A Night of Gaiety (8 page)

“
I don’t mind telling you it’s what I suspected,” Violet said. “Ma always was extravagant and I guessed she’d clean your father out before she left him.”

“
Why did you think that?” Davita asked.

S
he had the awful feeling that Violet was about to say: “because she always did,” but instead there was an uncomfortable silence until Violet replied:

“
I just knew your father wasn’t a rich man.”

D
avita ate a spoonful of the ice-cream before she said in a low voice:

“
Everything had to be sold, and all I possess is now in my two trunks.”

“
I don’t suppose that’s worth much, judging from the wardrobe I’ve seen so far,” Violet remarked.

D
avita flushed.

S
he was not going to explain that the dress she was wearing had been her mother’s.

S
he knew only too well how dowdy it must appear to Violet, in her fashionable, expensive clothes which had been paid for by Lord Mundesley.

“
Now if you ask me,” Violet was saying, “you’ve as much hope of finding anyone to employ you as flying over the moon. You are too young, for one thing, and for another it’d be just sheer waste of your looks.” Davita stared at her in surprise, and she said almost angrily:

“
Come on, Davita! Don’t play the idiot with me! You’re as aware as I am that with your red hair and your baby-face, most men are ready to fall flat at the sight of you.”

“
I am sure that is not true.”

“
It’s too true for my liking,” Violet said somewhat tartly, “but never mind that. What I want to do is to set you up one way or another, either with marriage, which is difficult, or with money, which is easier.”

“
What ... do you mean ... easy?” Davita enquired.

“
I’m not going to say too much now,” Violet said, “but I want you to promise to trust me and leave me to look after you.”

S
he paused before she went on:

“
I’m fond of you, Davita. You know as much about life as a chicken that’s just popped out of the egg. But as there’s no-one else, it’s got to be me!”

“
I do not wish to be a nuisance to you.”

“
I know that,” Violet answered, “but it’s my duty to see that you aren’t reduced to the same state as Rosie.”

Davita stiffened.

“
I hope I never behave in such an uncontrolled manner,” she said, “but I was very, very sorry for her.”

“
She only had herself to blame,” Violet replied. “She’s the whining, complaining, possessive sort, which would bore any man after he’d got
used to her face.”

Davita thought that was rather hard, but she said nothing, and Violet went on:

“
Now, you’re different. That young spring-like look would charm the wisest old pigeon off the tree. But if it’s my pigeon, it’s something I’ve got to prevent.”

“
I do not ... understand.”

“
That’s all the better!” Violet replied. “What you’ve got to do is promise me that whatever happens, you’ll do what I tell you and say nothing I wouldn’t want you to say in front of other people.”

D
avita continued to look puzzled and Violet went on: “What I’m asking you to do is to believe that I’m doing everything in my power that’s in your best interests. Is that clear?”

“
Y-yes ... of course ... I am very grateful,” Davita answered. “It is just that I do not ... understand ...”

“
You don’t have to,” Violet said.

S
he put up her hand to call the waiter.

“
Come on, I must go home now or I’ll look hideous, and we are going to a party.”

“
A party?” Davita exclaimed.

“
Yes, a really good one given by a friend of mine, and you’ll enjoy it. Have you got a decent evening-gown?”

“
I do not know what you would think of it,” Davita answered.

“
What’s wrong with it?”

“
Nothing ... it is ... white.”

“
White?”

“
It was my mother’s wedding-gown, which she altered and sometimes wore on special occasions.”

“
Well, that’s exactly what you want,” Violet exclaimed. “A wedding-gown. It couldn’t be more suitable!”

Chapter Four

T
hey drove back
to their lodgings, and while Davita was longing to ask Violet a hundred questions, she had the feeling that she would not answer them.

At the same time, she was very touched that Violet should be so concerned for her.

After all, she was well aware that she was somewhat of an encumbrance, and she told herself that she must try to find a job on her own and not impose on Violet.

‘She is right,’ Davita thought, ‘I am ignorant of the world, but how could I be anything else after living in Scotland and seeing so few people?’

Of one thing she was determined—she would not be critical of Violet or her friends.

It was nothing to do with her if Violet liked to be
friends with a married man, and even less her concern that they should hate the Marquis and plot against him.

When she thought of last night, it seemed to her a whirligig of colour, noise, and laughter. At the same time, the Show itself had been an excitement which she felt she would always remember.

The glamorous actresses, the beauty of the girls like Violet, and the laughter evoked by Fred Lacey were all like something out of a dream.

“Goodness, I’m tired!” Violet said suddenly, breaking in on her thoughts. “It’s all these late nights. Thank goodness I can get nearly two hours’ sleep before we have to go to the Theatre.”

“Am I to come with you?” Davita asked.

“
Of course you are!” Violet said. “You can sit in the dressing-room—or, if you wish, in the Box with Bertie.”

There was just a pause before the last few words, and Davita said quickly:

“I will sit in the dressing-room. After all, I saw the Show last night.”

