Authors: Iris Murdoch

An Accidental Man (61 page)

BOOK: An Accidental Man

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Garth was wearing a dark suit of silkily light tweed. His hair was shorter and sleeker. Gracie was in peacock blue Thai silk. They were a handsome pair. Garth looked proudly at his bright little wife. âMoggie, you look lovely.'

âNew dress.'

âThat's right. I want everything you wear to be new. I want to feel that I invented you the day before yesterday.'

âYou did.'

âAnd you don't mind?'

âAre you sure
you
don't? I might be your Frankenstein.'

âI saw happiness passing and grabbed it.'

âAnd you don't feel that you ought to be having a destiny of deprivation and struggle?'

âNo.'

âAnd you don't mind our being rich?'

âNo.'

âAnd you think being happy is a proper occupation for a lifetime?'

âYes.'

The bell rang. It was their first guests.

âI conveyed Ma and Austin in Kierkegaard,' said Patrick. âHello, love birds.'

âGracie, darling girl,' said Austin, kissing her.

âDearest Austin â'

âMavis is coming later.'

âDarlings, you've got the new curtains up,' said Clara.

âWhat a manly little fellow your brother is!' said Garth.

âDon't tease him!'

âI think you are three very handsome men,' said Clara.

âWe are all handsome,' said Austin. âWe are beautiful. We are a very good-looking family.'

Patrick, blond, fluffy-haired, plump, smooth, rosy-complexioned and six foot tall, punched his brother-in-law amicably.

Clara was now wearing her hair straight and rather short. She looked radiantly juvenile. So did Austin, his copious golden locks flowing down on to his collar. He never wore glasses now. His contact lenses were a great success.

The door bell began to ring again and the hired butler went to attend to it. Outside in the kitchen Mary Monkley kicked off her shoes and sipped a tiny sherry. Norman was so kind to her these days, like a nice child. But she missed the bad old Norman whom she would now never see again. Funny, wasn't it. And if she had been still alive Rosalind would have been eight today.

âGracie, such a pretty room.'

âGarth, what super reviews of your book.'

âWhat a lovely idea with the cushions.'

âWasn't that Kierkegaard parked outside?'

âGracie, what a pretty dress.'

âI was saying to Gracie, what a lovely idea with the cushions.'

âOliver has sold Kierkegaard to Patrick.'

âThere's one born every minute.'

âClara dear, my spies tell me you will soon be Lady Tisbourne.'

âRalph, how nice to see you. Patrick is in the kitchen doing the ice.'

âKaren and Sebastian have brought a Spaniard back from their honeymoon.'

âNot
mÃ©nage Ã trois
?'

âNo, no, he's a cook or something.'

âGracie has got a treasure.'

âIsn't she the mother of that child who â'

âSssh. Hello, Austin. You're looking a picture. Where's Mavis?'

âShe's coping with the decorators.'

âGarth, what marvellous reviews of your book.'

âHere come Mr and Mrs Pargeter.'

âAnn, how delicious you look.'

âI say, have you seen the reviews of Garth's book?'

âSure to be a best-seller.'

âMollie Arbuthnot is crazy about Karen's Spaniard.'

âGeoffrey is furious.'

âOliver Sayce is buying a bookshop in Oxford.'

âCharlotte Ledgard is living with a weight-lifter.'

âI can't quite see Char reposing on a hairy bosom.'

âMy dear, it's a female weight-lifter.'

âWhat a charming idea with the cushions.'

âIsn't it a charming idea.'

âPatrick is going to read history at Balliol.'

âGeorge and Geoffrey are discussing the crisis.'

âIsn't Austin gorgeous.'

âHe nestles in the bosom of the Tisbourne family.'

âHe always was a friendly little viper.'

âGracie adores him.'

âMavis is furious.'

âOliver and Andrew have borrowed Richard's yacht.'

âRichard is charging them the earth.'

âIsn't Ann looking happy.'

âHow long for though.'

âAndrew is spending his sabbatical term studying Oliver.'

âMatthew is making another million in New York.'

âMollie Arbuthnot has paella for breakfast every day.'

âRalph is going to read history at Balliol.'

