What Once Was True: An Irish WW2 Story by Jean Grainger

Author:Jean Grainger [Grainger, Jean]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2018-06-24T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 24

‘Lady Kenefick, how nice to see you. Your son is waiting in the Palm Court. May I take your coat?’ The beautifully liveried waiter escorted Violet into the sumptuously decorated salon of The Ritz Hotel. Palm trees grew out of huge urns, reminiscent of her youth in India, and in each alcove, a gold statue lounged. The crisp linen and sparkling silver serving bowls gave the impression of the utmost decadence, and she absolutely loved it.

Samuel had called on her and Lillian once she had settled in, and Violet had never been happier to see him. He looked so handsome, dazzlingly so, in his RAF officers’ uniform, and it made such a pleasant change from listening to Lillian complain endlessly that the house they were renting was too small. The wretched girl simply refused to accept that they were not as wealthy as she would wish and that her lifestyle as a good-time girl, quaffing champagne at all the best places till dawn and then sleeping all day in a perfectly proportioned, ideally located flat all of her own, was simply way beyond the family’s means.

Lillian refused to bring any of her friends home to what she called ‘the hovel,’ though it was a nice little house, with only three bedrooms, admittedly, but it was in Sloane Square. Once the debts and duties had been paid with the profits of the sale of the furniture and assets of Robinswood, they’d been left with very little. Violet was as disappointed as Lillian, but she could accept it. The rent from the land would be paid four times per annum, and while it was going to be enough to live on, it didn’t allow for extravagance.

Violet toyed with the idea of returning to India. She was still a relatively attractive woman, she reasoned, and her days there had been filled with suitors. Perhaps she could remarry, someone better than Austin. Things were improving even more now that she was back in civilisation with decent hairdressers, beauty rooms, and couturiers. At first, she’d been fearful that rationing had removed all of the niceties of life, but she soon learned that if one had the means and the connections, most things were possible, even in these troubled times.

Surely there were some single men who would enjoy her company? Admittedly, they may not be as handsome as her suitors once were, but it was better than living in penury here, with the constant threat of that nasty little Austrian coming and blowing them all to bits. She planned to ask Samuel’s opinion over afternoon tea. He was such a wonderful son. He knew she needed a little pick-me-up after all the stress of moving and so on, and when he’d invited her, she’d been over the moon. She also needed to talk to him about their finances, and that was impossible to do with Lillian around.

She followed the waiter’s lead and soon spotted Samuel’s handsome head as he rose to greet her. No sooner had she registered her son did she notice he was not alone.

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