High Master of Clere (8 page)

‘
I
’
d rather you hadn
’
t told anyone. But don
’
t worry about it. It
’
s not as important as all that.
’
Nor was it, Verity scolded herself irritably. Her mother thought the apocryphal story amusing. So
why couldn
’
t she? She only knew she hated the idea of its reaching Daniel Wyatt
’
s ears. And was it possible to get more intense over a trifle than that?

On the evening of the party
Mrs.
Lytton, receiving Daniel
’
s guests and passing them on to him, was in her social element. She liked people and unashamedly wanted them to like her. Tonight she radiated ingenuous charm, and Verity, watching her, loved her for the courage she was bringing to an occasion which must remind her poignantly of the happy ones in her past.

Under her skilled hand the affair fell into an easy, relaxed shape. Introductions were made, acquaintances adroitly grouped and the unsociable coaxed from their
corner
s. People too long on the fringe of groups were made the centres of
others, kept inexorably on the move by their hostess
’
s gentle determination that everyone should have a chance to meet some kindred spirit.

Bob Wales came late, joining Verity who was talking to Nicholas Dysart and his wife and Jane Dysart
’
s sister, Ira, who was spending the weekend with them.

Ira Cusack was in her late twenties, many years younger than Jane. Verity had met her once or twice before and each time was struck by the contrast between the two. In Ira, Jane
’
s angularity was a narrow-hipped elegance; Jane
’
s scraped hair and lean, soured features became Ira
’
s sleekly piled chignon and a fine bone-structure of cheek and jaw and throat. Jane
’
s clothes were a uniform of drab tweeds and cardigans; Ira
’
s were in daringly matched colours and of
‘
ginger group
’
cut. She was provocative where Jane was aggressive and she had cultivated poise as Jane never had.

Ira was an assistant producer with Viking Vision, an East Anglian television syndicate. But she was coming to the end of her contract and was thinking of free-lancing for a time, she was telling Verity as Bob approached, followed by Daniel Wyatt who summoned a waiter to renew their drinks and to bring one for Bob.

Nicholas approved,
‘
This was a good idea of yours, High Master.
’

Daniel looked about him, then shook his head.
‘
No credit to me. Believe it or not, my original conception was a stag smoking party. That became cocktails, to allow for a leaven of wives and daughters, but it was
Mrs.
Lytton who decreed I should make it my debut to the county instead.
’

Ira Cusack laughed up at him.
‘
And why not, High Master? You had to make a Positively First Appearance some time, hadn
’
t you? And you
’
re News with a capital
“
N
”
, you know. Or didn
’
t you?
’

‘
Am I?
’

‘
Of course. We
’
ve got you taped in the files and V.V. can blow up the headlines any time it likes
—
“
Bachelor Head Of Clere
”
,
“
Youngest Public School Chief in England
”
—that kind of thing. Which reminds me—supposing I ask you to do something for me very soon—will you? And please don
’
t say
“
It depends
”
, for I won
’
t listen if you do!
’

‘
Then there
’
s no profit in my saying it, is there?
’

‘
No.
’
Ira thrust forward her lips, making a long, rounded drawl of the word.
‘
Anyway, I hope you won
’
t want to when you hear what
I
want—that is, to feature Clere on a programme in V.V.
’
s
“
Stately Schools
”
series, which is my last fling with them before my contract ends.
’

In the concentrated way he had when his interest was taken Daniel turned his full attention on her, shutting the others out.

‘
You want my co-operation for a film of the school in the ordinary course of work, play, extra-mural societies and so on? You would be handling it yourself?
’

‘
Only,
’
smiled Ira,
‘
as general dogsbody to my chief. He gets the kudos and the rave notices—or the reverse. I only get the small print on the credits screen. But yes, I should do a lot of the donkey work—working out angles of approach—not camera angles!—timing and script and all that.
’

‘
And how long would it all take?
’

‘
As long or as short a time as you
’
d be prepared to allow us. Say a fortnight for working out the shape. The actual filming could be done in a couple of days or less. Of course I should need to be on the spot for the fortnight, but I
’
ve sounded my sister about it and she
’
ll put me up. Oh,
please
!
’
Ira begged archly.

Daniel demurred,
‘
I
’
d have to consider it. And I
’
d say Clere is hardly typical of its kind. It
’
s small, it offers and fills a great many free places and though its fabric is old enough, I
’
d hate to think that
“
stately
”
could apply to the kind of education it gives.
’

‘
But don
’
t you see, that
’
s how it qualifies
—
through
being
different?
’
urged Ira.
‘
Even, if you like, through
your
not being a typical public school headmaster. Which you aren
’
t, are you?
’

‘
Is there such a creature?
’
murmured Daniel.
‘
However, I confess I
’
m interested and I
’
d be prepared to give you a firm answer if you or your chief would ring me in, say, a week
’
s time.
’

Ira
’
s slow smile approved him.
‘
Oh, thank you, High Master! Though I suppose you couldn
’
t give me the merest sliver of a hint as to whether it will be Yes or No?
’

‘
I dare say you can assume it will be at least a conditional Yes,
’
he assured her.
‘
But ring my secretary, will you, and she
’
ll make an appointment at which we can discuss it?
’

‘
Your
?
Oh, how stupid of me!
’
Ira
’
s
glance flicked from him to Verity.
‘
My dear, for the moment I didn
’
t realize High Master meant you. But somehow I
’
d thought you mightn
’
t still be school secretary. That by now you
’
d probably be engaged or even married to that extremely attractive games master who was trailing you when I was over last term. I know Jane told me that everyone supposed
—’

But Jane Dysart, who claimed to be above school gossip, did not allow her to go on.

