Rose in Darkness by Christianna Brand Read Free Book Online

fortune to be always the most pretty lady in the room,’ and had added in astonishment, ‘Why do you ask me? I am not fortune-teller.’ ‘I know,’ Sari had said, ‘but there’s no way like it for making friends and influencing people,’ and she had given him a rapid sketch of the home lives of several fellow guests and then leapt to her feet and cried out that he had told her the most amazing things and was an absolute genius, muttering a hasty aside that if the wrong ones came he should just say in a superior voice, ‘Not interesting!’ and push the hand aside. Charley, who had a quite excellent intelligence, had caught on like lightning and become the pet of the evening; and ever since had worshipped her like a goddess, and so wormed his way into the affections of the circle. He was in fact an intensely boring young man; but they loved him because never, never, never was he bored himself, so deeply and devotedly was he interested in all that concerned these wonderful people among whom, by some gift direct from God—um, Allah—he had found himself a place; and such inflammable enthusiasm was as endearing as the same sort of thing, in its more temperate degree, in Nan. His accent was a curious mixture of Liverpool Scouse and Pakistani, the accent upon the first syllable. He was studying with all his eager heart to be a doctor, praying to stay on at one of the London hospitals and continue his treasured situation among the blest. ‘Vir ryvirry happy to be seeing you all. I am bringing only small contribution; today I am not in millionaire top-storey class.’ He did not add that to pay for the small contribution, he would tomorrow be obliged to go without food altogether. ‘You are most beautiful today,’ he said to Sari, stooping down to take her hand in his own two smooth brown hands and kissing the backs of her fingers. ‘Oh, Charley,’ she said, ‘you are such a love!’
    And Sofy arrived. ‘Sofa darling, you’re wearing the Jade Elephant coat! You’ve never seen it yet, Nan, but isn’t it splendid?—gloriously fat-making.’
    ‘Yes, the BBC are rivvied by it, they say I need only put on two pounds now by Tuesday, instead of four....’
    Faint as a wafting of thistledown, a memory flickered in Sari’s mind and was gone again. ‘Look what they’ve brought in for lunch, Etho and Nan—’
    ‘—and here is Pony with even more,’ said Pony himself, coming in with a huge, steaming bowl of spaghetti direct from the Italiano shop. Why he should be called Pony, nobody had any idea.
    Sofy’s eyes glistened. ‘Ap-solutely pounds and pounds of fat and all for free. I do thank you all!’
    ‘Any work going, my dovey-darling?’
    ‘Nothing that one could dignify by the name. But this vague hope for the future and I think the Jade Elephant distinctly improved its chances.’
    ‘Poor Sofy, you shall be gathering up all what’s left and taking it home with you,’ said Pony.
    ‘Nothing ever is left,’ said Etho. ‘Sofa gathers it all up anyway, and takes it home by turn.’
    ‘Yes, well it’s all right for you lot, but there’s still my extra two pounds and by Tuesday.’
    ‘Well, then, tomorrow night I take you to Italian restaurant for big blow-out?’
    ‘Oh, please don’t, Pony, we shall have to subscribe to a presie for you too, for being so kind to Sofy!’
    ‘Two of Pony’s Italian blow-outs two days running’, said Etho, ‘would surely kill even Sofa. Personally after this I’m going for a long convalescent walk on the Heath.’
    Everyone thought this was a splendid idea except Sofy who dared not risk losing an ounce of newly acquired precious fat. ‘And I must wait in for my car man,’ said Sari.
    Furtive glances all round. Etho said in his easy way, ‘Oh darling—you’ve just been having Rufie on about your car man?’
    She seemed to grow rigid, sitting, perched cross-legged, on an outsize velvet cushion, the bowl of spaghetti in her hand. ‘You don’t believe me, do you?