Page 99 of An Invitation to the Kennedys
‘You’ve been most tremendously helpful,’ Honor said briskly.‘Now, I must get on.’And Rose had, Honor thought, as she made her escape.Most tremendously helpful indeed.Iftryingwas what Rose Kennedy did – if Honor’s marriage might resemble Rose’s – well then, she wanted no part of it.A future in which Chips did exactly as he wished – after all, everyone knew about the ambassador and his ‘friends’, including that German actress Marlene Dietrich; ‘Trust him to pick a Hun,’ Maureen had said, ‘even in his choice of mistress he can’t be loyal’ – while she, Honor, stayed at home and had baby after baby so that he could present a large and handsome family to the world … She shook her shoulders back.No.That was all.
Chapter Fifty
Kick
Teaching Brigid and Fritzi the Big Apple had been fun, Kick thought.At least as much for what it told her about them, and the way they were together, as for the teaching.She wondered could Brigid see it – that she liked Fritzi best when he admitted he didn’t know something or was unsure of himself; was irritated by the veneer of bland self-confidence he assumed so much of the time.It was the ways in which he was uncertain that she warmed to, not the perfection of King Midas’ son.If Chips could harness that, Kick thought, he may well succeed.But she wouldn’t be the one to tell him.If it really was to be war with Germany, she thought shrewdly, and if Fritzi chose to stay in England – as he swore he would – then he would tumble abruptly, from royalty to undesirable.She wondered what that might do to Brigid’s feelings for him; whether he would be an enemy, or a pitiful friend?
She arrived downstairs at the same time as her mother who looked, Kick thought, rather strained.For the first time, she wondered how long this stay was to be.What did ‘a few days’ mean, when they were days spent at Kelvedon?The drawing room was almost full, everyone except Chips was down, and Kick made her way to where Doris sat beside an open window.
‘How were the ruins?’Doris asked.
Kick began to tell her when Chips came in, with Diana and Mosley.‘We have visitors,’ he said smoothly, urging them forward into the room.Kick looked for Debo with them, but they were alone.
‘How nice to see you,’ Honor said, moving to greet Diana, who remained standing in the doorway, smiling at them all, headlamp eyes fixed on a point above their heads.
‘Isn’t it,’ Diana agreed loudly.‘We felt sure you had no idea how close we were, or you would certainly have telephoned.’Beside her, Mosley’s moustache twitched over his lip.
‘Certainly,’ Chips assured them.‘Do come and say hullo to –’ he cast about the room, then ‘– Maureen,’ and he led them to the opposite side of the room to where Kick’s father stood.
‘That’s unexpected,’ Doris said to Honor, who came to where they sat.She too looked tired.The visit was starting to try all their nerves.
‘Very,’ Honor muttered.‘Unexpected and unwelcome.’At that, Diana turned and looked at her, even though she couldn’t possibly have heard.
‘Come and say hullo,’ Honor begged.
‘Don’t ask me,’ Doris murmured, ‘I simply can’t.Not Diana.Not even for you.’
‘Isn’t she beautiful?’Kick said, watching Diana smile at something Chips said.It was a perfect smile.A delicate curving of the mouth upwards, and one that conveyed nothing of mirth.
‘I suppose so.If the cold white of marble is your thing.I prefer something with more life,’ Doris said.‘More heart.’
‘Oh, she has plenty ofheart,’ Honor said.‘Only Mosley gets all of it.’They both laughed at that, and Kick looked from one to the other, trying to understand what they meant.
Doris saw her confusion.‘Don’t listen to us,’ she said.‘We are frightfully cynical.Go and say hullo if you wish.’So Kick did.
‘Darling Kathleen – Kick – how lovely to see you again.’Diana leaned a little on the last word and held out a hand for Kick’s, to draw her closer and the two of them a little apart from the goup.Maureen, Kick saw, watched them go with an arched eyebrow.‘My dearest Debo told me she spent a simply delightful day here with you recently.And Billy too.’
‘Did she really say that?’Kick asked, overcome suddenly with a need to hear that it was OK.That the day hadn’t, after all, been the wrecking of everything.She had heard so little from Debo since, and nothing from Billy.Was he still at Blenheim?With Irene?All the questions and regrets Kick had been squashing rushed back up at her.Maybe Diana could reassure her.
‘She did,’ Diana said.‘And I’m certain if I had asked her, she would have said Billy had a delightful day too.’
‘Pa showed such a mortifying film …’ Kick blurted out.She hung her head.‘And now I’m afraid Billy won’t want to speak to me again.’
‘Nonsense.Of course he will.Young men in love don’t think about such things.’
‘Do you really think …?’
‘I do.I’m certain of it.’Diana patted her arm.
Did she mean it?Kick wondered.And if she did, how could she possibly know?Yet she spoke with such certainty.None of Brigid’s hesitancy – her vague reassurances:I’m sure it will all come right… ‘In any case, was it so very bad?’Diana continued.
‘It seemed like it was.All those men – boys really, no older than Jack, some of them – blown up and shot, dying there on screen.’She shuddered.
‘But after all, his intention was good.To keep England out of a terrible war.’
‘Yes, but no one sees it like that.Not Billy or any of them.’
‘I do.I see exactly what he meant.’
