Chapter Forty-Two
CHAPTER
FORTY - TWO
As Felicity had dunked her hair under the tap that afternoon, she’d wondered if she should have accepted her mother’s offer to take her to the hairdresser’s, instead of washing it herself. But she knew she would have emerged with her hair in stiff curls and a formal style not acceptable to a chic young Frenchwoman.
Now, she put it into a neat chignon, a style Alexandra had taught her, and then found a simple black dress. It was one of the ones from Paris that her grandmother had bought for her. She decided she would wear it with a single string of pearls and pearl studs in her ears. Her mother would approve.
Now she focused on painting wings on the end of her eyeliner. Then she added several layers of mascara. Her eyes looked enormous. Her mother would definitely disapprove of the very pale lipstick she put on, but it would be too late to do anything about it when she saw it.
It was very hard not to think about Oliver when she put on her make-up. But it was also very hard not to think about Oliver as she walked down the street, brushed her teeth or, in fact, did anything. She was putting on a good show of feeling normal, she felt, but she wasn’t normal. She thought about Oliver all the time.
A little earlier she had made sure the drawing room was fit for guests. There were plates of canapés, trays of glasses, two buckets of ice, and a selection of drinks. It was a shame, Felicity felt, that her mother didn’t like the option of just serving wine, which would have made everything so much easier. But it was Lucinda’s birthday and compromise wasn’t easy for her. Felicity resigned herself to mixing gin and tonic, gin and vermouth and the occasional whisky and soda or glass of sherry. Anna had been paid extra to stay for the evening, and Felicity was confident that Violet would help if she was needed.
How many people would come to a party at such short notice? It was impossible to say, but Lucinda had a lot of friends. She just wished Lucinda would come home from wherever she had popped out to after returning from the hairdresser and getting dressed. Felicity did not want to be the hostess all on her own!
At last she heard the front door open and voices, then the special laugh her mother gave when she was with a man. The next thing was the drawing-room door opening and in came her mother. Next to her was Hector, Oliver’s father.
It was all Felicity could do to force a smile on to her face and she only managed it for a very short time. She took refuge in getting Hector a drink. She gave him a very large measure of whisky and the smallest squirt from the sofa syphon. That should keep him quiet for a few minutes.
‘Good evening, Felicity,’ he said sternly. ‘I’ve promised your mother that I wouldn’t comment on your appalling behaviour over Christmas, so you’re in luck. I will just say that I was not impressed.’
Felicity’s smile flickered back on for a second. ‘Do you want your usual, Mummy? You do look lovely, I must say.’
Someone else come soon, she prayed as she poured the gin, again a very large measure. Luckily someone else did. It was Violet and Henry.
‘Violet!’ said Lucinda, unflatteringly surprised at seeing Violet with a presentable man. ‘You’ve brought an escort. How very unexpected.’
‘I hope you don’t mind, Lucinda,’ said Violet. ‘This is Henry.’
Henry took Lucinda’s outstretched hand and shook it. ‘Thank you so much for having me. I’ve heard such a lot about you.’
Hector, beside Lucinda, bristled.
‘Let me get you drinks,’ said Felicity, hugely relieved to see them. ‘Follow me.’
Henry, who’d offered to help with the drinks, took up his station by the array of bottles and glasses in the drawing room while Violet and Felicity took round the plates of canapés.
‘You don’t have to stay long if you’re having a horrible time,’ Felicity whispered to Violet. ‘It is ghastly. The worst part is Hector being here. He hates me.’
‘I’m sure he doesn’t …’ Violet began and then glanced across at the man standing to attention by Lucinda’s side. ‘Oh well, perhaps you’re right.’ She paused. ‘Maybe it’s just as well he’s unlikely to be your father-in-law.’
Felicity laughed. ‘There’s always a bright side, if only we look for it.’ Although she was making an effort, and hoped was convincing, she was struggling to be witty and amusing about a situation she found horrendous.
The room soon filled up with Lucinda’s friends and the noise level quickly made conversation almost impossible. But Lucinda seemed to be having a good time, surrounded by adoring men and sycophantic women.
Violet moved back to where Henry was giving a man (who was already drunk) another drink.
‘Would you mind if we took Felicity out to dinner with us?’ she said when they were alone. ‘Otherwise she’s got to have dinner with that man with a moustache and her mother.’
‘The terrifying one who looked daggers at me when I first arrived?’
‘The very one.’
‘We couldn’t possibly let Felicity go through that. But let’s not stay here too long.’
Violet knew he was tired by the slightly strained expression which made his usual ready smile look a bit forced. She also knew he was happier making drinks for people than he would be making conversation.
‘I’ll go and ask her, and at the same time warn her that we need to leave shortly,’ said Violet. ‘She may have to hang on here for longer.’
Violet went to Felicity’s side. ‘Henry and I would love it if you came out to dinner with us. But we have to go quite soon. Could you get away?’
‘If I could get away from the fortress that man calls home I can get away from here.’ Felicity obviously saw this invitation as a lifeline. ‘I’ll have to tell my mother, of course, and that might take a couple of minutes, but otherwise I’ll be there. Where should I meet you?’
‘We’ll go up to the flat,’ said Violet after a couple of seconds’ thought. ‘I want to change my shoes anyway.’
As she made her way back to Henry, Violet thought rapidly about inviting Henry to her flat. Would it look odd? Like a proposition? Or just generally forward? Still, she had to do it. Her feet were killing her.
