First Friends

by Marcia Willett

  ‘Well, it’s the same principle, you see. I felt that he was getting quite keen and I lost my nerve and didn’t know how to handle it. And now he’s backed right off and I wonder if he’s lost interest which, if I’m really honest, hurts a bit.’

  ‘And now you’d like to poke him just to make sure that he does feel the same but you still don’t want to wake him right up and make him start crying again?’

  They both burst out laughing.

  ‘That’s just about right,’ said Kate ruefully. ‘Why is life such hell?’

  ‘Speak for yourself, duckie. I still think you should invite him to my party.’

  ‘That’s only because you fancy him yourself. You can keep your hands off him. It’s bad enough having the Blonde Bombshell crawling all over him.’

  ‘She’s still around, is she?’

  ‘Well. No, actually.’ The puzzled note was back. ‘She hasn’t been around lately. And she phoned one day and he told me to tell her that he was out. She sounded very pissed off. It’s just odd. I was wondering if he’d found someone else.’

  Cass smiled to herself, the bleak note was not lost on her.

  ‘Why not give him a tiny prod, sweetie? Just a really small one. Not enough to wake him right up—just enough to get him along to my party!’

  ‘I WASN’T EXPECTING YOU this afternoon, Mrs Hampton. I thought that you were preparing the church for the wedding tomorrow.’ The General helped her off with her coat and hung it on the back of the kitchen door.

  ‘Well, ’tis that Saul’s first day at school, as you know, General. An’ Charlotte will’ve ’ad ’er ’ands full, I don’t doubt, looking after ’im.’ Mrs Hampton rummaged in her capacious basket and brought forth a cake tin. ‘I felt somethin’ special was called for, see. They’ll be along presently. Church’s all done. Lookin’ beautiful, it is. Autumn’s difficult time for flowers but Jack give me plenty of Michaelmas daisies an’ dahlias an’ Jane brought lots of stuff along ’erself.’

  ‘Is that the bride?’ The General sat himself down at the table, grateful that the tea was no longer his responsibility, and prepared for some gossip.

  ‘Thass right. ’Er mother was cook up the ’ouse an’ ’er dad was cowman. ’E died but ’er mum still ’elps out on special occasions. She’s doin’ well for ’erself is Janie. She was all set to settle down with one o’ the local boys, young Philip Raikes, then ’e moved away an’ she decided to better ’erself. Moved into Plymouth an’ got ’erself a job in Deb’nams. She’s been sharin’ a flat with another girl an’ it was ’er that introduced Janie to Alan. Alan Maxwell ’is name is. ’E’s a Petty Officer. Fine, up-standin’ young man. Better than that young Philip. Nought but a waster ’e is. Alan’s got a bit saved so Janie tells me, an’ they’re thinkin’ to buy a li’l flat. ’E’s in they submarines like the Commander. ’E’s only got a few days’ leave so it’s been fixed up quick like.’ As Mrs Hampton bustled to and fro the General suddenly noticed that the glossy brown hair was now seasoned with grey and the serene face had lines that he had never noticed before.

  ‘Do you know, Mrs Hampton, that I’ve been here now for over ten years?’

  Mrs Hampton’s hands were stilled for a moment, her mind understanding and accepting the change in the conversation.

  ‘That’s so. ‘Appy years. All they littl’uns growin’ up. We’ve been very blessed.’

  ‘That’s so.’ The General sighed heavily. ‘You’ll have to keep an eye on them for me when I’ve gone.’

  ‘An’ oo’s talkin’ of you goin’ anywhere?’ Mrs Hampton bristled alarmingly, hiding her stab of fear. He’d looked so frail in the summer. Not even Jack had known how worried she had been. ‘Never ‘eard such nonsense! There now. That’s the children.’

  The door opened and Saul, wearing Oliver’s old satchel across his chest, burst in followed by a harassed-looking Charlotte. They were alike, these two—Tom’s children.

  ‘I did a picture for you, Grandfather,’ he said, brushing greetings and questions aside. ‘Look!’ He delved into his satchel and plonked the sheet of paper before the General.

  ‘It’s a tank,’ explained Charlotte quickly lest there should be any misunderstanding and Saul’s feelings hurt.

  ‘It is indeed,’ said the General, looking appreciatively at it. ‘A Centurion, is it?’

