the big lead in the Christmas books for children, and with Sebastian only doing his Coronation edition this year . . . Anyone who takes Kit on will make sure there’s a lot of publicity about it. It’s all so perfect. He’s the publicist’s gift. War hero. Lady Celia’s youngest son—’
‘Blind,’ said Jay.
The other two stared at him. He looked back at them, smiled slightly shame-faced.
‘Well it’s true. I don’t know why everyone pussyfoots round it. It’s part of his myth. You know it is. It’s a wonderful story. It’s always been part of his legend. Jeunesse dorée , Battle of Britain pilot, giving his sight for his country, all that sort of thing. I mean—’
‘I hope you’re not implying he makes capital out of it,’ said Giles stiffly.
‘Of course I’m not. I know part of him hates it. But it does him no harm professionally.’
‘I think that’s a very crude remark,’ said Giles, ‘if you don’t mind me saying so.’
‘Oh stop it,’ said Venetia. ‘Both of you. It’s irrelevant to this discussion.’
‘Not entirely,’ said Jay. ‘It’s all part of his capacity for generating publicity. Which will be very bad for us. Look, I’m only speaking frankly. I suppose no amount of money could persuade Kit to stay?’
‘He said it wouldn’t. Surely you heard that.’
‘I know. But there’s a difference between saying something and meaning it. If we made him a really huge offer—’
‘Jay, it wouldn’t make the slightest difference. Honestly. This is absolutely about principle. And besides, he has more than enough money. And it’s not as if he has a family to support or anything, poor darling. You do have to get that into your head. No, we’re going to lose him. And you know what happens when a major author leaves. All the others watch him, wondering why. It could be quite dangerous. For Lyttons and for all of us.’
CHAPTER 4
She had been afraid it would be ghastly and it was. Awkward, stiff, even sad: a day to be forgotten as quickly as possible. Exactly what a wedding day should not be. But at least it was over, Barty thought, sinking down on to her bed: for that everyone was grateful. Waiting for it, trying not to mind, pretending it was actually perfectly all right, fearing it was going to deteriorate, that had been the worst part.
Boy Warwick had, as always, done much to keep things not only calm, but comparatively easy: ‘She’s going to do it,’ he said one evening over dinner to the twins, ‘and there’s no point there being some dreadful family rift over it. He’s a perfectly decent chap, with luck he’ll make her happy, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with him; in fact he was jolly good to you, Adele, wasn’t he?’
Adele nodded; her escape from wartime France and indeed Bunny Arden’s part in it was something she tried not to think about too much, bringing back memories that were not only terrifying but which filled her with remorse and shame.
‘Jolly good, yes,’ she said finally.
‘There is something wrong with him, though,’ said Venetia soberly, ‘you know there is, Boy. You hated it at the time.’
‘I know, I know. But we all make errors of judgement.’
‘Boy! It was a bit more than that. He was a leading appeaser. Best buddies with Oswald Mosley. Guest of Goering even. He influenced Mummy horribly. And it didn’t help Adele much either, did it, Luc being Jewish and everything?’
‘Well – he repented.’
‘And so did Mummy,’ said Adele, ‘she was very brave, came to Paris specially to apologise to both Luc and me. And he did then help me, of course he did. I wouldn’t have got home without him. So—’
‘Exactly. So we should accept him and make her happy. Three-line whip now girls, all children present, all – Adele, don’t look like that – including Lucas.’
‘Yes, all right. It’s just that—’
‘What?’
‘I know,’ said Venetia, ‘mine too. All of them have said it.’
‘What?’ said Boy
‘Blind,’ said Jay.
The other two stared at him. He looked back at them, smiled slightly shame-faced.
‘Well it’s true. I don’t know why everyone pussyfoots round it. It’s part of his myth. You know it is. It’s a wonderful story. It’s always been part of his legend. Jeunesse dorée , Battle of Britain pilot, giving his sight for his country, all that sort of thing. I mean—’
‘I hope you’re not implying he makes capital out of it,’ said Giles stiffly.
‘Of course I’m not. I know part of him hates it. But it does him no harm professionally.’
‘I think that’s a very crude remark,’ said Giles, ‘if you don’t mind me saying so.’
‘Oh stop it,’ said Venetia. ‘Both of you. It’s irrelevant to this discussion.’
‘Not entirely,’ said Jay. ‘It’s all part of his capacity for generating publicity. Which will be very bad for us. Look, I’m only speaking frankly. I suppose no amount of money could persuade Kit to stay?’
‘He said it wouldn’t. Surely you heard that.’
‘I know. But there’s a difference between saying something and meaning it. If we made him a really huge offer—’
‘Jay, it wouldn’t make the slightest difference. Honestly. This is absolutely about principle. And besides, he has more than enough money. And it’s not as if he has a family to support or anything, poor darling. You do have to get that into your head. No, we’re going to lose him. And you know what happens when a major author leaves. All the others watch him, wondering why. It could be quite dangerous. For Lyttons and for all of us.’
CHAPTER 4
She had been afraid it would be ghastly and it was. Awkward, stiff, even sad: a day to be forgotten as quickly as possible. Exactly what a wedding day should not be. But at least it was over, Barty thought, sinking down on to her bed: for that everyone was grateful. Waiting for it, trying not to mind, pretending it was actually perfectly all right, fearing it was going to deteriorate, that had been the worst part.
Boy Warwick had, as always, done much to keep things not only calm, but comparatively easy: ‘She’s going to do it,’ he said one evening over dinner to the twins, ‘and there’s no point there being some dreadful family rift over it. He’s a perfectly decent chap, with luck he’ll make her happy, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with him; in fact he was jolly good to you, Adele, wasn’t he?’
Adele nodded; her escape from wartime France and indeed Bunny Arden’s part in it was something she tried not to think about too much, bringing back memories that were not only terrifying but which filled her with remorse and shame.
‘Jolly good, yes,’ she said finally.
‘There is something wrong with him, though,’ said Venetia soberly, ‘you know there is, Boy. You hated it at the time.’
‘I know, I know. But we all make errors of judgement.’
‘Boy! It was a bit more than that. He was a leading appeaser. Best buddies with Oswald Mosley. Guest of Goering even. He influenced Mummy horribly. And it didn’t help Adele much either, did it, Luc being Jewish and everything?’
‘Well – he repented.’
‘And so did Mummy,’ said Adele, ‘she was very brave, came to Paris specially to apologise to both Luc and me. And he did then help me, of course he did. I wouldn’t have got home without him. So—’
‘Exactly. So we should accept him and make her happy. Three-line whip now girls, all children present, all – Adele, don’t look like that – including Lucas.’
‘Yes, all right. It’s just that—’
‘What?’
‘I know,’ said Venetia, ‘mine too. All of them have said it.’
‘What?’ said Boy
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