Her Lover by Albert Cohen Read Free Book Online Page B

Father, Aunt Valérie, Uncle Agrippa, noble Christian people, so genuine, so sincere, so pure! In truth, there is nothing morally finer than well-bred Genevan Protestants. That's enough for now, I'm tired. I'll go on with this tomorrow.'
    The phone rang downstairs. He opened the door, crept out on to the landing and leaned over the banister. He listened. It was the old girl's voice for sure.
    'No, Didi darling, no need to worry about being late. You can stay and have lunching at the Palais des Nations or go to that restaurant you like, the Perle du Lac, because there's been a big change of plan. I was just about to phone to tell you the great news. You'll never guess, darling, but Dada and I have just this minute been unexpectedly invited to lunching by dear Madame Ventradour! It's the first time we've been asked to a meal, and it will definitely cement the relationship, make it closer, less formal. As I was saying, it will mean a big change of plan, first because now I'm going to have to ring dear Ruth Granier at once to put off to tomorrow our tea-and-meditation which we'd arranged for this afternoon, and second because I had thought of having grilled red mullet for lunching and I'm not sure if it'll keep till tomorrow even in the fridge, and it would be a shame to eat it tonight, especially after the big lunching we'll be having shortly, still there it is, we'll have it tonight and tonight's quiche will do for lunching tomorrow since quiche keeps better than mullet. But getting back to the invitation, I simply must tell you how it came about, though I'll have to be quick, I've just got time, still it can't be helped, we'll get a taxi at the rank, I must tell you, you'll love it. Anyway just now, not ten minutes ago, I had the happy thought or rather a direction to ring dear Madame Ventradour to recommend a really heart-warming book to her about Helen Keller, you know, the wonderful littel blind girl who's deaf and dumb but always so terribly cheerful, because I think it's important to keep in touch, and then as we talked of one thing and another, never lowering the tone of course, she told me all about her domestic problems, you know she keeps a large staff, cook, kitchen-girl, a personal maid who trained in the very best houses, plus gardener-cum-chauffeur. Tomorrow she is to be hostess to a consul-general and his wife who will be staying with her for a couple of days and naturally she wants everything to be simply tippety-top. She had planned it so that today was set aside for the window-cleaning, and she's got thirty windows, twenty of them at the front of the house, but what should happen but the regular woman who comes in to do the heavy work was taken ill at short notice, you learn to expect it with that type, that's the sort of trick they pull and it's always at the last minute of course, they never leave you enough time to make other arrangements. Obviously, dear Madame Ventradour was at her wit's end, didn't know which way to turn. Then I had a happy thought, straight from the heart, and said I'd be only too glad to lend her my Martha for the whole of this afternoon for her windows, of which ten are stained glass, Japanese, in the modern style, you remember them from when we went there to tea in January. She was so grateful and accepted like a shot, couldn't thank me enough, she was terribly relieved. I'm glad I had that happy thought, a good deed never goes unnoticed. So I said I'd bring Martha round to her at once, the poor girl would never manage to find her way on her own to the splendid Ventradour estate. Then -she's such a spontaneous person - she gave a shriek, why not come to lunching with your husband! it'll be pot luck! Really, pot luck! everything is perfection in her house, nothing but the best according to Ruth Granier! And served according to the rules! So we've managed to land a proper invitation! What? One o'clock of course, you know, when the best people have lunching. I must say I'm very perleased