In Farleigh Field: A Novel of World War II

“I invited him,” Ben said. “He shares digs with me. I hope that was all right?”

“Of course,” Jeremy said. “The more, the merrier.” But Ben could tell that he wasn’t pleased. Guy came over to shake hands. “Long time no see, Prescott,” he said.

“Absolutely. What are you doing with yourself, Harcourt?”

“Pen pushing, I’m afraid. I failed the medical. I know I look like a strapping specimen, but apparently I have a weak heart.”

“That’s too bad,” Jeremy said. “Well, drink up. They say red wine is fortifying, don’t they? Now I must take a glass of wine to my favourite woman.”

Ben had been surreptitiously scanning the room, looking for Pamela. Then he saw her standing in the doorway, and looking a little shy, which was unusual for her. Then he noticed she wasn’t alone. Trixie came in with her, dressed in a black sheath dress with an emerald green opera cape over it.

“Hello, Ben,” she said, deliberately pushing past Pamela to give him a kiss on the cheek.

“I must say you look stunning,” he replied.

“Why, thank you for the compliment, kind sir,” she replied. “Now where is our host?”

“Pouring drinks,” Pamela replied. Then Ben noticed that Dido stood behind her, wearing more makeup than her father would have approved of and a slinky red Chinese-style dress, which made her look older than her eighteen years. Her face broke into a big smile when she saw Ben.

“Hello, Ben,” she called. “I didn’t know you were going to be here. How super. Won’t it be fun?”

“However did you get your father to agree to this?” Ben asked.

“Pamela swore to watch me like a hawk and put me on the milk train home in the morning. But as you can imagine I had to beg, plead, whine, and pout before he said yes. I wish I had known that you’d be coming because he would have been happier knowing that you’d keep an eye on me. He thinks you are a wonderfully steadying influence.”

“Gosh, what a responsibility,” Ben said. Then he remembered Mavis standing at his side. “Dido, this is Mavis. Mavis, this is”—he hesitated and might have been about to say “Lady Diana Sutton,” but Dido cut him off.

“Hello, I’m Dido,” she said. “Golly, we didn’t know Ben had a girlfriend. You are so secretive and naughty, Benjamin.”

“We only met recently.” Ben gave an embarrassed smile.

“Do you work together?” Dido asked.

“No, not usually. We met when I had to deliver some papers to the place where Mavis works.”

Dido turned to Mavis. “They wouldn’t have a job for me where you work, would they? I am desperate to do something useful.”

“It’s in Buckinghamshire, Dido,” Ben said. “You know your father wouldn’t let you live away from home.”

“Pamela does. Mavis does,” Dido said.

Mavis chuckled. “No, I don’t. I live with my mother, worse luck. I had to tell some enormous fibs to come out with Ben tonight.”

“Well done you,” Dido said. “A girl after my own heart.”

Jeremy handed Pamela and Dido glasses of wine. Then he saw Trixie. “Hello, another familiar face from the past,” he said.

“I’m flattered that you remember me,” Trixie replied.

“How could I forget? You were a brilliant dancer. I say, your season was a lot of fun, wasn’t it? And as it happens, the last for a while.”

“Don’t remind me,” Dido said. “Have pity on poor girls like me who will never come out now.”

“You look as if you’re doing quite well without coming out, young Dido,” Jeremy said. “Drink up. There’s plenty more. And food through in the dining room. Sorry that the eats won’t be up to the same standard as the drinks,” he added. “I had cook make a mousse from a couple of tins of salmon, and we smoked a trout from the lake, and I’ve some early strawberries from the garden, so we’ll have to make do with those.”

“Make do with those,” Mavis whispered to Ben. “Where did he manage to get his hands on tins of salmon?”

“Better not to ask,” Ben whispered back. She gave him a conspiratorial smile.

“Come and dance with me,” she said. “I like this song.”

“I have to warn you, I’m a mediocre dancer,” Ben replied.

“No, you’re not. You’re a good dancer; don’t be so modest,” Pamela said. As Ben led Mavis toward the parquet floor where others were dancing, Pamela muttered to him, “She’s nice. I fully approve.”

It was a slow foxtrot. Mavis demonstrated that she was quite willing to rest her cheek against his. But it wasn’t even quite dark outside, and Ben felt it was a little early in the evening for such things.

“So are those the two girls from the titled family?” she asked him.

Ben nodded.

“They seem awfully nice. Not snooty at all.”

“They are nice. I’ve known them all my life. We grew up together.”

“And what about the sexy girl in black? She seemed rather keen on you.”

“I expect she flirts with anything in trousers,” Ben said. “She works with Pamela at—at another government department out in the country.”

“I can see I have stiff competition for you,” Mavis said. She looked around. “You have such glamorous friends. Your friend Jeremy is so handsome. He and Pamela make a lovely couple, don’t they?”

Ben glanced up to see that Jeremy was now dancing with Pamela. He had no such reserve as Ben. His arms were wrapped tightly around her, and they moved as one across the floor. Her head was on his shoulder. Her eyes were closed. She looked perfectly content. Ben tightened his grip on Mavis, and she responded, moving closer to him.

At around eleven o’clock, the air-raid sirens went off.

“Should we go down to a basement or an air-raid shelter or something?” one of the girls asked nervously.

“You don’t think they dare to bomb Mayfair, do you?” a man replied, making everyone laugh.

“I know,” Jeremy shouted. “Let’s go up onto the roof! We’ll have a great view from there. Wait while I open the champagne first. It’s Veuve Clicquot, the old man’s favourite.”

There was a loud pop. Champagne welled over the top of the bottle, and glasses were held out to be filled.