by Iris Murdoch
At that moment the front doorbell rang, making itself clearly heard above the din. Several people exclaimed ‘It’s Tessa!’ Peter stood up. Then he sat down again, and said to Bellamy, ‘Could you answer the door?’ Bellamy threw his chair back and hurried out, saying to himself as he crossed the hall, ‘I am Sir Peter Mir’s private secretary!’ He opened the door. It was Tessa. ‘Tessa, how splendid, you’ve arrived at last, come in!’
But there was something wrong. Tessa was dressed in trousers and boots, not for a party. Hearing the chatter, which had broken out again, she seemed surprised. She looked round. Visible in the bright light above the door was a tall man who was just behind her. Further back two other men were standing beside some sort of small van which was parked on the drive. A little snow was falling.
The tall man came forward, passing Tessa. He said in a soft polite voice to Bellamy, ‘Good evening. My name is Fonsett. I have come to see Mr Peter Mir. Is he available?’
Bellamy thought, it’s the police! He said to Tessa, ‘What on earth is this?’
Tessa said, ‘What’s all the noise?’
‘It’s Peter’s party. You were invited, weren’t you?’
‘I haven’t been down at my place lately. I’m sorry, if we’d known there was a party – ’
‘May I come in, please?’ said the tall man. He stepped forward into the hall, brushing past Tessa. Tessa followed.
Peter was standing at the door of the dining-room. When he saw his visitor he closed the door behind him.
Fonsett said, ‘Hello, Peter.’
Peter said, ‘Hello, Ned.’
Bellamy shut the front door upon the two men outside, who in fact showed no sign of wanting to thrust their way in.
Fonsett said, ‘I hope you agree that it’s a fair cop. We’re sorry about the party, we’ve only just – ’
Peter said, ‘Let’s go into the drawing-room. Good evening, Tessa. Bellamy, please go back to the others.’
Bellamy said, ‘I’d rather stay with you.’
They marched into the drawing-room. Tessa closed the door. Peter sat down on a sofa near the tapestry of Odysseus. Fonsett drew a chair out from the wall. Bellamy and Tessa stood.
Fonsett said, ‘Well, well! We nearly caught you on the evening of the dog! Then you and the dog got into a car and disappeared.’
Peter, though evidently disturbed, preserved a calm demeanour. He fingered his cravat. He said, ‘I think I had better explain your identity to my friend here.’
‘Go ahead.’
‘This gentleman is Sir Edward Fonsett, a very distinguished doctor, a psychiatrist, who has been in charge of my health. I owe him a great deal.’
‘You are not very grateful though, are you,’ said Fonsett, ‘to disappear like that, just when our treatment was doing you so much good! Honestly, we didn’t know whether you were alive or dead! Thank heavens we’ve caught up with you, we’ve had a man watching this house at intervals ever since you vanished.’ He turned to Bellamy and said, ‘Mr Mir discharged himself from our clinic without permission and disappeared, thereby seriously endangering his health. That’s a serious offence!’
‘It’s not a legal offence!’ said Bellamy. ‘Why shouldn’t he leave, he isn’t certified, your clinic isn’t a prison!’
‘Of course it is not a legal offence and of course he is not certified, far from it, but it is an offence against his own health, and such conduct is, to say the least, unfair to us! Miss Millen here, whom we have lately had the pleasure of meeting, has been investigating the background of Mr Mir’s recent activities, and eventually found her way to us with a lot of useful material.’
Bellamy cried, ‘Tessa! You led them here!’
‘Not at all,’ said Fonsett, ‘as I told you the house was being watched. Our patient has now been good enough to return to it and must have entertained the notion that we might turn up. In fact his coming back here is a signal of his desire to return to our care. Isn’t that right, Peter?’
The drawing-room door opened and Emil came in. He said, standing in the doorway, ‘Sir,’ (for he had not yet presumed to advance to first names), ‘I have been asked by Mrs Callow to ask you whether she should serve the next course.’
