she didn’t look very different now. No make-up; straight blonde hair brushing her shoulders. A sprinkling of freckles across the bridge of her nose and a slight gap between her front teeth; her expression almost sulky in repose but utterly transformed when she reacted.
‘Be as rude to me as you like,’ said Charles, ‘but don’t offend Mrs Hocking.’
Angela turned to Derek and said, ‘Don’t be fooled by him. He doesn’t care a damn for the woman’s feelings. He’s just scared of losing a cook and not being able to get another.’
‘There’s nothing wrong with that,’ Diana replied.
‘Perhaps you’d be less inclined to be sympathetic to my charming brother if you and your husband were suddenly asked to leave. Colin and I got our marching orders this morning.’ Angela smiled pleasantly at Diana and folded her arms with complete composure.
Mrs Hocking wheeled in a trolley with their main course: chicken casserole. As Charles doled out helpings he turned to Angela and said without apparent resentment, ‘If I suddenly turned up at Colin’s flat and asked to stay, I wonder how he’d react.’
Angela let out a little cry of sisterly admiration. ‘Isn’t he just wonderful? Of course he has seven bedrooms and Colin lives in a two-room flat, and then Colin did just happen to come with me, and I am Charles’s little sister, but apart from that the comparison’s absolutely bang on target.’
Charles put down the serving-spoon with a clatter. ‘The possession of a large house doesn’t give the owner’s relatives the right to come and occupy it at will.’
Angela nodded understandingly and murmured to Derek, ‘In most primitive tribes generosity creates loyalty. Isn’t that so?’
Before Derek could answer, Charles cut in, ‘In our society it creates parasites like you, Angela.’
‘What are you then?’ rapped out Colin, bringing down his fiston the table. ‘Art dealers are the biggest bloody parasites of all.’
‘And critics?’ asked Charles, as he started to pour out wine.
Colin looked as though he was about to choke. ‘What did you make out of that Léger show? A hundred thousand? Two hundred?’
Charles finished pouring wine into Diana’s glass and replied soothingly, ‘They weren’t given to me, you know. Interest rates aren’t cheap these days. Shall I tell you what the overheads were on that one show?’
‘Shall I tell you what my salary is for one year?’ shouted Colin, pointing his fork at Charles.
‘I’m sure the Inland Revenue would be more interested,’ Charles came back coolly.
Colin pushed back his chair abruptly and left the table. A moment later they heard his footsteps on the stairs.
‘You don’t suppose he’s decided to leave?’ Charles asked Angela.
‘What do you think?’ she replied savagely.
Charles shrugged his shoulders. ‘Let’s say I’m hopeful.’
‘If he decides to go, I still intend to stay,’ Angela said quietly. ‘I’ve no use for gestures.’
‘You’re making one by staying,’ smiled Diana.
‘If it gets on your tits, it’ll have been worth it.’
Giles, who had been listening in horrified disbelief, suddenly let out a stifled sob. Derek looked round guiltily; he had been so engrossed with what was being said that he had not noticed the effect it was having on his son. Before he could intervene, Diana had helped the boy to his feet and led him from the room. As they left, Colin appeared in the doorway, holding a battered suitcase . He glared at Charles for a moment and then turned on his heel. After a short silence Charles said to Derek:
‘How about some lemon meringue pie?’
*
Diana, Derek and Charles were drinking coffee in the sitting-room when Angela rejoined them. Without a word to Charles she opened the drinks and poured herself a brandy. She passed the glass slowly under her nose and sniffed deeply.
‘What bouquet. I think that’s the word.’ She paused and smiled contemplatively. ‘My husband loved brandy.
‘Be as rude to me as you like,’ said Charles, ‘but don’t offend Mrs Hocking.’
Angela turned to Derek and said, ‘Don’t be fooled by him. He doesn’t care a damn for the woman’s feelings. He’s just scared of losing a cook and not being able to get another.’
‘There’s nothing wrong with that,’ Diana replied.
‘Perhaps you’d be less inclined to be sympathetic to my charming brother if you and your husband were suddenly asked to leave. Colin and I got our marching orders this morning.’ Angela smiled pleasantly at Diana and folded her arms with complete composure.
Mrs Hocking wheeled in a trolley with their main course: chicken casserole. As Charles doled out helpings he turned to Angela and said without apparent resentment, ‘If I suddenly turned up at Colin’s flat and asked to stay, I wonder how he’d react.’
Angela let out a little cry of sisterly admiration. ‘Isn’t he just wonderful? Of course he has seven bedrooms and Colin lives in a two-room flat, and then Colin did just happen to come with me, and I am Charles’s little sister, but apart from that the comparison’s absolutely bang on target.’
Charles put down the serving-spoon with a clatter. ‘The possession of a large house doesn’t give the owner’s relatives the right to come and occupy it at will.’
Angela nodded understandingly and murmured to Derek, ‘In most primitive tribes generosity creates loyalty. Isn’t that so?’
Before Derek could answer, Charles cut in, ‘In our society it creates parasites like you, Angela.’
‘What are you then?’ rapped out Colin, bringing down his fiston the table. ‘Art dealers are the biggest bloody parasites of all.’
‘And critics?’ asked Charles, as he started to pour out wine.
Colin looked as though he was about to choke. ‘What did you make out of that Léger show? A hundred thousand? Two hundred?’
Charles finished pouring wine into Diana’s glass and replied soothingly, ‘They weren’t given to me, you know. Interest rates aren’t cheap these days. Shall I tell you what the overheads were on that one show?’
‘Shall I tell you what my salary is for one year?’ shouted Colin, pointing his fork at Charles.
‘I’m sure the Inland Revenue would be more interested,’ Charles came back coolly.
Colin pushed back his chair abruptly and left the table. A moment later they heard his footsteps on the stairs.
‘You don’t suppose he’s decided to leave?’ Charles asked Angela.
‘What do you think?’ she replied savagely.
Charles shrugged his shoulders. ‘Let’s say I’m hopeful.’
‘If he decides to go, I still intend to stay,’ Angela said quietly. ‘I’ve no use for gestures.’
‘You’re making one by staying,’ smiled Diana.
‘If it gets on your tits, it’ll have been worth it.’
Giles, who had been listening in horrified disbelief, suddenly let out a stifled sob. Derek looked round guiltily; he had been so engrossed with what was being said that he had not noticed the effect it was having on his son. Before he could intervene, Diana had helped the boy to his feet and led him from the room. As they left, Colin appeared in the doorway, holding a battered suitcase . He glared at Charles for a moment and then turned on his heel. After a short silence Charles said to Derek:
‘How about some lemon meringue pie?’
*
Diana, Derek and Charles were drinking coffee in the sitting-room when Angela rejoined them. Without a word to Charles she opened the drinks and poured herself a brandy. She passed the glass slowly under her nose and sniffed deeply.
‘What bouquet. I think that’s the word.’ She paused and smiled contemplatively. ‘My husband loved brandy.
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