Henry Green: Loving, Living, Party Going

The morning was almost over and that afternoon, as Raunce was in his new armchair putting his feet up to study those two notebooks Edith, upstairs in the attic she shared with Kate and half undressed, was filling into a jam jar those eggs she had been carrying in Mrs Tennant’s glove and which she intended to preserve with waterglass.

‘You’re surely not ever goin’ to put that dirtiness on your face and neck sometime Edie?’

‘I am that. It’s good.’

‘But not peacocks. Edie for land’s sake.’

‘Peacocks is no use. They only screech.’

‘I can’t make you out at all.’

Edith explained. ‘Their eggs’ve got to be lifted when there’s not a soul to witness, you understand, an’ they must be peacocks. I wouldn’t know for why. But you just ask anyone. They are the valuablest birds, the rarest.’

‘And what if you come out in the spots like they have stuck on their tails?’

Edie turned at this to face Kate and put a hand along her cheek. She was naked to the waist. In that light from the window overgrown with ivy her detached skin shone like the flower of white lilac under leaves.

‘Oh dear,’ she said.

‘And who’s it for?’ Kate went on. ‘Patrick?’ and in one movement she jumped on her bed, lay back. But at the mention of a name and as though they had entered on a conspiracy Edith blocked even more light from that window by climbing on the sill. The sky drew a line of white round her mass of dark hair falling to shoulders which paled to blue lilac She laughed in her throat.

As they settled down Kate said:

‘So Mrs Welch is to have her sister’s little boy to visit Albert his name is.’ Edith made no reply. ‘That’ll be more for us that will,’ Kate added.

‘He’ll do his own work. He’s old enough,’ Edith said. ‘And it’ll be a change for the children,’ she went on referring to Mrs Jack’s girls. ‘They don’t get much out of forever playing on their own the sweet lambs.’

‘I wish I was back ‘ome the age they are Edie.’

‘Hard work never done a girl any harm.’

‘But doesn’t Miss Burch keep us two girls at it dear. Oh my poor feet.’

‘Take your stockings off Katie and I’ll rub ‘em for you.’

‘Not in that old egg you won’t.’

Edith jumped down off the sill. She took up a towel which she laid under Kate’s feet. She turned back to the washbasin to wet her hands in cold water. Then leaning over Kate who had closed her eyes she began to stroke and knead the hot feet. Her hair fell forward. She was smiling as she ministered, all her bare skin above Kate’s body stretched white as spring again.

‘Clean your teeth before you have to do with a woman,’ Edith said, ‘what talk is that?’

‘Have you gone out of your mind then?’ Kate asked, murmuring. ‘But whoever said?’

‘Mr Raunce.’

‘So it’s Mr to you? I shan’t ever. I couldn’t, not after he’s been Charley all this time. Oh honey is that easing my arches.’

‘It’s only right now he’s got the position,’ Edith said. ‘I wish I had your ankles dear I do.’

‘But why the teeth?’ Kate asked.

‘I expect it’s smoking or something.’

‘Does Patrick?’

‘Oh he’s got a lovely lot,’ Edith said. ‘But I can’t say as I shall see him even this evening. Talk of half days off in this rotten old country, why, there’s nothing for a girl when your time is your own.’

‘You’re telling me,’ said Kate.

Then Edith sat down on the side of the bed, and shook the hair back from off her face.

‘Here we are,’ she went on, ‘the two of us on a Thursday and still inside, with nothing to move for. And the Germans across the water, that might invade any minute. Oh I shall have to journey back home. Why I’m browned off absolutely.’

Kate took her up. ‘I don’t think there’s much in this talk about the Jerries. And if they did come over that’s not saying they’d offer any impoliteness, they’re ordinary working folk same as us. But speak of never going out why Charley Raunce hasn’t shoved his head into the air these three years it must be.’

‘Wrong side of the window is his name for it He should’ve grown up with us as children. Kate, my mother had every window open rain or shine and so they stayed all day.’

‘He writes to his,’ Kate said, ‘not like you you bad girl. When did she get word from you last?’

‘There’s times I say that’s the one thing keeps me here. I daren’t go back when I’ve kept silent such ages, while she’s on every week writing for news.’

‘Why, listen to those birds,’ Kate said.

Edith looked out. A great distance beneath she saw Mrs Tennant and her daughter-in-law starting for a walk. The dogs raced about on the terrace yapping which made the six peacocks present scream. The two women set off negligent and well dressed behind their bounding pets to get an appetite for tea.

‘Was it the beginning or the end of June Jack wrote that he expected to get leave?’

‘Why I told you,’ Mrs Jack answered sweet and low. ‘Any time after the third week in May he said.’

‘I’m so glad for you both. It’s been such a long time. I expect you’ll go to London of course.’

‘Simply look at the daffodils,’ her daughter-in-law exclaimed. ‘There’s masses of new ones out you know. Oh isn’t it lovely. Yes it’s a hopeless time of the year here isn’t it? I mean there’s no shooting or fishing yet. He’d get very restless poor dear.’

‘D’you know what I thought last night?’ said Mrs Tennant. ‘As I got into bed? I shall probably be down at Merlow all the time and you won’t see anything of me but I half made up my mind I would come over with you.’

‘How lovely,’ her daughter-in-law replied clear as a bell. ‘Oh but then we must have an evening all together. Jack would be terribly disappointed.’

‘Darling you’ve seen so little of each other with this war coming directly after the wedding. I do feel for your generation you know., Of course I’d love it. Still I don’t mean to butt in. I mean the leave is precious, you must have all of him.’

There fell a silence.

‘Really,’ she added, ‘I’m not sure what I’m saying,’ and dared to look full at her son’s wife. This young woman was poised with an object, it may have been the dry white bone of a bird that she was about to throw. She flung it a short distance. The dog faced in the wrong direction, ears cocked, whining, while attendant peacocks keenly dashed forward a few paces.

‘Oh Badger,’ she said and wiped her fingers on a frilled handkerchief, ‘you are so dumb.’

‘We could do a play together,’ Mrs Tennant proposed.

‘How lovely. The only thing is the children. I imagine it’s all right leaving them. I mean nothing can happen can it?’

‘I’d thought of that. I don’t think so. We did before.’

‘I know. Then that will be lovely.’

‘When d’you think he’ll let you know dear?’

Mrs Jack showed irritation. ‘No Badger no,’ she said. On being spoken to the dog made as if to leap up at her. ‘Down damn you,’ she said. ‘Oh you know how it is,’ she went on, ‘the usual, three days notice at the most. On top of everything you’ve got to be looking your best as though you’d been in and out of the London shops all winter.’

‘You won’t have to worry your head over that,’ Mrs Tennant archly told her. ‘Oh by the way did I ever mention about Mrs Welch’s nephew coming over to stay?’

‘How old is he?’

‘Just the right age Violet, nine next March. I thought it would be nice for the children that’s why L bought his ticket. His father’s the chauffeur to old Lord Cheltenham.’

‘My dear have you broken it yet to nanny?’