during this stint?”
“Clare’s family have a flat in Kensington. We’re…” Teddy broke off and grinned at Phillip’s face. “I’ve been married
for almost a year now, Pip! Didn’t you know?”
“No! Congratulations!” Of course he didn’t know; since meeting Suzy, Phillip had lost touch with nearly all the old set. He
hardly bothered to keep up his Christmas cards. Covering his dismay, he said, “Who’s the lucky girl, then?”
“Clare Bennet, now Mrs. Clare Latham. She’s the younger daughter of Brigadier Sir John Bennet.”
“Well, well, well.” Phillip smiled. “I’m pleased for you, Teddy! Not a bad career move!”
Teddy grinned. “She’s a fabulous girl, Pip! Twenty-one, gorgeous looking and all mine! You’d love her!” He swallowed down
the last of his beer. “Hey, listen! I’ve just had an idea. Clare’s got her sister coming up from Sussex tonight, for the weekend.
Why don’t we make up a four and go out for a meal?” He stopped, suddenly remembering an old piece of gossip about Phillip
and some married woman. “Erm, if you don’t have any other plans that is?”
Phillip aimed his cigarette at the fireplace and lobbed the butt perfectly into the grate. “I don’t know, Teddy, I’ve got
quite a lot to organize, I’m moving into Bertram’s flat while he’s away and I’ve got to get hold of the keys…”
“God! Bertram!” Teddy suddenly fumbled in his pocket and pulled out a set of keys.
“Voilà
! He asked me to give these to you and said he’s sorry but he had to leave early to fix something to do with his boat. It
apparently came adrift from its mooring.” Teddy chucked the keys and Phillip caught them in one hand. “Why anyone would want
to sail round the British Isles for his holiday, I don’t know. I’d be off in the Med or somewhere else hot and sunny, if it
was me.”
Phillip looked at the bunch, then up at Teddy. “Any other message? No cats to feed?”
Teddy grinned. “Don’t think so.”
Phillip made a snap decision. “OK then, you’re on for tonight!” The thought of a Friday night alone in Bertram’s flat was
a miserable one. “A couple of drinks at the Ritz, then dinner at a small Italian place I know! How’s that?”
“Sounds good to me! Clare’ll be delighted.”
Phillip drained his glass and left it on the floor. He glanced at his watch. “D’you want to have a few more here or…?”
“No, let’s get going.” Teddy patted the pocket of his blazer to check his keys were there and Phillip stood, smoothed the
crease in his trousers and looked across at his old school friend.
“Ready?”
“Yup, sure! D’you have a car here?” Teddy asked.
Phillip turned away abruptly. He was so used to driving the Mercedes, impressing people with it, that he felt bereft without
it. “No,” he said over his shoulder, keeping his face averted. God, he’d have loved the car now, Teddy would have been wowed
by it.
“Right, we’ll go in mine then.” Teddy rang for the corporal and asked for Phillip’s raincoat. It arrived seconds later and
he led the way down the stairs, stopping in the hallway to make a telephone call to Clare at her office. Phillip waited for
him outside in the cold.
“I’m parked round the back,” Teddy said as he came out. “Shall I bring the car round?”
“Yes, all right.” Phillip watched Teddy go, watched his jaunty stride and heard him whistle as he went. For a moment he envied
Teddy. What have I got, he thought, his mind drifting back to the awful scene with Suzanna, what exactly? But Teddy came around
the corner just then, peeped the horn of his Austin and Phillip put all of that from his mind. He climbed into the passenger
seat, the policeman lifted the barrier and together they set off for Kensington.
Clare Latham yanked the navy wool dress she had been wearing for work over her head as soon as she slammed the front door
of the flat shut behind her and kicked
“Clare’s family have a flat in Kensington. We’re…” Teddy broke off and grinned at Phillip’s face. “I’ve been married
for almost a year now, Pip! Didn’t you know?”
“No! Congratulations!” Of course he didn’t know; since meeting Suzy, Phillip had lost touch with nearly all the old set. He
hardly bothered to keep up his Christmas cards. Covering his dismay, he said, “Who’s the lucky girl, then?”
“Clare Bennet, now Mrs. Clare Latham. She’s the younger daughter of Brigadier Sir John Bennet.”
“Well, well, well.” Phillip smiled. “I’m pleased for you, Teddy! Not a bad career move!”
Teddy grinned. “She’s a fabulous girl, Pip! Twenty-one, gorgeous looking and all mine! You’d love her!” He swallowed down
the last of his beer. “Hey, listen! I’ve just had an idea. Clare’s got her sister coming up from Sussex tonight, for the weekend.
Why don’t we make up a four and go out for a meal?” He stopped, suddenly remembering an old piece of gossip about Phillip
and some married woman. “Erm, if you don’t have any other plans that is?”
Phillip aimed his cigarette at the fireplace and lobbed the butt perfectly into the grate. “I don’t know, Teddy, I’ve got
quite a lot to organize, I’m moving into Bertram’s flat while he’s away and I’ve got to get hold of the keys…”
“God! Bertram!” Teddy suddenly fumbled in his pocket and pulled out a set of keys.
“Voilà
! He asked me to give these to you and said he’s sorry but he had to leave early to fix something to do with his boat. It
apparently came adrift from its mooring.” Teddy chucked the keys and Phillip caught them in one hand. “Why anyone would want
to sail round the British Isles for his holiday, I don’t know. I’d be off in the Med or somewhere else hot and sunny, if it
was me.”
Phillip looked at the bunch, then up at Teddy. “Any other message? No cats to feed?”
Teddy grinned. “Don’t think so.”
Phillip made a snap decision. “OK then, you’re on for tonight!” The thought of a Friday night alone in Bertram’s flat was
a miserable one. “A couple of drinks at the Ritz, then dinner at a small Italian place I know! How’s that?”
“Sounds good to me! Clare’ll be delighted.”
Phillip drained his glass and left it on the floor. He glanced at his watch. “D’you want to have a few more here or…?”
“No, let’s get going.” Teddy patted the pocket of his blazer to check his keys were there and Phillip stood, smoothed the
crease in his trousers and looked across at his old school friend.
“Ready?”
“Yup, sure! D’you have a car here?” Teddy asked.
Phillip turned away abruptly. He was so used to driving the Mercedes, impressing people with it, that he felt bereft without
it. “No,” he said over his shoulder, keeping his face averted. God, he’d have loved the car now, Teddy would have been wowed
by it.
“Right, we’ll go in mine then.” Teddy rang for the corporal and asked for Phillip’s raincoat. It arrived seconds later and
he led the way down the stairs, stopping in the hallway to make a telephone call to Clare at her office. Phillip waited for
him outside in the cold.
“I’m parked round the back,” Teddy said as he came out. “Shall I bring the car round?”
“Yes, all right.” Phillip watched Teddy go, watched his jaunty stride and heard him whistle as he went. For a moment he envied
Teddy. What have I got, he thought, his mind drifting back to the awful scene with Suzanna, what exactly? But Teddy came around
the corner just then, peeped the horn of his Austin and Phillip put all of that from his mind. He climbed into the passenger
seat, the policeman lifted the barrier and together they set off for Kensington.
Clare Latham yanked the navy wool dress she had been wearing for work over her head as soon as she slammed the front door
of the flat shut behind her and kicked
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