Ankle Deep by Angela Thirkell

Author:Angela Thirkell [Thirkell, Angela]
Language: eng
Format: azw3, epub
Publisher: Endeavour Press
Published: 2017-07-26T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 6

Not long after this Arthur’s mother rang Aurea up, asking her to dine that evening. Aurea wasn’t sure if it would be amusing or not, till she remembered that Valentine was apt to drop in between work and dinner. So she accepted Vanna’s invitation. Then she thought she would like to make sure of seeing Valentine, so she rang him up.

“E. and S. Bank speaking,” said the competent female voice.

“Oh, could I speak to Mr. Ensor?” said Aurea, while all heaven’s lightnings crashed in her head, and she felt empty all over. This was only the effect of being about to speak to Valentine.

“I’m sorry, he’s in conference,” said the voice.

Fanny would have walked over the voice and got through at once, but Aurea was afraid of the competent voice, and also a little afraid of bothering Valentine.

“Could you take a message for him to ring up Mrs. Palgrave?”

The voice wrote down the name and telephone number and rang off. Aurea walked restlessly about, played a little on the piano, ate a biscuit that she didn’t want, and did a little knitting. Presently the telephone bell rang. It was Valentine, introduced by the competent voice.

“Oh, Valentine,” she said, in a polite voice, in case anyone was listening in the bank, “I am dining with Mrs. Turner this evening. If I went a little earlier, do you think you would drop in after work and stay a little later?”

“Darling, I’d love to, but I have promised to go to some people who are having a cocktail party, and then I’m dining out.”

“Oh, Valentine, couldn’t you just manage to look in, only for a few moments?”

“Darling, you know I’d love to, but I have to get home and dress, and I shan’t have a moment.”

“Couldn’t you perhaps dress five minutes earlier and look in on Vanna on your way to your party?”

“I’m afraid I simply can’t, darling. I’ll see you tomorrow at lunch, anyway. I must go now — there are six highly important people waiting for me, any one of whom might sack me if he wasn’t pleased. Bless you, bless you, darling, goodbye.”

Aurea was left with the receiver in her hand, feeling emptier than ever. She hung it slowly up, and went upstairs, and sat down in front of her glass and looked at herself. Gradually the glass became misty, and her image was dissolved in tears. “Oh, Valentine, Valentine” was all she said.

But life has to be lived, so she had her hair washed, which is very restoring, and thought of having a face massage but didn’t feel in spirits, for you must be feeling rather nice before you can take trouble about making yourself look nice, and went out to dinner. Vanna lived by herself in a delightfully small house with about a pennyworth of garden, which she kept well stocked by buying plants from Mr. Woolworth. Aurea hadn’t seen her since the memorable weekend party, and found her looking much the same.

“You don’t look a bit grandmotherish, Mrs.

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