‘Do. Oh, now I have to go and talk to that lady, I believe, she’s from the Observer newspaper. Excuse me. I understand we’ll meet at dinner tonight. At your mother’s wonderful house?’
He moved off. Giles looked after him.
‘Nice chap,’ he said to Barty.
‘Isn’t he?’
‘He suggested I wrote a book. About the war. I had – thought about it, as a matter of fact. From the ordinary soldier’s point of view. With interviews and so on.’
‘Giles, that is such a good idea. I could give you some marvellous ATS people to talk to. Why don’t you do it?’
‘I might,’ he said, and smiled at her. He suddenly felt a lot better.
‘Could I take a photograph of you together? No, no need to move, just carry on talking. Thank you. That’s wonderful.’
‘Hey,’ said Geordie MacColl, as the Sunday Times critic moved off, ‘you’re not the beautiful twin photographer, are you?’
Adele laughed. ‘Well, let’s see. I’m a twin. And a photographer. Don’t know about the beautiful . . .’
‘Oh, I do. Now then. Barty told me all about you. She said you were terribly talented. And famous even, pictures in Vogue and – did she say something about Life?’
‘I did sell them something, yes. A series, actually. I mean they used them as a series. A day in the life of an English village. They seemed to like them.’
‘My God,’ said Geordie MacColl, gazing at her, ‘that is something. That is really something. You must feel you can die happy now. Or something like that.’
Adele looked at him consideringly. Not many people reacted so appropriately to what had been the most important event in her life for many months.
‘I do. That’s exactly how I felt at the time, anyway.’
‘Well, I’m very honoured to be in your camera. You know Life is the Bible in the States. What am I saying, much more important than the Bible. Well to some of us, anyway.’
‘Oh I do know,’ she said and laughed.
‘Are you doing any more for them?’
‘I hope so. Could I just take you over there, look, take a shot for the Tatler?’
‘I didn’t know they did literary pages.’
‘They don’t, I’m afraid. It’s for their social pages. Would you mind?’
‘Not for you. Like I say, it’s an honour to share your lens.’
‘A big success, Oliver.’
‘Yes, it does seem to be. How nice to have Lyttons hosting a party like this again. I thought such delights were over. I suppose strictly speaking I shouldn’t be here.’
‘Of course you should. None of these people would be here if it hadn’t been for you. Not even I.’
‘Now that is ridiculous, Celia.’
‘No, it’s not. I mean it.’
‘Well, I think you’d have made your name anyway. Incidentally, I didn’t get a chance to tell you, I got a letter from Jack today. He’s fearfully amused by the whole thing.’
‘Really?’ said Celia.
‘Yes. He says he and Lily are coming home at last. Sick of Hollywood, it seems.’
‘I’d like that,’ said Celia.
‘So would I. Nice young chap, MacColl, isn’t he?’
‘Very nice. Charming. Quite an old family it seems.’
‘Indeed. Don’t sound so surprised, Celia. You know perfectly well they exist in the States. Look at Felicity, she—’
‘I never quite believed in the age of Felicity’s family,’ said Celia coolly,
‘Really?’
‘No. You know, he seems rather taken with Adele.’
‘Who?’
‘Geordie MacColl. Every time I look at her, she’s talking to him. That would be nice—’
‘Celia, you sound like Mrs Bennett.’
‘I hope not,’ said Celia briskly, ‘she was an excessively silly woman. Now look, I have to make my speech. I’ll see you later. Don’t drink too much, it’s not good for you.’
‘And that is your redoubtable mother, is it?’ whispered Geordie to Adele. ‘She’s very beautiful.’
‘She is, isn’t she?’
‘You look very like her.’
‘Thank you. You’d better be quiet, she gets furious if people talk over her speeches.’
‘Sorry. I have to reply to it anyway, so I’d better listen. See you later.’
‘Barty, this is such a nice party.’
It was Izzie, in her pink crêpe dress, her golden-brown hair drawn back, Alice-style, from her face.
‘I’m glad you’re enjoying it.’
‘I am. Mr MacColl is so lovely. I really like him.’
‘Good. Well he told me he thought you were a very interesting young lady.’
‘Really?’ She blushed. ‘Gosh.’
‘Hallo, Izzie.’
‘Hallo, Henry.’
‘Enjoying the party?’