  ‘Yes.’ Saul scrambled up beside him and they were plunged instantly into technicalities.

  Charlotte looked at Mrs Hampton.

  ‘ ’Ow did ’e do, my lover? Didden cry, did ’e?’

  ‘No.’ Charlotte shook her head. ‘He was really good and ate all his lunch.’ She was keeping something back, something exciting.

  ‘What else, then? I c’n see there’s somethin’. Tell ‘Ammy.’

  ‘Oh, Hammy!’ The brown eyes were shining. ‘I’m head girl! We all had to vote and I came out top. I’ve got a badge. Look!’

  ‘Well now. I never! Head girl! I’m that proud! Wait ‘til you tells you ma. I c’n see that this is a very special day. Good job I brung along this cake. Now you tell your grandad while I get the table laid. Head girl!’ And turning away under the pretence of fetching some knives, Mrs Hampton buried her face in the teacloth and indulged in a few tears of joy and fear.

  ABBY PICKED UP THE post from the doormat, crossed the hall and pushed open the door of the little business room where William sat at a desk, riffling through papers.

  ‘Coffee, darling?’ She opened a large white envelope. ‘Oh, goody!’ She waved a stiff square of cardboard at him. ‘Cass has got her act together at last.’

  ‘What is it?’ William raised a reeling head. The business side of the estate was a nightmare to him but he was enjoying it on the whole and had no regrets about leaving his regiment. On the contrary, he was glad that he had come out while he was young enough to adapt to a world that had none of the safety nets of service life. The Army may be run by rules and regulations which, at first sight, seem to cram its people into straitjackets; nevertheless, it is all too easy first to tolerate, then accept and finally embrace those confines and be unable to function without them. William had seen it happen and was glad that he was outside, with the power to mould his life to his own design and, hopefully, with the courage to face up to the consequences in the process.

  ‘It’s Cass and Tom’s party. She’s been waiting to fix the date. There’s a nuclear sub due back from sea and she wants to invite a few people from the Wardroom. Should be fun.’

  ‘Good.’ He smiled at her, suspecting that Abby missed Army life much more than he did. There were few people of their ages locally and Abby was not naturally a country girl. He gave her full marks for the positive way that she too had grasped at this new life and his smile was full of affection. ‘Black tie?’

  ‘Absolutely. The full works. I may need a new dress, darling. Long and elegant. What d’you think?’

  ‘Sounds good to me. You’ll have to have a day in Exeter. Check my DJ, will you?’

  She grinned at him and disappeared.

  ‘And don’t forget my coffee,’ he yelled after her.

  ‘Coming up!’ shouted Abby as she ran up the passage into the kitchen where Sophie staggered on uncertain legs behind a horse on wheels. ‘I’m going to a party,’ she cried, picking up the surprised Sophie and dancing her round. ‘And I’m going to have a new dress. Oh, what fun it’s going to be!’

  ALEX, WHOSE POST ARRIVED a great deal earlier than Abby’s, was still gazing at his invitation with misgivings when it was time to open the shop. He was quite certain now that Cass’s advice concerning Kate had been sensible. He was giving her time to get to know and trust him and it seemed to be working. Kate was opening up a little, talking about the twins, volunteering information about herself. They kept their relationship strictly to the shop, although they lunched together occasionally if Kate wasn’t hurrying home to let the dogs out. He had cooled off his relationship with Pam, which was nowhere near as close as her hints and comments had led Kate to
believe, and had become less available generally. He was working towards creating a situation where he could be with her, socially, informally, without arousing her alarm and now it seemed that just such a situation had arisen. What was Cass up to? he wondered. Did she know something that he didn’t? He wondered whether to telephone her to find out and then realised that he should have opened up downstairs.

  It was a sharp, bright November day and Alex started to set up the bookcases. Just as she had on the hot summer day four months before, Kate appeared round the corner coming towards him. She waved and he stood watching her. She wore a dark brown cord skirt now, in place of the denim, with a navy blue Guernsey and navy tights finishing in flat brogues. He realised that he’d never seen her in high-heeled shoes and never known her wear any make-up.

  We’re wasting time, he thought. It’s so silly.

  She smiled as she came up to him and he decided to plunge straight in before he lost his nerve.

  ‘I’ve had an invitation,’ he said.

