union had been suggested to her, Joan had been indignant. She found the idea distasteful and old-fashioned. She would marry whom she pleased. Naturally the elder Blacketts in turn had been indignant. Walter had demanded to know why he had paid good money to such a school if not to drill some sense of reality into her. But Joan had been stubborn and Walter had quickly reached the conclusion that patience was the best policy. They would wait and see, tactfully fending off unsuitable young men in the meantime. Despite the scene which had just taken place Walter remained confident that Joan was too sensible a girl to remain permanently attached to someone whom her parents considered unsuitable.
Walter, climbing the stairs, had considered rebuking his daughter and ordering her not to communicate with this young man again. Instead he decided to continue banking on her good sense and merely said: ‘Joan dear, I’ve no objection to you flirting with young men provided you are sensible about it and don’t do anything you might regret later. What I do object to is the fact that you have upset your mother. In future please be more discreet and hide your love-letters in some safe place.’ Joan, who had been expecting another row, gazed at him in astonishment as he handed her back the letter which had caused all the commotion.
Was Walter taking a great risk with his daughter’s future by responding so mildly? Mrs Blackett was inclined to think that he was. Walter, however, reassured her. He was