âThere's Dr Seldon.'

âHe looks as if he's got something.'

âDoctors are so infectious.'

âPeople ought not to invite doctors.'

âI hear that chap's in prison.'

âWhat chap?'

âThat American chap.'

âWhat was his name? Lucas Leferrier or something.'

âWhere is he in prison?'

âIn America.'

âOh, in America.'

âWasn't he the chap that used to dangle after Gracie?'

âSssh. Hello, Gracie, what a lovely party.'

âWhat lovely reviews of Garth's book.'

âThere isn't any ice.'

âPatrick and Ralph are still out in the kitchen.'

âDo you think Austin is wearing a wig?'

âI wouldn't blame anyone for wearing a wig these days.'

âWhat's he in prison for?'

âDrugs or something.'

âI do hope they don't take drugs at Balliol.'

âMatthew has gone into a monastery in Kyoto.'

âWhere's that?'

âMollie Arbuthnot is learning the guitar.'

âCharlotte has gone native near Midhurst with a female acrobat.'

âClara will soon be Lady Tisbourne.'

âMollie will soon be Lady Arbuthnot.'

âAren't we all getting grand.'

âAnyway, we're still socialists.'

âThat fat man must be a gate-crasher.'

âNo, his name's MacMurraghue, he's Gracie's pet.'

âRichard is buying a house in Eaton Square with an indoor swimming pool.'

âMatthew is staying with the parents of that chap.'

âWhat chap?'

âThat American chap.'

âHello, Karen darling.'

âHello, Gracie darling.'

âHello, Sebastian darling.'

âLook at Gracie and Karen locked in each other's arms.'

âPatrick has visited Charlotte, he says it's a hoot.'

âWon't somebody go and talk to Mr Enstone?'

âI don't think people should invite clergymen.'

âMatthew is opening a Protest Bookshop in New York.'

âHow ghastly.'

âMy dear, he's coining money.'

âOliver has gone into partnership with Matthew.'

âThere's big money in Protest.'

âLook at Gracie and Sebastian locked in each other's arms.'

âGarth is a cool customer.'

âGarth is a great man.'

âLike father like son.'

âMavis and Austin are turning Valmorana into a hotel.'

âMavis will do all the work.'

âAustin will chat with the guests in the bar.'

âAustin is a caution.'

âOne can't help admiring him.'

âAustin is like all of us only more so.'

âHe gets away with it.'

âWe'd all like to.'

âEverybody is justified somehow.'

âMollie Arbuthnot is discussing Spanish tummy with Dr Seldon.'

âPatrick has visited Charlotte, he said it's awfully touching.'

âMatthew has gone to Hollywood.'

âWhere's that?'

âHave you seen the super reviews of Garth's book?'

âGarth is going to write best-sellers under the name of Norman Monkley.'

âWhere's Mavis?'

âShe isn't coming.'

âShe looks just like Dorina these days.'

âShe's got that pale haunted look.'

âAustin would give anybody a pale haunted look.'

âGeorge and Geoffrey are still discussing the crisis.'

âPatrick and Ralph are still out in the kitchen.'

âMacMurraghue is sloshed.'

âPenny Sayce has cancer.'

âMy dear, she can't have, it's impossible.'

âGracie's expecting.'

âSo is Karen.'

âSo is Ann.'

âHester and Clara are matchmaking for their grandchildren.'

âEverything is moving into a new phase.'

âMacMurraghue has passed out in the hall.'

âThere's still no ice.'

âIt doesn't matter, everyone's too drunk to notice.'

âWhat did you say?'

âDon't you feel that everything is moving into a new phase?'

âGracie, it's so lovely to partake in your happiness.'

âI say, look at Austin.'

âWhat do you mean?'

âLook at his right hand.'

âHe's holding his glass.'

âHe can move his fingers.'

âI was telling Gracie it was so lovely to partake in her happiness.'

âYes, lovely.'

âA privilege.'

âI say, look at the time, we must be off.'

âSo must we.'

âSuch a lovely party.'

âSuch a marvellous evening.'

âSuch super reviews.'

âOur revels now are ended.'

âGoodnight, darling.'

âGoodnight.'

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