Unconditional surrender by Evelyn Waugh Read Free Book Online

a bit and the final result was that thing in the Abbey. An odd item of contemporary history.’
    ‘Are you going to Bellamy’s?’
    ‘Everard Spruce asked us to a party. I might look in.’
    The bell of the front door sounded through the little house.
    ‘Virginia, I expect.’
    Ian let her in. She kissed with cold detestation and came upstairs.
    ‘I thought you were sending him out,’ she said to Kerstie.
    ‘I am. Run along, Ian, we have things to talk about.’
    ‘Do I have to remind you that I am your direct superior officer?’
    ‘Oh God, how that joke bores me.’
    ‘I see you’ve brought luggage.’
    ‘Yes, can I stay for a bit, Kerstie?’
    ‘Yes, for a bit.’
    ‘Until Trimmer’s out of the country. He says he’s had a warning order to stand by for a trip – somewhere where he can’t take me, thank God.’
    ‘I always hoped,’ said Ian, ‘you might come to like him.’
    ‘I’ve done two years.’
    ‘Yes, you’ve been jolly good. You deserve a holiday. Well, I’ll leave you two. I expect I’ll be pretty late home.’
    Neither woman showed any regret at this announcement. Ian went downstairs and out into the darkness.
    ‘There’s nothing in the house to drink,’ said Kerstie. ‘We could go out somewhere.’
    ‘Coffee?’
    ‘Yes, I can manage that.’
    ‘Let’s stay in then.’
    ‘Nothing much to eat either. I’ve got some cod.’
    ‘No cod, thanks.’
    ‘I say, Virginia, you’re pretty low.’
    ‘Dead flat. What’s happened to everyone? London used to be full of chums. Now I don’t seem to know anyone. Do you realize that since my brother was killed I haven’t a single living relation?’
    ‘My dear, I am sorry. I hadn’t heard. In fact I didn’t know you had a brother.’
    ‘He was called Tim – five years younger than me. We never got on. He was killed three years ago. You’ve such hundreds of children and parents and cousins, Kerstie. You can’t imagine what it feels like to be quite alone. There’s my step-mother in Switzerland. She never approved of me and I can’t get at her now anyway. I’m scared, Kerstie.’
    ‘Tell.’
    Virginia was never one whose confidences needed drawing out.
    ‘Money,’ she said. ‘I’ve never known what it was like to have
no
money. It’s a very odd sensation indeed. Tim made a will leaving all he had to some girl. Papa never left me anything. He thought I was well provided for.’
    ‘Surely Mr Troy will have to cough up eventually. Americans are great ones for alimony.’
    ‘That’s what I thought. It’s what my bank manager and lawyer said. At first they thought it was just some difficulty of exchange control. They wrote him a lot of letters polite at first, then firm, then threatening. Finally, about six months ago they hired a lawyer in New York to serve a writ. A fine move that turned out to be. Mr Troy has divorced me.’
    ‘Surely he can’t do that?’
    ‘He’s done it. All signed and sealed. Apparently he’s had a man watching me and taking affidavits.’
    ‘How absolutely disgusting.’
    ‘It’s just like Mr Troy. I ought to have suspected when he lay so low. We’ve sent for copies of the evidence in case there is any sort of appeal possible. But it doesn’t sound likely. After all, I haven’t been strictly faithful to Mr Troy all this time.’
    ‘He could hardly expect that.’
    ‘So not only no alimony, but an overdraft and a huge lawyer’s bill. I did the only thing I could and sold jewels. The beasts gave me half what they cost; said no one was buying at the moment.’
    ‘Just what they said to Brenda.’
    ‘Then this morning a very awkward thing happened. One of the things I sold was a pair of clips Augustus gave me. I’d quite forgotten about them till they turned up in an old bag. What’s more I’d forgotten that when I lost them years ago I had reported it to the insurance company and been paid. Apparently I’ve committed a criminal offence. They’ve been fairly decent about that. They