Читать книгу Unconditional Surrender онлайн

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He led Ludovic to the woman with whom he had been standing. She was wearing the uniform of an air-raid warden and had smudges of soot on her face. "Smart," Ludovic perceived, denoted rank rather than chic in this milieu.

"I was at your wedding," said Ludovic.

"Surely not? No one was."

"Your first wedding."

"Oh, yes, of course, everyone was there."

"I held my sword over your head when you left the church."

"That was a long time ago," said Lady Perdita. "Think of it; swords."

The bare-footed secretary approached with a jug and a glass.

"Will you have a drink?"

"What is it?"

"There's nothing else," she said. "I made it. Half South African sherry and half something called 'Olde Falstaffe Gin.'"

"I don't think I will, thank you," said Ludovic.

"Snob," said Lady Perdita. "Fill me up, Frankie, there's a dear."

"There's hardly enough to go round."

"I'll have this chap's ration."

The host interrupted: "Perdita, I want you to meet Dr. Iago from Coimbra. He talks a bit of French."

Ludovic was left with the secretary, who kept custody of her eyes. Addressing her bare toes she said: "One thing about a party, it does warm the room. Who are you?" she asked.