  ‘Oh?’ Kate looked at him for a moment and then went into the shop. Alex followed her.

  ‘It’s from your friend Cass. An invitation to a party.’

  Kate put down her bag. Alex crossed his arms and wished that he hadn’t given up smoking. He looked at Kate, inviting some response, and she frowned a little.

  ‘And will you go?’

  Alex raised his eyebrows. ‘Well, I don’t quite know. It came as a bit of a surprise. Shall you be going?’

  ‘I suppose so. She’ll be hurt if I don’t.’

  ‘Are you . . . ’ he began diffidently. ‘Will you be going with anyone?’

  Kate shook her head, not looking at him. ‘I doubt it. I expect that I shall know most of the people there.’

  ‘Well, since I won’t, I suppose you wouldn’t take pity on me and let me take you?’

  ‘Yes, of course.’ After a moment, Kate raised her head and looked directly at him. ‘Does the invitation suggest that you bring a friend?’

  ‘No. Does yours?’

  ‘No.’

  ‘Well, then,’ said Alex, lightly, when the silence had begun to feel uncomfortable. ‘Perhaps she felt that we would pair up together.’

  ‘Yes,’ said Kate, grimly. ‘Perhaps she did.’

  GEORGE LAMPETER SPENT SOME time, sitting at his desk in the dockyard, thinking about his invitation. He noticed that he was not asked to bring a partner and wondered for a moment whether Felicity would have been asked, rejecting the idea almost as it occurred. He knew very well that to accept would be a very disloyal act in Felicity’s eyes and yet why shouldn’t he? Tom was a very old oppo and he’d always had a very soft spot for Cass. He remembered a past summer in Alverstoke and smiled a little to himself. After all, Felicity didn’t own him, dammit! Before he could weaken he pulled some paper towards him, wrote his acceptance and threw it in the Post Tray. He slipped the invitation into his pocket and pulled his ‘In Tray’ towards him.

  ‘WHAT’S THE BIG ONE?’ Ralph Masters was eating his breakfast. A good trencherman was Ralph and he forked up some bacon and munched away whilst Harriet opened the big square envelope.

  ‘Oh,’ she said and fell silent.

  ‘Oh what?’ Ralph gulped down some coffee. ‘Come on, chuck it over. What is it?’

  ‘It’s an invitation.’ Harriet passed the card and picked up her own coffee.

  ‘From Tom Wivenhoe! That’s really decent of him. He must have found out that we’ve just got down here. You remember Tom, darling? We were on Optimist together. Of course, he’s a two and a half now. We must go. We’ll still be in then. Yes, Saturday week. Great! Write and accept, will you, darling? Hell, is that the time? Must dash. Sure you don’t want the car? OK, I shan’t be late back.’ He kissed her and went out.

  Harriet sat at the table. Presently she picked up the invitation card and, staring at it, ran her fingers over the embossed wording.

  ‘Damn,’ she said to herself. ‘Damn, damn, damn!’

  _______

  TONY, NOTICING THE PTO written at the bottom of the card, turned the invitation over. On the back Cass had written: ‘For God’s sake bring a woman, darling!’ He looked at it but there was no flicker of the amusement that he would have felt a few weeks earlier. Cass was behaving oddly and he was beginning to suspect that she had found a new fish to fry. He would be going to sea soon and he had the feeling that it might be ‘out of sight out of mind’ so far as Cass was concerned.

  Later in the day he made a telephone call. ‘Liz? . . . Hi, it’s Tony . . . Are you well? . . . Good. Listen. Like to come to a party on Saturday week? . . . Thrash at the Wivenhoes . . . Yes, it should . . . Oh, black tie so wear something special . . . Super. See you.’

  He replaced the telephone and strolled thoughtfully into the Mess.

  ‘CASS?’ KATE STOOD IN the hall and listened. She could hear the sound of the television coming from the study and Saul’s voice. Cass appeared at the drawing-room door.

  ‘Kate! How lovely. Come and have a drink.’

  Kate followed Cass into the elegant but comfortable room. A fire crackled in the grate and Kate went to warm her hands.

  ‘This is not a social call,’ she said severely as Cass lifted a bottle and held it questioningly. ‘Why did you send Alex an invitation to your party?’

  ‘Because I thought he might like to come. Why not?’

