Vacillations of Poppy Carew by Mary Wesley

Author:Mary Wesley [Wesley, Mary]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-1-4804-5060-8
Publisher: Open Road Media
Published: 2013-10-03T00:18:00+00:00

28

PENELOPE LUCAS MET VENETIA Colyer in Harrods food hall.

‘Hullo,’ she said, kissing Venetia’s tendered cheek, ‘charging a few bits and bobs to your ma’s account?’ she joked, knowing Venetia’s shopping habits, swift to deliver the first thrust.

‘Paying for my own cheese actually, Penelope dear.’ Venetia laid her smooth cheek briefly against Penelope’s. ‘And how is Penelope?’ She pronounced the name to rhyme with ‘antelope’, having recently gossiped with Julia Wake on the telephone.

‘You’ve been talking to Julia,’ said Penelope, good-humoured. ‘She wears her jokes to death. Did you see Victor’s article about that super funeral in her magazine? A huge puff for Fergus.’

‘I was there actually.’

‘At the funeral?’

‘Yes.’

‘Really! Did you see Victor? You must have, he couldn’t have invented all that about the horse hearse, the horses dressed in feathers and the mutes.’

‘Victor was principal mute.’

‘Gosh! How did that come about? I know, don’t tell me. The Furnival man paid him, he’s fearfully strapped for money.’

‘He won’t be strapped long. Sean Connor is going to publish his novel.’

‘Whatever next!’ Penelope was genuinely surprised. ‘Is he getting a good advance, I wonder?’

‘Ask Julia, she might know.’

‘Can’t very well, Victor and I are divorced, she might think I was after his money.’

‘So you would be. Wait a sec while I buy my cheese, then let’s go and have a coffee.’

‘Harrods is too expensive for me.’

‘What are you doing here then?’

‘Just looking. It’s all so pretty, a lovely still life. I like watching the Japanese tourists taking photographs in the butchers’ department.’

‘I’ll stand you coffee, wait while I get my cheese.’

‘And a bun,’ Penelope stipulated, accepting.

‘Anything you like.’ Venetia moved to the cheese counter.

Penelope watched. Venetia’s hair in the artificial light was the colour of Wensleydale. She bought Brie, Parmesan and Goat. They repaired to a coffee bar and settled at a corner table. Venetia ordered coffee and cakes. ‘So what’s your news?’ she asked, scanning Penelope’s face with her bright eyes.

‘Nothing much.’ Penelope hesitated then, making up her mind, asked, ‘Did Julia tell you which of Victor’s novels Sean is publishing, he’s written three.’

‘His last I think.’

Penelope let out a cry. ‘That one, it’s his version of our marriage, I never thought anyone would publish it.’

‘Why not?’

‘All our rows, almost verbatim, masses of four letter words, abuse and some pretty intimate sexual revelations.’

‘You do let rip when cross.’ Venetia put two lumps of sugar into her coffee. ‘Sugar?’

‘No, thanks. I’m trying not to. I could sue him for libel.’

‘Great publicity. How did you come to read it, he’s written it since you parted company.’

‘I still have the key of our flat. I went to look for something I wanted and as the manuscript was there I had a quick flip through. I thought it well written and terribly sad.’

‘Julia says Sean finds it irresistibly funny.’

‘Other people’s miseries are.’ Penelope sipped her coffee, made a face, weakened, put in a lump of sugar. ‘And what’s with you these days?’ She turned an appraising eye on Venetia. ‘Didn’t I hear you had a new man, Edmund something?’

‘Platt.

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