She thought Violet seemed relieved, and she certainly smiled before she said:

“You’re a sensible girl, Davita. The trouble is, you’re not only pretty but something new, and there’s not a man alive who doesn’t like a novelty.”

Davita looked at her in surprise, not understanding what she was talking about, but because she wanted to please Violet she said:

“I am so grateful to you for being so kind to me. If you had sent me away last night, I do not know what I should have done.”

“Leave everything to me,” Violet said in a brisk tone. “I’ve said I’ll look after you and I will.”

The cab drew up outside their lodgings, Violet paid the cabby, and Billy opened the door to them to say with a grin:

“There be some flowers oopstairs for yer. No guesses who sent ’em!”

“I’ve told you before not to read the cards on my flowers,” Violet said sharply.

“Oi didn’t ’ave to,” Billy answered. “ ’Is Nibs sent ’is footlicker wi’ ’em!”

He spoke as if he was glad to score off Violet, but she merely tossed her head as if he were beneath her notice and went up the stairs.

Davita followed her and Violet opened the door of her bedroom, which was a large, well-decorated room at least six times the size of Davita’s.

Inside there was a basket of purple orchids that made her exclaim with astonishment:

“I have never seen anything so exotic!”

There were several other floral arrangements in the room, which Davita could not help thinking looked very different from the rest of the house.

The large bed had a pink satin cover on it trimmed with lace which matched the pillow-cases, and there were a number of satin cushions on the
chaise-longue
and on two comfortable arm-chairs arranged on either side of the fireplace.

There were white fur rugs on the floor, and the tasselled pink silk curtains were very different from the roughly made Holland ones which covered the windows of Davita’s room.

What made it different from any other bedroom Davita had ever seen were the photographs which were arranged on the mantelshelf, the dressing-table, and on every other piece of furniture.

Stuck on the wall on each side of the mantelpiece were press-cuttings.

These of course all referred to Violet, and the photographs were mostly of her, although some of them were of other actresses, and one or two of men.

They were all signed, and Davita thought she would enjoy looking at them when there was time.

But Violet said now:

“Undo my gown for me, and the quicker I can get
between the sheets, the better. I forgot to tell Billy to knock on my door at five-thirty. Will you remind him?”

“Yes, of course I will,” Davita replied as she undid Violet’s gown.

She hung it up in the wardrobe, and by the time she had put away her hat, Violet had covered her hair with a net to keep it tidy, slipped into her nightgown, and was in bed.

Davita drew the curtains and as she left the room she fancied that Violet was already asleep.

She thought she would go into her own room and take off her bonnet.

Then when she opened the door she had a shock, for perched on top of one of her trunks, because there was nowhere else to put it, was a basket nearly as large as the one in Violet’s room, but instead of orchids it was filled with white roses and lilies.

She was staring at it in astonishment, thinking it must really have been meant for Violet, until seeing the card attached to the handle she pulled it off and read:

To a very bonny lassie from a most admiring Mundesley

Davita drew in her breath.

It struck her that Violet would be annoyed at Lord Mundesley spending so much money and paying so much attention to her.

She looked at the card, read it again, and wished it was possible to send the flowers back without Violet being aware that he had given them to her.

‘I shall have to thank him,’ she thought, and she wished again, as she had last night, that she need not see him again.

Then she remembered Violet’s message and hurried down the stairs to find Billy.

She reached the last flight and saw him speaking to somebody at the front door. As she came down into the Hall, she could see that it was a servant in livery.

B
illy turned round and saw her.

“
Ah, t’ere y’ are, Miss. Oi were co
m
in’ to find yer.”

“
I was coming to find you,” Davita replied. “Miss Lock says please remember to knock on her
d
oor at five-thirty.”

“
Oi’ll not forget,” Billy answered. “An’ t’ere’s some-un ’ere as wants t’ speak t’ yer.”

“
Speak to me?” Davita questioned in surprise.

S
he saw that the servant was no longer standing in the doorway but was outside in the street where there was a closed brougham.

“
Who is it?” she asked.

“
Oi were just told ’twas a gent’man as wants to ’ave a word wiv yer.”

D
avita stood irresolute.

I
t would only be one of two gentlemen, and if it was Lord Mundesley she had no wish to speak to him.

Y
et she knew it would be rude to refuse, and it flashed through her mind that while she must thank him for the flowers, she would ask him not to send her any more.

B
illy was holding the door open for her, and she walked down the steps and across the pavement to where a footman was standing with his hand on the carriage-door.

W
hen she reached it he opened it, and Davita could see, as she had feared, Lord Mundesley sitting inside. He bent forward and held out his hand.

“
Get in, Davita. I want to speak to you.”

“
I was just ... going to ... lie down.”

“
I will not keep you long.”

B
ecause she did not know what else she could do, Davita put her hand in his to let him draw her into the carriage. As she sat down beside him, the horses started to move and she asked:

“
Where are you taking me? I really have to go back.”

“We are merely moving a little farther up the road so that we can talk without being observed,” Lord Mundesley replied.

S
he knew without his putting it into words that what he meant was so that Violet would not see them.