Long Live the King by Fay Weldon

Author:Fay Weldon
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Head of Zeus
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Minnie’s Condition

Mrs Flower at the post office telephoned through to the station master at Brighton to tell him that the 10.00 train needed to make a detour and stop at Dilberne Halt. The fifth Earl of Dilberne had sold the land to the Brighton Railway Company in 1835 on condition that the train stopped at the Halt whenever so required by any occupier of Dilberne Court. Reginald drove Lady Minnie and Lady Rosina to Dilberne Halt, where they caught the 10.25 train to London at 10.30. They were on their way to see Lady Isobel. Minnie had news, good and bad, for her mother-in-law: Rosina wanted to get in some shopping and go to a debating club the following evening when Mr Gilbert Chesterton was rumoured to appear, and William Butler Yeats, over from Ireland. It seemed that Rosina was in correspondence with Seebohm Rowntree and he was coming down to London to attend – it was to be an argument between the rationalists and the idealists – but Minnie was not to let her mother know.

‘He is a happily married man,’ Rosina was at pains to tell Minnie, ‘it is a meeting of minds, that is all.’

‘In that case,’ said Minnie, ‘perhaps I could go with you?’

‘It is in Bedford Park,’ said Rosina, ‘one of the new garden suburbs, and the houses are all pebble-dashed with peculiar chimneys: it’s very writery – and I don’t think it will suit you at all. You have to get there by steam train and you are in a certain condition and I’m sure once Mama knows she will not let you go anywhere at all.’

‘Then I will go first and tell her afterwards,’ said Minnie. She had heard of Bedford Park; there was a school of art and Pissarro had lived there and T. M. Rooke still did, the famous artist who knew Ruskin and had worked with Burne-Jones. ‘We will spend two nights away.’

‘Papa and Mama are there with only a couple of servants,’ objected Rosina. ‘It is a great deal of trouble for them.’

‘Oh for heaven’s sake, Rosina,’ said Minnie. ‘I promise not to overhear whatever you say to this Seebohm of yours, and not tell a word to anyone if I do.’

‘We will be talking about rural poverty, that is all,’ said Rosina, then added, ‘more’s the pity,’ and smiled. She had a pretty smile, and when she used it, thought Minnie, looked ten years younger.

Minnie asked what the name of the club was and Rosina replied the I.D.K. debating society.

‘What’s I.D.K.?’ asked Isobel.

‘The I Don’t Know debating club. When anyone asks you for the password you say I.D.K. and they let you in.’

‘Then nothing in the world will stop me going,’ said Minnie.

Mrs Neville had packed a lunch hamper, but they decided they would far rather eat in the Pullman restaurant car, so they found an empty third-class carriage and decanted the packed lunch – hard-boiled eggs and ham; butter, cheese and rolls; and apple pasties and ginger

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.