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me to your friend.”
    “She’s Miss Macintosh, she belongs to Mr. Feathers. She’s going to marry him. This is my mother.”
    “ Marrying ?” Elsie’s eyes were black and still. “What secrets! We all rather suspected . . . How kind of you to talk to Harry. Have you children already? Grandchildren?”
    “Oh yes,” said Elisabeth. “I have twenty-seven grandchildren and I’m only twenty-eight years old.”
    Elsie looked out of her depth but Harry laughed and fell on Elisabeth like a puppy. “You will come, won’t you? Come to my school? On sports day?”
    “Only if your mother and father will let me.”
    “There’ll be no sports days at all if you don’t tuck your shirt in your shorts and get smartened up. We’ve not finished your packing yet and the plane goes at midnight. Your mother needs a rest.” Veneering’s voice was all right. O.K. Just a trace of elocution lessons, maybe?
    “Aren’t you taking me? Dad? You always take me to the airport.” The boy who had looked as if he could outface a battalion crumpled into a baby and began to cry.
    “Can’t this time,” said Veneering, “Work to be done for tomorrow. Sorry, guv’nor.”
    “Why didn’t you do the bloody work instead of coming to this awful party?” And biffing everyone out of his way, the child kicked out at his yellow-headed father and ran from the Judge’s apartment.
    Veneering stood looking at Elisabeth and Elsie drifted away.
    “He must learn to travel alone,” said Veneering. “Hundreds of them still do. Hardens them up. It’s in the British genes.”
    “What rubbish you talk,” said Elisabeth.
    “They travel first class. Well looked-after. Met at the other end. We take a lot of trouble. Not like in your old man’s time.”
    “It’s a fourteen-hour flight. And there’s a change of plane in India.”
    “He’s a self-reliant little beast. He’s done it before.”
    “If you ever need anyone to meet him we’ll probably be living in London at first. I should like to. Please.”
    “I hear you’re marrying Old Filth. It’s the sensation of the party. “Who is she, my dear?” No—he’d never let you have anything to do with a son of mine. We don’t get on. He thinks I’m common. So when did he get rid of his stammer and manage to ask you?”
    “About three hours ago.”
    “Is he weighing up your acceptance? Considering your sentence? I can see that you are.”
    She stood up. “You are as vulgar as they say you are.” She handed him her empty plate, crumpling his son’s dinner napkin on top of it as if he were a waiter, and walked away.

CHAPTER FIVE
     
    S he had been right about dinner. A junior in his team had asked Edward for a consultation after the party. It might make a vital difference to the Case. Edward would of course walk her back to her hotel first.
    “Will we meet later?”
    “I never know how long—”
    “Edward, we’ve not been engaged for a day yet. Can’t you even stop for some dinner? I didn’t see you eating anything. We’ve said so little—”
    “Not hungry. My clock’s not settled yet, it’s the middle of the night, I think.” He took her arm above the elbow and said, “Anyway, I’m too excited.”
    “Oh! Oh, well. Eddie, come to my room afterwards. At the Old C. It’s number 182. I’ll be alone. Lizzie’s out.”
    “Rather not promise. The end of the week will be ours for two full days. Then we have all the years we’re going to live.”
    He dropped her outside her hotel, which was pulsing with lights and screeching music.
    “Well, goodnight, my future husband who doesn’t ever kiss me.”
    “Well, certainly not here. You know I love you. I always will. Thank you. Please live for ever. Stop me from being a bloody bore. I can’t help working. It’s been a safety valve since school. Device for not thinking. But I’ll be all right now. Always. We’ll have a long, long honeymoon when this Case is out of the way.”
    He kissed her like a brother.
    Her room was