Read Online The Quality of Mercy by David Roberts - Free Book Online
Authors: David Roberts
Ads: Link
won’t. They say in Vienna that he’s already got plans to take over the Sudetenland.’
‘The German part of Czechoslovakia?’
‘Yes.’
‘I still don’t like the idea of you going back to Vienna,’ Edward said gravely.
‘I’ll be safe enough,’ Verity smiled wanly, ‘but it’ll take a few days – two weeks at the most – to sort my papers out so if you can put up with me . . .’
‘Of course! You must come to Mersham. Connie’s expecting you.’
‘That would be wonderful. I’m always able to sleep there and that’s what I need at the moment – sleep.’
‘I’ve heard from Dreiser,’ Edward said after a pause. ‘He sent a telegram from Geneva. He had to take a roundabout route. He’ll be in London on Saturday. I thought we might pick him up from Victoria though I’ve given him my address if we miss him.’
‘Thank God!’ Verity smiled for the first time. ‘That, at least, is one thing worth doing but it isn’t enough.’
‘You mean, we should do something to help the others . . .?’
‘I do. I used to think that, as a reporter, I ought to stand above events – not get involved, remain impartial . . .’ Edward, remembering her partiality to the Republican cause in Spain, had to hide a smile. ‘Now, I think I must do something. I must intervene.’
‘But do what, exactly?’ he asked, his heart sinking. ‘What can we do that matters, living under the shadow of war?’
‘The Nazis have decided to expel as many Jews as they can. They can’t fit them all in the camps. The trouble is that not many countries will take them – South America, Palestine of course. Joe says Chamberlain is talking about allowing at least the children into Britain. There are people organizing trains to bring out Jewish children from Berlin and Vienna – the Committee for the Care of Children. We must help.’
She looked up at Edward with bright eyes, wide with appeal. ‘We must,’ he agreed.
Verity was too tired to rest so Edward suggested they had dinner at Gennaro’s ‘for old times’ sake’. The restaurant was crowded but Freddy, the head waiter, found them a quiet table and they ordered champagne ‘to buck you up’, as Edward put it. Verity nibbled nervously on a bread roll but said she wasn’t hungry. She had the same look of inexpressible weariness and despair she had when she came back from Spain that last time. There were black stains under her eyes and she looked thin and slightly grubby, as though she needed to soak for an hour in a hot bath. It was a shame, Edward thought, that girls could not go to hammams. Of course, there was always a spa – perhaps Harrogate or Cheltenham.
He must have smiled at the idea of Verity at Harrogate because she said sharply, ‘Have I got a smudge on my nose?’
‘No. Why?’
‘You were smiling while I was talking of jackboots . . .’
‘Sorry. I was listening, I promise.’
‘Well, let’s change the subject. What have you been up to while I’ve been away? Seen anything of Maggie Cardew?’ This was a woman whom Edward had liked but whose brother he had helped prove a murderer.
‘No,’ he said, shortly. ‘She won’t see me. I bring more pain than pleasure to my relationships with women, I’ve decided.’
‘Poor didums!’ she said, patting his cheek patronizingly. ‘Feeling sorry for ourselves, are we?’ She sighed and played meditatively with her Velouté de tomates . ‘We don’t seem to be very successful with our love affairs, do we?’
‘No. Are you going to eat that?’
‘What? Oh, this. No, I don’t think I am. Do you think Freddy would mind if I ordered a plain omelette? My stomach’s so . . . so tight, somehow, I can’t seem to digest anything.’
Edward looked worried. ‘I’m going to make you see my doctor. You need a thorough check-up. You’re much too thin and . . .’
‘Stop it. I’ll be all right in a few days. I don’t know . . . I felt so alone in Vienna. I had no friends there and I missed Adam
‘The German part of Czechoslovakia?’
‘Yes.’
‘I still don’t like the idea of you going back to Vienna,’ Edward said gravely.
‘I’ll be safe enough,’ Verity smiled wanly, ‘but it’ll take a few days – two weeks at the most – to sort my papers out so if you can put up with me . . .’
‘Of course! You must come to Mersham. Connie’s expecting you.’
‘That would be wonderful. I’m always able to sleep there and that’s what I need at the moment – sleep.’
‘I’ve heard from Dreiser,’ Edward said after a pause. ‘He sent a telegram from Geneva. He had to take a roundabout route. He’ll be in London on Saturday. I thought we might pick him up from Victoria though I’ve given him my address if we miss him.’
‘Thank God!’ Verity smiled for the first time. ‘That, at least, is one thing worth doing but it isn’t enough.’
‘You mean, we should do something to help the others . . .?’
‘I do. I used to think that, as a reporter, I ought to stand above events – not get involved, remain impartial . . .’ Edward, remembering her partiality to the Republican cause in Spain, had to hide a smile. ‘Now, I think I must do something. I must intervene.’
‘But do what, exactly?’ he asked, his heart sinking. ‘What can we do that matters, living under the shadow of war?’
‘The Nazis have decided to expel as many Jews as they can. They can’t fit them all in the camps. The trouble is that not many countries will take them – South America, Palestine of course. Joe says Chamberlain is talking about allowing at least the children into Britain. There are people organizing trains to bring out Jewish children from Berlin and Vienna – the Committee for the Care of Children. We must help.’
She looked up at Edward with bright eyes, wide with appeal. ‘We must,’ he agreed.
Verity was too tired to rest so Edward suggested they had dinner at Gennaro’s ‘for old times’ sake’. The restaurant was crowded but Freddy, the head waiter, found them a quiet table and they ordered champagne ‘to buck you up’, as Edward put it. Verity nibbled nervously on a bread roll but said she wasn’t hungry. She had the same look of inexpressible weariness and despair she had when she came back from Spain that last time. There were black stains under her eyes and she looked thin and slightly grubby, as though she needed to soak for an hour in a hot bath. It was a shame, Edward thought, that girls could not go to hammams. Of course, there was always a spa – perhaps Harrogate or Cheltenham.
He must have smiled at the idea of Verity at Harrogate because she said sharply, ‘Have I got a smudge on my nose?’
‘No. Why?’
‘You were smiling while I was talking of jackboots . . .’
‘Sorry. I was listening, I promise.’
‘Well, let’s change the subject. What have you been up to while I’ve been away? Seen anything of Maggie Cardew?’ This was a woman whom Edward had liked but whose brother he had helped prove a murderer.
‘No,’ he said, shortly. ‘She won’t see me. I bring more pain than pleasure to my relationships with women, I’ve decided.’
‘Poor didums!’ she said, patting his cheek patronizingly. ‘Feeling sorry for ourselves, are we?’ She sighed and played meditatively with her Velouté de tomates . ‘We don’t seem to be very successful with our love affairs, do we?’
‘No. Are you going to eat that?’
‘What? Oh, this. No, I don’t think I am. Do you think Freddy would mind if I ordered a plain omelette? My stomach’s so . . . so tight, somehow, I can’t seem to digest anything.’
Edward looked worried. ‘I’m going to make you see my doctor. You need a thorough check-up. You’re much too thin and . . .’
‘Stop it. I’ll be all right in a few days. I don’t know . . . I felt so alone in Vienna. I had no friends there and I missed Adam
Similar Books