‘Oh, serve it by all means,’ said Peter.
Emil, showing some sign of being invited to stay, left after a short pause.
Bellamy looked at Peter. He was sitting with his hands folded, his face calm and thoughtful, his eyes dreamy, like someone who, after a long walk, has found out suddenly how tired he is. He now looked at Fonsett and smiled a gentle friendly smile.
‘Well, Ned – ’
‘Surely you expected us, didn’t you?’
‘No, not exactly, perhaps not so soon. I simply couldn’t go on hiding. The fact is that I have had a profound change of mind, a large part of my memory has returned – ’
‘Just as I predicted! Later we shall discuss all this. You know you are my most interesting patient. Now, I expect you have a bag packed, a Jewish custom I think you once told me, one never knew when one would be routed out and moved on! I think a quick break would be easiest for all, especially for you. I trust you not to vanish through the back door. Your old room awaits you. You should not upset yourself by emotional apologies to your guests. I am sorry we chose party-time, we didn’t know. You agree to come, do you not?’
‘No, he does not agree!’ said Bellamy. ‘Really, what nonsense is this, who are you? Peter, who is this person, breaking in like this, it’s like the Gestapo. Do tell him to go away!’
‘You are making this worse,’ said Tessa, ‘please don’t raise your voice. Everything will be explained.’
‘And what were you up to, Tessa, playing the detective for these awful people? Peter, surely, please – ’
‘I’m sorry,’ said Tessa, ‘this is all very upsetting, and I hope that Mr Mir will excuse me, I meant well. It was just that I felt suspicious of him, the way he presented himself, and when I found out that something he had said was untrue I felt that I ought – ’
‘Keep calm, Miss Millen,’ said Fonsett, ‘let us not say “untrue”. We are most grateful to you for your researches, but there is no need to go into those matters now. So let us go, shall we, Peter? Someone can collect all your things and bring them round in the morning, we are not going to the moon!’
‘No, no, no!’ cried Bellamy distractedly. ‘He is not to go, we shall not let you take him, I shall call the others – ’
‘Please do not,’ said Fonsett in a soft voice, ‘and do not wave your arms about in an aggressive way.’ He rose. ‘Let us go in peace, quietly without fuss. Peter himself will reassure you. Please do not shout, sir. I do not know your name.’
‘My name is Bellamy James, I am Dr Mir’s secretary. If you try to remove him we shall all prevent you. Peter, we won’t let them take you away! He left you of his own free will, he has, by his own wisdom and courage, cured himself. He is not ill, he is well, he is better than any of you cranks, he is a spiritual person – ’
‘We shall certainly want to know and study,’ said Fonsett sitting down again, ‘everything that has happened to him in this interim. Yes, Peter, you shall tell us about your adventures, and this telling will make you better. You have evidently been living a stressed and tiring life, just what you ought not to have been doing. You must rest, you must recover. Your help, Mr James, may prove valuable to us later on. But now – ’
‘Bellamy,’ said Peter, ‘I go of my own accord. I am sorry for this – ’
‘But where to, they’ll hide you, it’s a kidnap, I must come too – ’
‘Dr Fonsett will give you the name and address of his clinic, you can visit me – ’
‘But not at once!’ said Fonsett.
‘I have to speak with my friends. I fear that I have in one way misled them and I must take this chance to explain. First of all, please Bellamy, would you fetch Clement?’
There was an extremely uneasy atmosphere in the dining-room. Mrs Callow wa
s serving the coq au vin, and the vegetarian lentil curry. When Bellamy appeared at the door there was silence. Bellamy said, ‘An old friend of Peter’s has arrived. Clement, could you come for a minute?’ Clement followed Bellamy out. Before they reached the drawing-room they were followed by Emil who said, ‘And I shall come too.’ The trio entered the drawing-room.
