Legacy Of The Past
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‘That’s my cue,’ murmured Adrian dryly, rising to his feet. ‘I’ll be off. Will I see you tomorrow?’
‘You can come round if you want to,’ said Madeline easily. ‘Please yourself. If not I’ll see you Monday morning.’
‘Right. Good night, then. Good night, Diana.’
‘Good night, Uncle Adrian,’ said Diana, kissing his cheek. ‘Mind how you go.’
After Adrian had gone, Madeline carried the dishes into the kitchen and Diana followed her and picked up the tea towel to dry them.
‘Are you seeing Jeff tomorrow?’ asked Madeline, turning on the hot tap.
‘Yes. Why? Do you want me for something?’ Diana frowned.
‘Oh … er … no.’ Madeline smiled rather uncertainly at her daughter. ‘Where are you going then?’
‘Well, actually, just for a walk in the afternoon,’ replied Diana quietly.
‘Would you like to bring him back here for tea?’
Diana’s eyes brightened. ‘Could I?’ Jeff had only been to tea once before at the flat and then Madeline had had a headache and had had to leave them to their own devices.
She smiled now. ‘Of course. After tea, if Uncle Adrian comes round, we might play Monopoly or something.’
Diana looked disgusted. ‘Oh, Mum, Jeff and I won’t want to play games!’
Madeline shrugged. ‘All right. What will you do then?’
‘We might go to the Seventies Club.’
Madeline frowned. She did not like the idea of Diana going to a place like that on a Sunday evening, but alternatively it was better to know they were there, rather than wandering round the streets.
‘All right,’ she said, ‘you do what you like.’
DURING Monday, Madeline found her thoughts straying often to the evening ahead. It was quite an occasion for her to go out during the week. Now and then she and Adrian would take the train to London and go and see a show or listen to a concert at the Royal Festival Hall, but these outings were few and far between as Adrian was usually busy during the week, and besides, there was Diana to consider. She was still very young to be left too long alone and Madeline always put her first.
On Sunday Adrian had come to high tea at the flat and met Jeff. They had had quite a good time together. Jeff was intelligent and could discuss topics with Adrian which neither of the women could have done. Madeline found him quite charming and wondered whether she was worrying unduly about Diana. After all, surely young people could be friendly without getting themselves into bother. He was a nice-looking boy and whatever his background he was able to take care of himself and act as politely as the next person.
At lunchtime on Monday, Madeline went into the town centre. She had decided to treat herself to a new dress for the evening. She rarely indulged herself, except for necessities, and even Diana had gone as far as to say that this kind of affair did not happen every day. Madeline suspected that Diana was hoping for some development in her relationship with Adrian, and if so, Madeline knew she was going to be disappointed.
She found what she wanted in a small dress shop in Gilesgate. It was more than she had expected to pay, but she couldn’t resist it after trying it on. It was a delicious shade of leaf green chiffon, an ankle-length dress with sequins studded on the bodice. The neckline was low and round and embroidered with tiny beads and it had long sleeves which ended in cuffs, also embroidered with beads. It was the ideal dress for the occasion and she took it back to work feeling very pleased with her expedition. When Adrian asked to see it later in the afternoon she refused to show it to him.
‘Wait until tonight,’ she said teasingly. ‘I want to surprise you.’
Adrian chuckled. ‘All right, my dear, have it your own way. But I shall expect you to model it before we leave for the party.’
Madeline smiled and shook her head. Really, Adrian was a dear, she thought, sighing. Why couldn’t she decide to marry him and be done with it?
They were due at the Mastersons’ at nine o’clock and Adrian called at ten minutes to nine. He had already collected Mr. Hetherington and he was waiting in the car when they went down. Diana was not going out this evening. Jeff was studying and she had decided to wash her hair and play her records.
Madeline was wearing a brushed wool coat in a creamy colour and for once had left her hair loose on her shoulders. She looked about twenty-five and Diana had said, rather scathingly:
‘Good heavens, Mum, no one will believe you have a daughter of over sixteen!’
‘That’s all to the good, surely?’ Madeline had answered, but Diana had sounded non-committal. Madeline wondered whether the fact of Diana losing Joe at such an early age had made her doubly dependent on herself, and doubly willing to resent her mother’s youthful appearance. It was as though she was afraid Madeline might forget she had a daughter altogether, which was ridiculous.
Of course, Joe had been so much older, and Diana would have obviously greatly preferred a homely, buxom type without any pretensions to attraction. Perhaps her campaign on Adrian’s behalf was fixed on the idea that as Adrian was middle-aged he might tone her mother down somewhat.
Madeline was amused at her speculations. Ought she indeed to make Adrian and Diana happy and marry him after all? But then she squashed the idea. It wouldn’t make anybody happy really. The novelty of having a headmaster as her stepfather would wear off with Diana if he tried to press any restriction upon her; Adrian would be continually in a state about his precious collection and Madeline – well! she would be utterly bored by the whole affair. Nothing, not even security, was worth that much.
Hetherington was most complimentary about her appearance. Adrian had already said how delightful she looked in the new dress, so Madeline felt sure she was going to enjoy herself, and relaxed completely.
The Mastersons’ house, Ingleside, was not far away. Standing in its own grounds and floodlit by night, it looked very impressive as they turned between the permanently open drive gates. There were several cars parked in front of the house on the gravelled courtyard. Madeline saw that most of them were the wide, luxurious type, made by the Sheridan factory and its counterparts. They looked superlatively comfortable and she envied their occupants such vehicular superiority. There were several Sheridans like the one into which she had skidded last week on her scooter, but not one red one.