‘Tell me what you want advice about,’ she said. ‘What’s your problem?’
‘Well. The big white chiefs at the hospital don’t like me. They’ve demanded my allowing mothers into the wards stops, or rather I stop trying to insist on it. Sisters are on their side too. And I can’t, Diana, or rather I won’t. It’s wrong, it’s brutal, it’s like being back at prep school, only at least we were fit and well and understood what we were doing there.’
‘Well, that’s easy. Of course you must fight on.’
‘Easier said than done. The chairman of the board of governors of the hospital, charmer called Sir Neil Lawson, really does hold the whip hand – he can make my life impossible, get rid of me altogether if he wants to. In fact, he threatened to, if I didn’t drop my campaign.’
‘Bastard.’
‘Indeed. And there’s more. He said he’d heard rumours about what he called my private life.’
‘What? That’s that pig of a Digby Harrington.’
‘And without my assurance that they’re unfounded, as he put it, he will make quite sure everyone in the hospital knows. Diana, it’s awful. I don’t know what to do.’
‘Oh, Ned, what a mess.’
‘I absolutely don’t know what to do. I can’t turn a deaf ear to those children crying, just do my job and go home. And anyway, what about the other threat? I can’t lie outright, I simply can’t.’
‘Of course you can’t. But – oh, Ned, I wish I could help. I’ll try, of course, but –’ She felt suddenly deeply sad, felt tears welling, brushed them away.
‘Oh, God,’ he said. ‘I’m so sorry, Diana. I’m afraid I’ve given you a rather dismal evening . . . would you like to dance?’
‘Not dismal at all,’ said Diana. ‘But I’d love to dance. Just once. Then I must go, I’ve got a busy day tomorrow. Even before I get on the plane.’
‘What are you doing in the States? Tell me, divert me. Being photographed stark naked, galloping along a beach at dawn, standing up on a horse?’
‘No, but it would make a great picture. I’ll suggest it to Freddie. Thanks, Ned. Maybe you could find a new career as a fashion editor? Oh, listen, come on, it’s a foxtrot, my favourite.’
They both danced rather well; people watched them from their tables, smiling, and several of the other dancers stopped to admire them. As they passed a neighbouring table on their way back to their own, a man, unmistakably American, beckoned to them.
‘That was great,’ he said to Ned. ‘I don’t know which of you dances better, you or your wife.’
‘Oh, she does,’ said Ned, smiling.
As they sat down again, Diana looked at him, her eyes dancing.
‘There you are,’ she said. ‘There’s your solution. You can marry me, that’ll scotch the rumours. Then we can buy a great big house, and who will know what goes on behind the doors?’
Ned laughed. ‘Brilliant. It would almost be worth doing, just to see people’s reactions.’
‘What do you mean, almost? Am I really such an appalling prospect?’
‘You’re a wonderful prospect. Brains and beauty. And I’ll tell you what people’s reaction would be, they’d say we should have done it years ago.’
‘Well, there you are. And probably we should. Now look, I really must go.’
‘Oh, yes, you’ve got this busy day tomorrow. So if it’s not riding a horse starkers along a beach, what is it?’
‘Oh – it’s sort of admin,’ said Diana. ‘Terribly complicated. You really don’t want to hear about it.’
Which of course, she thought, as she kissed him briefly before climbing into her taxi, he wouldn’t.
Chapter 52
‘I’ve persuaded Campbell to let me come and cover it,’ said Josh. ‘It’s quite a story. Support visit from a minister. And what a minister, for God’s sake.’
Tom had that morning been telephoned in his office by a very VIP cabinet minister to say he would be coming to Purbridge that week. ‘To join you on the stumps for the day,’ he said. ‘Might help a bit, you never know. Seeing as it’s too close to call. Attlee’s idea. OK with you?’
‘Yes,’ said Tom. ‘I mean, yes, of course. It would be terrific, thank you very much indeed.’
‘Right, right. Well, we’ll meet you at the local HQ? That is, couple of my staff and me. Shall we say eight a.m.? I’m relying on you to get a good programme together and the earlier we start the more we can cram in. Till Friday, then.’
‘Friday,’ said Tom to himself in awed tones, and the minute the line cleared, he rang Josh. Clearly impressed, he told him he’d ring back, and did within thirty minutes, with the news that he would be there as well. ‘Quite a coup, Tom. The powers that be obviously consider you a very important marginal.’
‘Yes, well, we are. It’s terribly close, according to the polls. Only thing is, what on earth do we – I – say to someone like that? I’ll be totally out of my depth.’
‘Oh, rubbish. You won’t have to say anything to him anyway, he’ll be far too busy even to speak to you. They’re all the same, Tom, they make these grand gestures of supporting you, when all they want to do is support themselves, play to the gallery, get people hanging on their every word. It’s just an ego trip, really. He’ll arrive in a cloud of glory, shake your hand and then he’ll be off, telling everyone how marvellous he is. Not in so many words, of course, but – anyway, I presume your agent will have some programme worked out for him?’
‘Yes, of course,’ said Tom. ‘We’ve got two car-manufacturing plants, the high street and the working men’s club.’
‘Sounds good. And it’ll boost your column inches by loads. You’ll see.’
‘Hope so. Apparently, some constituency or other, also too close to call, is literally measuring the columns, by the inch, to see who’s winning the publicity battle each day.’
‘Well, this’ll put you up into the yards, I reckon. Anyway, it’s marvellous,’ said Josh. ‘You should get Alice to come. She’s such good copy.’
‘I’m trying. It’ll mean her bringing Charlie, that’s the only thing. Her mother can take the other two, but he’s such a nightmare. Screams all the time.’
‘Won’t matter,’ said Josh. ‘He’s a baby. The minister might even kiss him.’
‘He’d be a brave man,’ said Tom, laughing.
‘They’ll do anything for a photo. Even at that level. No, tell Alice to come, tell her I’ll be there, I’ll look after her.’
Tom looked at the phone slightly doubtfully as he put it down. Josh knew about Diana and he was very fond of Alice. He didn’t think Josh would deliberately tell her, but he could easily give something away, with a thoughtless word, a careless joke even. Christ, he was in a mess. A filthy, foul mess. And it was all his own fault.
He telephoned Alice and asked her if she’d come to Purbridge in two days’ time. ‘We have a minister coming. It would be wonderful if you could. You can bring Charlie.’
‘Really?’
‘Yes. It’s desperately important this, Alice. Everyone says you should be there.’
‘Everyone meaning Donald, I suppose.’
‘No. Everyone. Including Josh.’
‘Josh!’