Tessa had selected a chair and Fonsett had turned his so that now, with Peter in the middle, those who were seated faced those who had entered. Bellamy closed the door.
Fonsett said at once, ‘Introductions please.’
Clement, ignoring him, said to Peter, ‘Please tell us what is happening, we are rather worried.’
Peter said to Fonsett, ‘This young man is an actor, his name is Clement Graffe, and this gentleman is Emil Wertheimer, a picture dealer I believe, he is one of my newest friends.’
‘You are a quick collector of friends,’ Fonsett observed. ‘Graffe. Are you related to Professor Lucas Graffe?’
‘He is my brother.’
‘Ah yes. Well, well. Now Peter, is this your audience? Now go ahead. We must all look at our watches.’
Clement said, ‘Peter, whatever has happened, why is Tessa here, who is this man, is he from the police?’
Peter said, ‘This is my doctor, Sir Edward Fonsett, who wants to take me back to his clinic for more treatment, and I have agreed. I am very sorry that this happy evening has been disturbed – ’
‘You don’t mean you’re going now, you’re being taken away, immediately, now this evening, that’s impossible – ’
‘I agree it’s impossible,’ said Bellamy.
‘It is not just possible, it is essential,’ said Fonsett. ‘And Peter knows why. I don’t want him to vanish again!’
The door opened and Jeremy Adwarden came in. Bellamy closed the door after him.
Clement said, ‘This is Mr Adwarden, a lawyer.’
Fonsett said, ‘Now Peter, say your say, or would you rather not? After all, later on will do, in fact later on will be better, when you have had time to clear your head and think things out. So let us be off, shall we?’ He stood up.
Emil said in his most grinding voice, ‘Wait a moment, Sir Edward, you seem to have intruded rather brusquely upon our host, and I for one do not like your tone. It is scarcely good manners to remove someone in the middle of his dinner party. I imagine you do not propose to carry him away by force?’
‘He has two thugs on the doorstep,’ said Bellamy.
‘Really!’ said Fonsett. ‘My very experienced sympathetic minions can scarcely be called thugs. One of them is I think already known to Mr Mir. That is Jonathan, you remember Jonathan, Peter?’
Peter smiled and nodded.
Bellamy felt such anguish at that moment that he had to clasp his face violently between his hands to stop himself from screaming.
Clement said, ‘Look, we don’t understand all this, I think it would be best if we talked to Peter alone, without Dr Fonsett.’
‘That is I think an excellent idea,’ said Emil. ‘You go away, we will talk to Peter alone.’
‘Be very brief then,’ said Fonsett, ‘you may go to another room.’
‘You will go to another room,’ said Bellamy, ‘I shall show you one.’ He opened the door. Kenneth Rathbone and Louise were standing in the hall.
Dr Fonsett reached out his hand and touched Peter’s knee. Peter smiled and nodded. Fonsett rose. ‘All right. But make it snappy. I know you’ll play straight.’ He followed Bellamy who led him into the library. All the lamps were on. Bellamy noticed there was a key in the keyhole on the outside of the door. As soon as Fonsett had entered he closed the door and turned the key.
Clement said to him, coming out into the hall, ‘Shall we summon the others? Or let them carry on with their dinner if they want to?’
‘All must come,’ said Emil.
Kenneth Rathbone said to Bellamy, ‘Listen, sport, I want to know what’s happening to my mate? Who was that bastard you were conveying?’
Clement answered, ‘A doctor. Peter is all right, he wants to talk to us. Go into the drawing-room but do be quiet.’ Kenneth and Louise went in.
Clement and Bellamy went to the door of the dining-room. After the brightness of the hall the candle-lit room seemed like a long dark cavern. Clement turned on all the lights.
Remaining in the dining-room were Joan, Connie, Cora, Sefton, Moy and Harvey. By this time the general view in the dining-room was that the police had arrived and Peter was being arrested. Connie was in the process of telling them that they need not worry, Jeremy would sort it all out.