A few minutes later, Violet and Henry said their goodbyes and made their way up to Violet’s flat. They heard Felicity’s footsteps coming up behind them. She was out of breath by the time she reached them.
‘I could tell Mummy couldn’t decide if she was delighted she didn’t have to deal with me and Hector at the same time, or cross because she’d have to tell him I wasn’t coming for their dinner. Luckily I already have a reputation as a bolter, so he won’t be surprised. He wouldn’t have wanted to have dinner with me anyway.’
‘Come in,’ said Violet, relieved to see her so quickly. ‘I must change my shoes. Would anyone like anything to drink?’
She showed everyone into the sitting room with its little kitchen up one end.
‘I’d love a glass of water. I find the English habit of drinking strong drinks without food barbaric!’ said Felicity, making herself at home. She addressed Henry. ‘Luckily Violet always has these delicious cheesy biscuits and they’re so comforting.’
‘I’d love to try them,’ said Henry. ‘I could do with comforting.’
Henry accepted a glass of wine and soon everyone was relaxing. Violet had intended to change her uncomfortable shoes but just kicked them off.
‘I don’t know if I’ve got the energy to go out to dinner,’ Violet admitted. She got up. ‘Maybe I could make us something here. I’ve got some eggs – er – three eggs. Cheese. Welsh rarebit?’
‘I know!’ said Felicity. ‘Let’s watch until we see Hector and Mummy leave the house then I’ll go down and get all the leftover canapés as well. And anything else we think we need from the kitchen.’
‘Are you two depriving me of the opportunity of taking two beautiful young women out to dinner?’ asked Henry.
‘We’re postponing your pleasure,’ said Felicity. ‘You can take us out tomorrow night.’
Henry laughed. ‘You win. I don’t have the energy to put up a fight. Eating something here would be delightful.’ He took another handful of cheesy biscuits.
‘While we’re waiting for everyone to leave so Felicity can raid the kitchen, let’s look at what she and Oliver found when they went mudlarking that time.’ Violet knew Felicity didn’t want to go through the finds bag but she’d have to one day and surely now was a good moment. She retrieved the little bag. ‘Here we go. I’ll get you a tray to tip everything on to,’ she added, realising just in time it would all be muddy and smelly.
Once the tray was provided, Felicity opened the bag. ‘Well, there’s a very dried-up shoe. A broken brooch and—’
‘A broken tile!’ said Violet and Henry at almost the same time. They exchanged excited looks and Violet picked it up. ‘With the crest of the de Launcey family on,’ Violet finished.
Henry took the tile from her. ‘Could we wash this?’
‘Am I missing something?’ asked Felicity.
‘You haven’t missed anything,’ said Violet, ‘but you and Oliver might have found something amazing.’
‘You have noticed the tile is broken,’ said Felicity.
‘It’s the crest on it that’s important,’ explained Violet.
‘It’s the crest of the family who owned the lost palace I’m looking for,’ said Henry.
‘I’ll wash it.’ Violet put out her hand to take it and Henry gave it to her reluctantly.
‘Do you know where you found it, Felicity?’ he asked.
Felicity looked stricken and Violet realised that it was likely the whole experience had been so terrifying she wouldn’t be able to remember details like that.
Felicity bit her lip. ‘We went towards Tower Bridge, I think. I do remember seeing that.’
‘So quite far from here?’
Felicity looked bewildered and ashamed. ‘Quite far, I think. We went by car so it must have been.’
‘Oliver would know,’ said Violet, handing Henry the tile, now mud free, the crest as clear as the day it was put there.
Felicity hesitated and then said, ‘I don’t know where Oliver is. But I might be able to find the place. I could certainly try.’
Violet wasn’t convinced by this but appreciated Felicity’s effort. ‘Are you sure you couldn’t find Oliver if you tried? You wouldn’t have to see him. We’d do that.’
She shook her head. ‘When I last saw him he was staying with his friend and I have no idea where he lives. It must be in London – or quite near anyway – but I don’t even know his friend’s full name.’
‘That would make it difficult,’ said Henry.
‘Maybe Miss Wynter could track him down,’ suggested Violet flippantly. ‘She doesn’t need many clues to find people.’
Henry made a face at her. ‘She had a lot of information about me,’ he said. ‘But, Felicity, do you think you could find the place you found this tile – or just give us a rough idea?’
Felicity didn’t answer immediately. ‘I should be able to. It’s just I wasn’t really concentrating – either going there and certainly not on the way back.’
Violet saw that she had suddenly gone very pale and wondered if she was reliving what had gone on that day on the riverbank when she had so nearly drowned.
‘It’s in a good cause, really it is,’ said Violet.
Felicity smiled weakly. ‘I’m sure it is.’
‘And we’re not suggesting we rush off into the dark,’ said Henry. ‘Saturday will do.’
Violet put her hand on Felicity’s shoulder. ‘I’m going to make some Welsh rarebit now. Why don’t you have a glass of wine while I do it?’ Felicity still looked pale.
She cleared her throat. ‘I’ll be OK. I’d love a glass of wine. I’m probably a bit worked up because of Mummy’s party. But I should be able to go and get the leftovers soon.’
She and Violet went to the window and saw a couple of taxis draw up outside. ‘They’re leaving! I wonder if Hector is going to pay? Mummy doesn’t often have to pay for her meals.’
Violet couldn’t tell quite what Felicity thought about this. Was she disapproving of her mother and her ways with men? Or was she impressed that she never had to pay for a meal?