‘
Really, Ira,
’
she snapped,
‘
I don
’
t recall even mentioning Verity
’
s affairs to you. Anyway,
Mr.
Doran was only here for one term, and since he left I don
’
t know that anyone at Clere has heard a word from him or a single thing about him.
’

‘
Ooh—sorry, I
’
m sure
!’
Ira wrinkled her nose and assumed a mock accent, dropping the perfunctory apology between Jane and Verity without making it clear for which of them she intended it. But for her part Verity more easily forgave Ira
’
s idle curiosity than she pardoned the subtlety of Jane
’
s information to everyone present that there had been
‘
affairs
’
of her own for gossip and that Max had played Lothario with her, jilting her and riding away.

But before she could frame a reply to Jane, Daniel made it for her.

‘
You
’
re not entirely right there,
Mrs.
Dysart,
’
he said.
‘
For in fact Verity has met the young man since—in my company.
’

‘
Oh!
’
Jane
’
s tone was blank.
‘
Really? I didn
’
t know you knew him, High Master?
’

Daniel said evenly,
‘
I didn
’
t, until Verity introduced him to me.
’
He added conversationally to Verity,
‘
Weren
’
t you telling me he
’
s now at one of the Outward Bounds?
’

Verity hadn
’
t told him so. Max had. But she said
‘
Yes
’
to Daniel
’
s version, recognizing it for the kindness it was, the cloak spread for her protection from Jane
’
s sly malice.

He had been at pains to confound Jane by his adroit editing of the truth.
Why?
Verity wondered. And then—how much did he suppose she had been hurt by the chance meeting and by Max
’
s cavalier farewell; by the insolence of that
‘
Better hunting next time
’
which still rankled in her memory?

A minute or two later the party kaleidoscope shifted again and their group broke up. Bob Wales put a firm hand beneath Verity
’
s elbow and drew her aside.

‘
That was pretty unnecessary of Jane, wasn
’
t it
?’
he asked.

Verity nodded.
‘
I thought so.
’

‘
Well, obviously she had been gossiping to glamour-girl sister about you. But what did she think she had got on you and Doran? Come on, V.,
’
Bob urged to Verity
’
s silence.
‘
You know my opinion of that little man. But I
’
ve never forced it on you and I won
’
t now if he does—or did—mean a lot to you. Just—does he?—is all I
’
m asking.
’

Owing Bob the truth he had never demanded in so many words before, Verity said,
‘
He was beginning to—quite a lot. But not any more. I
’
m cured.
’

‘
Yet you
’
ve been seeing him since he left Clere?
’

‘
Only by chance. Not in the sense you mean.
Anyway, another girl had him in tow and I didn
’
t mind a bit.
’

Bob grunted,
‘
Thank goodness for that. But where was this? And how come your chief was among those present?
’

Verity told him. But as Bob began,
‘
Well, he certainly managed to cut Jane down to size. Did you see her face? The man
’
s made himself an enemy there
—’
a waiter came to say that a transfer call had been put through for him and he had to leave.

Verity remained standing alone near the door from which other people were also leaving, and when he had parted from two of them Daniel came over, gesturing at her empty glass.

She shook her head.
‘
No more, thank you.
’

‘
No?
’
He didn
’
t press her, but stayed to ask,
‘
I hope you didn
’
t mind my taking a hand just now, but it seemed to me you were being put in a very false position through no fault of your own.
’

She glanced up at him.
‘
I was, and I was grateful to you,
’
she told him.

‘
Good.
’

In Verity
’
s experience of him just such a crisp monosyllable was his way of closing a subject. She should have left it there, she raged later. But at the time her need to be done
with the whole incident, especially with Max
’
s parting gibe which Daniel had overheard, made her plunge on.

She said,
‘
I ought to explain about
Mr.
Doran and myself. We were rather friendly while he was here, and I couldn
’
t blame
Mrs.
Dysart if she had mentioned it to Miss Cusack. But I did mind—as you guessed I should—her implication that he had run out on something serious between us, whereas it wasn
’
t so at all. He—that is, we both accepted that we were just friends, nothing more. Which is why
I was so taken aback by what he said when we parted company that evening, and I wanted you to know
that
—’
But there she broke off, chilled by her
companion
’
s expression.