Clement addressed them. ‘I’m sorry, but I must ask you to come over to the drawing-room. There’s nothing to be alarmed about. A doctor has come, a friend of Peter’s. Peter wants to talk to us about something.’
They all got up and came out into the hall exchanging anxious glances. Cora said, ‘I must go to the loo first.’ Mrs Callow and Patsie were standing at the door of the kitchen. Patsie immediately offered to lead the way and Cora disappeared with her. Mrs Callow, who was obviously very upset, said, ‘What about the bread-and-butter pudding?’
Clement said, ‘It had better wait.’ He added, ‘Don’t worry.’ He and Bellamy led the remaining guests to the drawing-room.
There was an eerie silence. Peter was still sitting on the sofa in front of the tapestry at the far end of the room. He had taken off his green cravat and was holding it in one hand. He had a mild startled look which Bellamy had not seen before. His lips were parted, his brow slightly frowning, his eyes narrowed. He was looking about – like someone lost in a crowd in a railway station, Bellamy thought, indeed like a young man lost – lost, but brave, noble, resolute, pure in heart – and, oh, he had never looked so young. All this Bellamy thought in a moment, and he shivered with horror and with fear. He felt cold, he thought, the house is becoming cold, perhaps the radiators have already been turned off. Peter rose, dropping his cravat on the floor, and said in a calm voice, ‘My dear friends, I am very sorry about this, but there is nothing to be alarmed about, please sit down.’ There was some shuffling about. Joan, Louise and Connie sat on a sofa which Jeremy had turned round to face Peter, Jeremy sat on the arm of the sofa. Clement and Bellamy pulled out chairs from the wall. Cora, arriving, sat in an armchair, Emil in another armchair. Kenneth Rathbone, refusing to sit, stood at the back. Sefton sat on a chair in the front which Tessa had vacated. Tessa said to Peter, ‘Do you think we should let Jonathan and Michael in? It must be cold in the van. I don’t mean ask them in here, just into the house.’ Peter said, ‘Yes, of course, I should have thought of that, do let them in.’ Tessa, opening the front door, let more cold air into the house. It was snowing outside. Tessa could be heard admitting Jonathan and Michael and handing them over to Mrs Callow and Patsie. Tessa returned and sat on the floor near Sefton, refusing Sefton’s offer of her chair. The drawing-room door closed, the kitchen door closed. But two people remained in the hall. Harvey, who had drunk deep of the ‘special’ before dinner, and had continually emptied his promptly filled glasses at dinner, was feeling rather sleepy once again. He had felt, after Peter had held his foot, a general not unpleasant lassitude. At dinner, after their first intelligent conversation, he had found his eyes closing and had to be nudged by Emil. Now, rising sleepily, he had got as far as the hall. At the far end, tucked in a little under the stairs, Harvey had earlier noticed a tall chair with high sides like a box, perhaps an old sedan-chair, amply upholstered within. As the others went into the drawing-room he made his way to this chair, snuggled himself inside it, and went to sleep. The other non- entrant was Moy. Ever since that loud ring of the doorbell she had felt a cold sickening premonition. She could now neither eat nor drink and sat there shivering, flushed with terror and with a sort of dark shame. She knew that something dreadful was going to happen, was indeed happening, some evil deed was being done. When the others left the dining-room and hurried into the drawing-room, she lingered behind, she could not go i
n. She stood aside, watching the emergence of Tessa and the admission of Jonathan and Michael. The drawing-room door closed. When Mrs Callow asked her if she would like to come and sit in the kitchen, she refused. The kitchen door closed and there was a sound of animated voices as Mrs Callow and Patsie questioned Jonathan and Michael, plying them with food and wine. Moy had noticed Harvey’s defection and even went to look at him curled up inside his sedan-chair like a hibernating bear. She returned to the drawing-room door and listened. Then she sat down on a chair in the hall. She put her hand upon her warm lapis lazuli necklace.