‘Yes, terribly.’
‘Roo and I are going to a jazz concert on Saturday. Would you like to come?’
‘Oh – goodness. I’ll have to ask Father.’
‘Righty-o. It’s perfectly all right, though, you can tell him. Chap used to go to Eton. Humphrey Lyttleton’s his name.’
‘Yes. Yes, I will. Thank you, Henry.’
‘Can I get you a drink?’
‘Oh – yes. Thank you. He’s awfully good-looking, isn’t he?’ she said to Barty, looking at Henry’s dark head as he moved through the crowd.
‘Awfully. Just like his father.’
‘Well, in a way, I suppose, but his father’s really old. Oh – sorry, Barty.’
Barty smiled at her. ‘It’s perfectly all right.’
‘Hallo, Adele, my darling. You’ve been working very hard.’
‘I know. Well, it is my job.’
‘Nice party.’
‘Very. Are you enjoying it?’
‘Oh – quite. I’ve had a bellyful of these things. To be honest, I only ever liked my own.’
‘Sebastian! You’re such an egotist.’
‘I know. I’ve spent a lifetime developing my skill in that direction. Tell me, what do you think of our star author? He seems very keen on you.’
‘I think he’s very nice,’ said Adele primly.
‘Good. So do I.’
There was a pause; then he said, ‘Adele—’
‘Yes?’
‘We’ve never talked about—’
‘Kit? No. And I don’t think we should. As Grandmama would say, it’s grown-up business.’
He smiled. ‘Wise old bird, your grandmama.’
‘Very. She’s done a lot for Kit.’
He looked at her very steadily. ‘How is he?’
‘Mending. Mending well. Working hard, too.’
‘Good.’
‘He—’
‘Yes?’
‘He said if I saw you, to say hallo.’
‘Adele,’ said Sebastian, giving her a kiss, ‘that’s the nicest thing I’ve heard all evening.’
‘Hallo, again.’
‘Oh – hallo.’
‘Look – I wonder if you’d like to have lunch with me tomorrow? I don’t often meet Life photographers.’
‘Oh,’ said Adele, ‘well, it’s very kind, but I have to take two models down to my grandmother’s farm and photograph them with some rarebreed sheep she’s just bought. It must sound very boring to you. Sorry.’
‘Boring! Not at all. It sounds wonderful. Wonderful and eccentric. And I’d love to meet your legendary grandmother. My grandfather had a farm in Kentucky, bred racehorses.’
‘In that case,’ said Adele, ‘my grandmother would love to meet you.’
‘I couldn’t come down with you, could I? If I promise not to get in the way of your camera. How far from London is this paradise?’
‘Oh – a couple of hours. Yes, of course you can come. If you’ve got time.’
‘I’ll make time,’ said Geordie MacColl.
‘Well,’ said Celia, ‘what a good party.’
> ‘Good speech, Celia,’ Sebastian smiled at her.
‘Thank you.’
‘Barty looks lovely.’
‘Yes, she does,’ said Celia slightly coolly.
‘Don’t begrudge it to her, Celia. You of all people.’
‘I – don’t,’ she said, ‘not really.’
‘Good.’
He looked at Barty intently. ‘She must be terribly rich.’
‘No, actually, not so terribly, it seems. He left her only the shares in Lyttons and a few more, a little portfolio as she put it. And his houses. Obviously worth a lot.’
‘Yes, especially the one on Park Avenue, it’s a mansion I’m told.’
‘Oh, the Americans would call any little house a mansion,’ said Celia, ‘they’re so easily impressed.’
‘Celia, have you ever been to the Frick museum?’
‘Yes, of course.’
‘Well, Elliott House is a little bigger than that, I’m told. And very similar.’
‘Oh. Well yes, that is quite – impressive.’ Even she was silent. Then she rallied. ‘Anyway, the rest of the money is left in trust. For his children. All those millions.’
‘Did he know about Jenna?’
‘No. But apparently there is a strong case to be made for her getting a share. As her father was married to Barty.’
‘My God,’ said Sebastian, ‘clearly this story is very far from over.’
ALSO BY THE SAME AUTHOR
No Angel
Into Temptation
The Dilemma
Almost A Crime
An Outrageous Affair
Sheer Abandon
An Absolute Scandal
Forbidden Places
Something Dangerous Page 97
