spoken and sipped his cloudy drink.
They were about to leave the dining room when David did it again. His voice was clear as a bell, but this time he was pointing at Edward. ‘Why is that fellow wearing Clarence’s cufflinks?’
Everyone turned to Edward and then back to David. He seemed very lucid, and his pale blue eyes were staring hard at Edward. He pointed again, and his face was tight and angry.
‘You must be mistaken, darling, now come along, we are all going into the drawing room, and it’s time you went to bed, come along everyone, Edward, Charlie.’
They trooped out, leaving David sitting at the table. Lady Primrose was the last to leave, and she turned when she reached the door. ‘Go to bed, David, you’re tired.’
As the party crossed the hall they couldn’t help but overhear the high-pitched, bell-like voice rising in anger. ‘That chap’s got Clarence’s cufflinks on, I bought them for his twenty-first, I would know them anywhere. He’s a ruddy thief, I want the police called. Primmy, please don’t walk away when I’m talking to you. Who is that fella, and where is Clarence? He won’t like it, I am going to do something about this.’
Charlie closed the sitting-room door with a wink to Edward and began to pour port and brandy, spilling it as he was already rather drunk. The raised voices continued out in the hall, and Charlie grabbed hold of Edward’s cuffs, swearing and trying to take out the cufflinks.
‘Better get ’em off, old chap, he’s liable to get into such a state. Here, give them over.’
Lord Carlton looked on and the girls sat eagle-eyed on the settee as Charlie ran from the room. He left the door ajar, and they could all see the irate David standing with his cane in the hall.
‘Here, Father, take them, put them away safely so no one can take them, here, these are what you want, aren’t they?’
Lady Primrose hovered at the door and gave Edward an apologetic shrug of the shoulders. The high-pitched voice continued, and now Humphrey could be seen trying to cajole David up the stairs, holding a cloudy drink out for him like a carrot to a donkey.
‘All I’m saying is, that chap has no right to be wearing Clarry’s cufflinks. When he comes back he’ll play hell, don’t like this sort of carry-on at all, not nice, throw the beggar out on his ear.’
At last the door was shut, and everyone tried to cover up their embarrassment by talking at once. Edward sat with his sleeves flapping and his feet, in Clarence’s patent-leather shoes, hurting. At the first opportunity he excused himself, pleading a headache.
He stood outside the door and knew they were talking about him. He hated the feelings churning inside him, hated being laughed at, but more than that he hated being the outsider. Edward had only just undone his tie and hung it on the doorknob when Charlie knocked and walked into the bedroom.
‘Look, sorry about all the carry-on down there, but the old man is out of it, been that way as long as I can remember.’
‘Just so long as he doesn’t undress me next time. You want Clarry’s suit back? Tie? Shirt?’
Charlie thumped him on the shoulder and then sprawled on the bed. ‘You know Freddy was engaged to my mother when they were young, and then she ditched him for old loonydrawers . . . Apparently Freddy is still getting the old leg over her, and I can’t really say I blame him – or her, for that matter. Neither of them have what one could describe as perfect partners. Lord Freddy was married for his title – the little hairy woman is
très riche
, but poor Ma married for love.’
Edward was unbuttoning his shirt. ‘What happened to your father?’
‘Well, it’s all cloaked in mystery, something like shell-shock. He was getting better for a while, then this scandal blew up . . . Well, that’s what Ma says put the lid on him.’
Edward sat next to Charlie, cocking his head to one side. ‘Well, don’t stop there, you’ve got me hooked now . .
They were about to leave the dining room when David did it again. His voice was clear as a bell, but this time he was pointing at Edward. ‘Why is that fellow wearing Clarence’s cufflinks?’
Everyone turned to Edward and then back to David. He seemed very lucid, and his pale blue eyes were staring hard at Edward. He pointed again, and his face was tight and angry.
‘You must be mistaken, darling, now come along, we are all going into the drawing room, and it’s time you went to bed, come along everyone, Edward, Charlie.’
They trooped out, leaving David sitting at the table. Lady Primrose was the last to leave, and she turned when she reached the door. ‘Go to bed, David, you’re tired.’
As the party crossed the hall they couldn’t help but overhear the high-pitched, bell-like voice rising in anger. ‘That chap’s got Clarence’s cufflinks on, I bought them for his twenty-first, I would know them anywhere. He’s a ruddy thief, I want the police called. Primmy, please don’t walk away when I’m talking to you. Who is that fella, and where is Clarence? He won’t like it, I am going to do something about this.’
Charlie closed the sitting-room door with a wink to Edward and began to pour port and brandy, spilling it as he was already rather drunk. The raised voices continued out in the hall, and Charlie grabbed hold of Edward’s cuffs, swearing and trying to take out the cufflinks.
‘Better get ’em off, old chap, he’s liable to get into such a state. Here, give them over.’
Lord Carlton looked on and the girls sat eagle-eyed on the settee as Charlie ran from the room. He left the door ajar, and they could all see the irate David standing with his cane in the hall.
‘Here, Father, take them, put them away safely so no one can take them, here, these are what you want, aren’t they?’
Lady Primrose hovered at the door and gave Edward an apologetic shrug of the shoulders. The high-pitched voice continued, and now Humphrey could be seen trying to cajole David up the stairs, holding a cloudy drink out for him like a carrot to a donkey.
‘All I’m saying is, that chap has no right to be wearing Clarry’s cufflinks. When he comes back he’ll play hell, don’t like this sort of carry-on at all, not nice, throw the beggar out on his ear.’
At last the door was shut, and everyone tried to cover up their embarrassment by talking at once. Edward sat with his sleeves flapping and his feet, in Clarence’s patent-leather shoes, hurting. At the first opportunity he excused himself, pleading a headache.
He stood outside the door and knew they were talking about him. He hated the feelings churning inside him, hated being laughed at, but more than that he hated being the outsider. Edward had only just undone his tie and hung it on the doorknob when Charlie knocked and walked into the bedroom.
‘Look, sorry about all the carry-on down there, but the old man is out of it, been that way as long as I can remember.’
‘Just so long as he doesn’t undress me next time. You want Clarry’s suit back? Tie? Shirt?’
Charlie thumped him on the shoulder and then sprawled on the bed. ‘You know Freddy was engaged to my mother when they were young, and then she ditched him for old loonydrawers . . . Apparently Freddy is still getting the old leg over her, and I can’t really say I blame him – or her, for that matter. Neither of them have what one could describe as perfect partners. Lord Freddy was married for his title – the little hairy woman is
très riche
, but poor Ma married for love.’
Edward was unbuttoning his shirt. ‘What happened to your father?’
‘Well, it’s all cloaked in mystery, something like shell-shock. He was getting better for a while, then this scandal blew up . . . Well, that’s what Ma says put the lid on him.’
Edward sat next to Charlie, cocking his head to one side. ‘Well, don’t stop there, you’ve got me hooked now . .
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