much.’
‘That seems to me to be your whole attitude to life. You’ve got a brain, haven’t you? Good heavens, Antony, you’re a man now. Are you so spineless that you are going to trail along in your father’s wake, spending his money, being quite useless? You could come and live with me in Hampstead if you wantand get a job in the City. Start a business. Or go abroad and see the world. I’m sure your father would finance that.’
The idea frightened Antony. He had never thought much about going abroad: it did not interest him. He had a very parochial outlook. He knew his limits: a fair amount of brain, but little initiative, indolent, lacking ambition. He had no core. He wasn’t brave: flying the aeroplane had proved that. He knew himself quite well, and sometimes it filled him with despair. He wasn’t even mad on girls like most of his friends. The adoring Lily pleased him, but he wanted no more of her. What was wrong with him? He only teased her with Melanie Marsden to see her spark up. The fun he had with the boys in Eton was more to his taste, but where did that get you? In prison, if the worst happened. The only idea he had with what to do with his life was very short term, as far as the great party he planned in the summer, in the grotto, but he would hardly tell that to Aunt Maud.
‘I will talk to your father about it.’
This did not frighten Antony, for his father would just take the easy way out, whatever it was. Perhaps he was more like his father than he had realized? He had never thought of this before. He was not responsible for his deficiencies, he couldn’t help it! This thought cheered him considerably. He was just like his father! With luck he might have inherited his father’s genius for making money.
For the time being he turned to making plans for Lily to do the parachute jump and to making arrangements for his big party. Lily’s jump first. He was convinced there was no dangerin it, but not convinced when the moment came she would be brave enough to jump. He wouldn’t be able to make her, after all. But she was a very spunky girl and he had hopes. If only he could do it himself! He determined, after Lily had had her go, to get a pilot at Brooklands to take him up. When his father was away in the summer would be a good time. His father need never know. For enough money, someone would oblige him, especially as they all told him it was as safe as houses.
His father was going to South America in June or July, so that was when he would have his party. At the time of a full moon.
His Eton friends were all to camp by the lake, or bed down in the house with their own gear if they wanted, and they could have the run of the kitchen as he was going to give all the staff time off. Getting rid of Violet and Rose was his biggest problem, for the party was for Helena. She would be dressed in her most beautiful clothes and come to the grotto in a punt. Of course Violet and Rose would not allow it, so they would have to be locked in somewhere out of the way. He wasn’t sure yet how he would manage this, but it could be worked out easily enough he was sure. Alcohol might come into it. He was sure they were secret drinkers. Then the party would take place in the grotto, which would be lit with hundreds of candles and the food and drink would all be spread in the great interior cave with the fountains playing, and everyone would come by water and music would be played and there would be dancing and swimming under the light of a fullmoon. He had the invitations already given out, only the date to be finalized.
‘You haven’t given me one,’ Lily said.
‘I don’t need to. I know you’ll be there.’
‘You will need me.’
‘Yes, I’ll need you.’
It was so exciting just talking about it, and with Simon and John and Cedric helping to work out the sequence of events, the parking, the ordering of the food, the hiring of the tableware – ‘No, forget that. We’ve got mountains of plates in
‘That seems to me to be your whole attitude to life. You’ve got a brain, haven’t you? Good heavens, Antony, you’re a man now. Are you so spineless that you are going to trail along in your father’s wake, spending his money, being quite useless? You could come and live with me in Hampstead if you wantand get a job in the City. Start a business. Or go abroad and see the world. I’m sure your father would finance that.’
The idea frightened Antony. He had never thought much about going abroad: it did not interest him. He had a very parochial outlook. He knew his limits: a fair amount of brain, but little initiative, indolent, lacking ambition. He had no core. He wasn’t brave: flying the aeroplane had proved that. He knew himself quite well, and sometimes it filled him with despair. He wasn’t even mad on girls like most of his friends. The adoring Lily pleased him, but he wanted no more of her. What was wrong with him? He only teased her with Melanie Marsden to see her spark up. The fun he had with the boys in Eton was more to his taste, but where did that get you? In prison, if the worst happened. The only idea he had with what to do with his life was very short term, as far as the great party he planned in the summer, in the grotto, but he would hardly tell that to Aunt Maud.
‘I will talk to your father about it.’
This did not frighten Antony, for his father would just take the easy way out, whatever it was. Perhaps he was more like his father than he had realized? He had never thought of this before. He was not responsible for his deficiencies, he couldn’t help it! This thought cheered him considerably. He was just like his father! With luck he might have inherited his father’s genius for making money.
For the time being he turned to making plans for Lily to do the parachute jump and to making arrangements for his big party. Lily’s jump first. He was convinced there was no dangerin it, but not convinced when the moment came she would be brave enough to jump. He wouldn’t be able to make her, after all. But she was a very spunky girl and he had hopes. If only he could do it himself! He determined, after Lily had had her go, to get a pilot at Brooklands to take him up. When his father was away in the summer would be a good time. His father need never know. For enough money, someone would oblige him, especially as they all told him it was as safe as houses.
His father was going to South America in June or July, so that was when he would have his party. At the time of a full moon.
His Eton friends were all to camp by the lake, or bed down in the house with their own gear if they wanted, and they could have the run of the kitchen as he was going to give all the staff time off. Getting rid of Violet and Rose was his biggest problem, for the party was for Helena. She would be dressed in her most beautiful clothes and come to the grotto in a punt. Of course Violet and Rose would not allow it, so they would have to be locked in somewhere out of the way. He wasn’t sure yet how he would manage this, but it could be worked out easily enough he was sure. Alcohol might come into it. He was sure they were secret drinkers. Then the party would take place in the grotto, which would be lit with hundreds of candles and the food and drink would all be spread in the great interior cave with the fountains playing, and everyone would come by water and music would be played and there would be dancing and swimming under the light of a fullmoon. He had the invitations already given out, only the date to be finalized.
‘You haven’t given me one,’ Lily said.
‘I don’t need to. I know you’ll be there.’
‘You will need me.’
‘Yes, I’ll need you.’
It was so exciting just talking about it, and with Simon and John and Cedric helping to work out the sequence of events, the parking, the ordering of the food, the hiring of the tableware – ‘No, forget that. We’ve got mountains of plates in
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