  ‘You might at least have warned me.’ Kate sounded cross.

  ‘But then you’d have had all sorts of excuses at the ready.’ Cass poured two drinks. ‘You’ll enjoy it, sweetie. You know you like my parties.’

  ‘That’s not the point. You did it to stir up trouble. After all, you hardly know him. Why should you invite him?’

  ‘You’ve made him sound such an interesting person. And anyway, I thought we’d agreed.’

  ‘Agreed what?’

  ‘A very tiny prod, we said.’

  ‘You said.’ Kate grimaced. ‘Well, it’s too late now. He’s asked me to come with him. But I still think that you might have warned me.’

  ‘Nonsense. You’ll be quite safe with all of us. It’s going to be great fun. Now, stop droning on and have a drink.’

  ‘Who else have you invited?’ Kate sank into the armchair beside the fire and accepted the glass.

  ‘Oh, just the usual gang,’ said Cass, evasively. ‘Abby and I are going to Exeter to buy ourselves new dresses. No good suggesting that you come too, I suppose?’

  ‘It would be fun,’ admitted Kate rather wistfully, ‘but I just can’t afford it at present.’

  ‘I’m flush at the moment,’ began Cass but Kate shook her head.

  ‘No thanks. It’s sweet of you but I’ve plenty of things really. And Guy needs new rugger boots.’

  ‘Doesn’t Mark take care of that?’ Cass sat opposite. ‘Surely you don’t let him off scot-free?’

  ‘No, no. He pays a monthly allowance which is supposed to take care of all that. It’s a very generous one. But now and then lots of things come together and I hate asking Mark for more. We only communicate by letter now and it’s like dealing with a stranger—everything’s queried.’ She shivered. ‘It’s rather horrid, really. The twins never hear from him but they think that’s because he’s at sea all the time. We hardly ever talk about him. It’s odd. It’s as if he never really existed.’

  ‘Oh, well. All over now. Don’t think about him—think about my party. If you’re not going to buy anything new, go and look out something really special! Promise you, it’s going to be a great evening.’

  THE EVENING OF CASS’S party was cold and clear. Lights blazed out from the house and the women in their flimsy clothes were delighted to see the log fire burning in the drawing room.

  Tom and Cass were in their natural element: expansive, welcoming, generous, they presided over the evening determined that everyone should have fun. Not all their guests were quite so relaxed.

  Kate had been slightly overset by the sight of Alex in his evening clothes. She
had been wandering around ready for at least half an hour before he was due, part of her wishing that she’d taken Cass up on her offer of a new outfit. Another part was determined not to deck herself out in an obvious way—as Pam might—and in the end she’d put on her long black skirt of crushed velvet with a grey silk shirt and tied a black silk scarf around her neck. She wore grey stockings and narrow, flat black pumps and knew that Cass would be cross with her for not making more effort. When she opened the door and saw Alex, elegant, tall and unfamiliar in his dinner jacket, she’d experienced a moment of panic. He seemed in that moment to be a complete stranger and, feeling gauche and underdressed, she had seized her cashmere wrap and hurried out. In the car she had said, lightly, ‘You look very dashing.’ And he said, thoughtfully, ‘And you look just as I thought you would.’ She didn’t quite know what he meant and immediately felt dull and dreary. All ease between them seemed to have fled and Kate thought how odd it was to be back in the world, as it were, an unattached woman. She reflected that a second relationship was probably even more fraught with difficulty than one’s first because one would take all the hang-ups from the first one into it. And then she had to direct him to the Rectory and a moment later they were turning in at the gate.

  Kate paused at the door of the drawing room, taken aback at the sight of so many people. She had envisaged a fairly intimate dinner party of probably eight or ten at the most and she glanced at Alex to see his reaction.

  He smiled down at her. ‘I hope that you’re not planning to abandon me at this point to hurry off and talk to all your friends?’

  Before he could answer Cass, dressed in floating blue silk, emerged from the throng, kissed Kate lightly on the cheek and then did the same to Alex.

  ‘How nice of you to come,’ she said to him. ‘You must meet all these people but not all at once. So pointless, you’ll never remember their names. Is Tom getting you a drink? Good. When you get your bearings Kate can introduce you a bit. You’re next to me at dinner.’ She twiddled her fingers at him and turned away.