Tom studied the editors. The only one who really interested him was Hugh Cudlipp: God, he was amazing. The charisma crackled out of him.
‘Good evening,’ he said to Eden, as his turn came. ‘Hugh Cudlipp, Daily Mirror.’ Humour suddenly appeared on his face. ‘As you know, we are not among your chief flatterers.’
Eden smiled in agreement.
‘But I have always had the greatest regard for your integrity.’ More smiles.
‘There are two sorts of Toryism,’ Cudlipp went on. ‘That of a small majority and that of a big majority. The Toryism of the small majority is what I would call a more humanitarian Toryism. The Toryism of a big majority, on the other hand, sees a neglected housing policy, broken-down slums and massive unemployment. If you are elected with a large majority on May the twenty-fifth what kind of Toryism will we see?’
‘Clever bugger,’ said Donald. ‘Straight for the jugular and so well phrased, you have to work out that he’s actually being very insulting about the Tory record.’
Diana was more disconcerted by Wendelien’s reaction than she liked to admit, even to herself. What had started out as almost a jape, was turning into something much more serious and almost dangerous. Wendelien was quite right, Leo Bennett and his team would undoubtedly work out that she was the wicked adulteress in Tom Knelston’s story; it made it much more glamorous and exciting, and they would go to town on it. And while that could make her sound glamorous and exciting also, it could backfire badly and hurt Jamie. She really didn’t want that.
And there wouldn’t be a single person in London who didn’t know about it. It might damage her professionally, although she doubted it. But socially? Her large and rather eclectic circle of friends would probably, for the most part, be amused by it, although some would definitely be not. She could live with that. To Tom she gave little consideration, either to his career or his family; he had used her and hurt her badly and he deserved everything he might get. Dressing for dinner with Ned, she felt irritable and almost depressed; as if she was being deprived of some huge treat.
She decided to sleep on it and see where her instinct led her in the morning; for Wendelien was quite right, she could easily cancel her lunch with Leo Bennett.
‘Darling Ned, I’m so sorry I’m late. I – well, I got held up.’
‘Nothing serious, I hope.’
‘No! Goodness, no. It’s actually rather exciting – I’m flying to New York tomorrow. With Freddie Bateman, my photographer friend.’
‘Is he the one who has you hanging out of helicopters? Don’t you go jumping off the Statue of Liberty.’
‘’Fraid I’ve got to,’ said Diana. ‘It’s part of the brief.’
‘Diana!’ He looked genuinely anxious, so much so she was touched. Then he grinned. ‘Very funny.’
‘Yes, I thought so.’ She sparkled at him over her champagne. ‘I’m jolly excited, anyway.’
‘I bet you are. Now, I heard just today from Ludo that Johnathan is getting married again. True or false?’
‘Quite true.’
‘Anyone you know?’
‘Well, I’ve met her. Terribly dull. And a goody-goody. It makes me wonder what Johnathan was doing with me.’
‘He loved you, I expect.’
‘Do you think so? He pretty well hates me now. And probably with good reason. Oh, it was so wrong, what I did. Marrying him when I – well, when I knew I didn’t love him. I married the pre-war lifestyle, the London house, the social scene; being dragged off to Yorkshire just finished everything.’
‘Well, it must have been a terrible culture shock. I’m not sure I could cope with it either. I’m not a country mouse any more than you are. Anyway, let’s order quickly, and then we can talk. I need your advice.’
‘Mine? Ned, I am really not the sort of person you should take advice from. Unless it was about whether you should shorten your skirt or cut your hair.’
‘I think I could decide both those things for myself. No, I want to talk to you about something even more important than that.’
She laughed, picked up the glass of champagne the waiter had poured her and said, ‘Well, here we are, having supper at the Savoy, where you broke my heart all those years ago.’
‘Not quite broken. Minor fracture, perhaps.’
‘Ned! At the very least, a major one.’
‘Oh, all right. Anyway, I thought we should lay that ghost. We’ve never been here alone together since.’
‘No, of course we haven’t. Oh, Ned. How I adored you. You were so handsome – well, you still are, of course – and so charming, and so special.’
‘And you were so beautiful – and you still are – and so charming and so special. You could have said we were made for each other. Except for the one little thing.’
‘Yes, the one little thing. You didn’t love me.’
Diana looked at him. There was something different about him, and she couldn’t quite work out what. He seemed less terminally anxious, more relaxed. It was lovely to see.
‘Do you know,’ she said, ‘I don’t think I’ve ever been in love. Except with you, and that doesn’t count.’
‘Oh, darling, that’s so sad. Not even that photographer chap?’
‘Who, Freddie? No, absolutely not. But no, I’ve never gone weak at the knees, or felt anyone was too good to be true. Anyway –’ she laughed, a light, manufactured laugh – ‘I suppose I have a little time yet . . .’
‘Of course you do. There’s probably someone walking along the Strand right now, thinking, “I’ll just pop into the Savoy for a nightcap” – and there he’ll be, and there will go your knees.’
‘I doubt it.’ She sighed. ‘It’s not very good for morale. I keep wondering what’s wrong with me, what a bad person I must be.’
‘Diana,’ said Ned, ‘you are not a bad person. You are so far from that. You’re actually a very good person.’
‘Oh, Ned. If only.’
‘No, you are. All right, you might not be accepted into a convent . . .’
‘God, I hope not.’
‘But you were a very good wife to Johnathan –’
‘I was a terrible wife to Johnathan.’
‘No, you weren’t, you went up to Yorkshire to live, for God’s sake . . .’
‘But then I kept running away. To show off in front of the cameras.’
‘Yes, but you’re so good at it, and you always went back to Yorkshire. And you’ve told me how hard you tried to make it all work and you’re a wonderful mother, anyone can see that. And Johnathan blaming you for that miscarriage, that was so outrageous, and yet you never hit back – and you’re such a good friend, so loyal and always there when I, at any rate, need you, and I’m sure for everyone else too . . .’
‘Oh, Ned, stop it,’ said Diana, laughing. ‘This is all very flattering, but it’s a bit rose-tinted. I was really mean this afternoon to Wendelien.’
‘Well, I’m sure she’ll get over it. But properly mean, in a way that would really hurt someone – I know you would never do anything like that. You’re just not capable of it . . .’
There was no doubt he meant it, his smile as he finished his testimony to her non-existent virtue very sweet. She suddenly felt extremely uncomfortable.