The Military Philosophers - Anthony Powell [85]
‘Nick.’
‘How are you, Matty?’
‘Don’t you admire my frock? An unsolicited gift from New York.’
‘Too smart for words. I couldn’t imagine where it had come from.’
To be rather older suited her; that or being married to a member of the Cabinet. She had dyed her hair a reddish tint that suited her, too, set off the large green eyes, which were always her most striking feature.
‘Do you ever see anything of Hugh the Drover?’
She used sometimes to call Moreland that while they had been married, usually when not best pleased with him. I told her we had not met since the night of the bomb on the Café de Madrid: that, so far as I knew, Moreland was still touring the country, putting on musical performances of one sort or another, under more or less official control; whatever happened in the war to make mounting such entertainments possible.
‘What’s his health been like?’
‘I don’t know at all.’
‘Extraordinary about Audrey Maclintick. Are they married?’
‘I don’t know that either.’
‘Does she look after him all right?’
‘I think she does.’
Obviously Matilda still took quite a keen interest in Moreland and his condition. That was natural enough. All the same, one felt instinctively that she had entirely given up Moreland’s world, everything to do with it. She had taken on Sir Magnus, lock, stock and barrel. The metaphor made one think of his alleged sexual oddities. Presumably she had taken them on too, though as a former mistress they would be relatively familiar. Perhaps she guessed the train of thought, because she smiled.
‘Donners has to be looked after too,’ she said. ‘I’m rather worried about him at the moment as a matter of fact.’
‘His job must be a great strain.’
Matilda brushed such a banal comment aside.
‘Will you come and see me?’ she said. ‘We’re going to Washington next week – but when we’re back.’
‘My Release Group comes up reasonably soon. We’ll probably go away for a bit when I get out of the army.’
‘Later then. Is Isobel here?’
‘Last seen on her way to the harem upstairs.’
Sir Magnus had now begun to make signs indicating that he wanted Matilda to return to him and be introduced to someone. She left me, repeating that we must meet when they came back from America. I had always liked Matilda and felt glad to see her again and hear that her life seemed endurable. Widmerpool reappeared at my side. He seemed agitated.
‘I wish Pamela would turn up,’ he said. ‘I shall be late if she doesn’t arrive soon. I can’t very well leave until she comes – ah, thank God, there she is.’
Pamela Flitton came towards us. Unlike the night at The Bartered Bride, she had this evening taken no trouble whatever about her clothes. Perhaps that was untrue, and she had gone out of her way to find the oldest, most filthy garments she possessed. She was almost in rags. By this time the party had advanced too far for it to be obvious to a newcomer whom to greet as host. She had in any case obviously not bothered about any such formalities.
‘Hullo, my dear,’ said Widmerpool. ‘I didn’t guess you’d be so late.’
He spoke in a conciliatory voice, making as if to kiss her.
She allowed the merest peck.
‘I’ll just introduce you to His Excellency,’ he said. ‘Then I’ll have to fly.’
Pamela, who was looking very pretty in spite of her disarray, was having none of that.
‘I don’t want to be introduced,’ she said. ‘I just came to have a look round.’
She gave me a nod. I made some conventional remark about their engagement. She listened to this rather more graciously than usual.
‘I think you ought to meet the Ambassador, dearest.’
‘Stuff the Ambassador.’
The phrase recalled Duport. Widmerpool laughed nervously.
‘You really oughtn’t to say things like that, darling,’ he said. ‘Not when you’re at a party like this. Nicholas and I think it very amusing, but someone else might overhear and not understand. If you really don’t feel like being introduced at the moment, I shall have to leave you. Nicholas or someone can do the honours, if you decide you want to meet your host later. Personally, I think you should. If you do, make my apologies. I shall have to go now. I am late already.