Valley of Decision Read Online Free PDF Page B

full-lipped, nostrils haughty under an imperious nose. She smiled, perhaps noticing his expression, and her teeth were perfection, larger than life, on her scale.
    Thora silently handed her a pair of tights which she drew on, sitting again for seconds on the dressing gown.
    â€˜It’s about Mary,’ she said, taking a white shift to cover herself except for head, high chest and the naked gleaming power of her arms. ‘She’s spoken to you?’
    Thora passed her mistress a dress, multicoloured, a kaleidoscope of dazzling but matching lozenges which flowed, spun, flashed silkily even when she belted it at her shapely waist. She lifted her feet high, he noticed, athletically, to ease on her shoes; high-heeled, these shone, dwarfed.
    â€˜Yes.’
    â€˜And what do you think?’
    â€˜I want to know what’s in it for her.’
    â€˜Of course. That’s sensible. But if that side were right, how would you feel?’
    â€˜I should want her to take her chance.’
    â€˜Want?’
    â€˜That’s what I said.’
    Elizabeth Falconer was seated again in front of her mirror, inspecting her flawless features, testing the skin with long, scarlet nails.
    â€˜You’re angry with me, aren’t you?’
    Her voice had nothing of theatrical power, was delivered with a sweet clarity at the glass, modestly, like a nervous swimmer dipping a toe into cold water.
    â€˜No. Not really.’
    â€˜But I don’t realize what I’m doing?’
    â€˜Yes. Something like that. It’s a temptation to Mary; you’d call it a challenge. If it comes to nothing, or she doesn’t make a success of it, she’ll be in trouble.’
    â€˜And if she does, there’s danger there?’ She looked at him, the great eyes open wide, devouring him. ‘For you? Your marriage?’
    He did not reply.
    â€˜But,’ steadily, ‘you are still willing to let her go.’
    â€˜I don’t think I could stop her. But certainly when she takes off from Heathrow she won’t see the smoke from my funeral pyre. No.’
    She rose; Thora, prepared for the movement, draped a shawl over her shoulders. Elizabeth looked now into distance.
    â€˜Do you know I never connected the two things. I am stupid. But it’s changed round. She’s off to found an empire, and he’s left behind.’ She conveyed her enormous pleasure at the comparison with these straightforward sentences. As she made her way towards the door she put out her left hand, blind, to lay on Thora’s wrist denoting thanks. The gesture was operatic and utterly successful. The dresser stood at transformed attention. Blackwall himself dashed doorwards to open it, to expedite the progress, to offer her to the world.
    As they descended the stairs she turned her head back to him.
    â€˜I just wanted to speak to you,’ she said. ‘To hear what you felt. There’s no hurry for a week or two, but after that she’ll have to commit herself one way or the other. Will she talk to your father about it? Edward says he’s got his head screwed on the right way.’
    â€˜It’s a bit outside his orbit. But they get on well, and she can have a word with him.’
    â€˜That’s good.’
    â€˜Will she make it, do you think?’ he asked desperately.
    â€˜Nobody can say that. It doesn’t depend entirely on talent. Luck or opportunity are important. I don’t think she’ll ever be top of the operatic tree, because her voice isn’t big enough for one thing, but I was impressed by her when she was a student, she shaped well with Omnium in Germany, and learned. She’s been very good in these last,’ a hand flew out, ‘performances,’ and then a sudden stop, a turn so that the full-frontal power of the woman, perfume, shape, colour, mien slapped him down. ‘I did think, good as she was, that she hadn’t been doing enough practice. It’s now or