Free Gently Continental by Alan Hunter Page A

Scandinavians, Miss Trudi?
    TRUDI
    I . . . a little . . .
    STEPHEN
    It doesn’t matter. She’s right, absolutely right. Ethnologically right.
    GENTLY
    I wonder. As a mere layman I regarded Clooney as brachycephalous.
    STEPHEN
    (Staring.)
    Ah, but his injury, he smashed his skull. That might give a false impression. There was a parietal collapse – Uncle John described it to me.
    GENTLY
    Oh, his skull was in a mess. But wouldn’t that reduce the brachycephalic character?
    STEPHEN
    It might, of course – and then it might not. Depending entirely on the collapse.
    TRUDI
    This is silly, I know . . . but I’m not feeling too well.
    STEPHEN
    Trudi!
    TRUDI
    Sorry, Steve. It’s just hearing you talk about . . .
    STEPHEN
    Oh hell, I should have known better.
    TRUDI
    I’m sorry. I’m just made that way. Just the idea gives me a turn . . . I’m a terrible coward about these things.
    And certainly Trudi has turned pale, and is sitting up, and inclining her head forward. Stephen Halliday catches her hand and begins to chafe it, but she draws it away.
    TRUDI
    No, I’m all right, really.
    STEPHEN
    Damn, I’m a bloody idiot.
    GENTLY
    You musn’t feel too strongly about Clooney, Miss Trudi.
    TRUDI
    (Darts him a look, says nothing.)
    GENTLY
    He seems to have affected people so differently, you’d think they had special points of view. Unless the difference was in him, and he deliberately gave different impressions.
    TRUDI
    I don’t know how he affected the others.
    GENTLY
    Surely you know how Frieda disliked him.
    TRUDI
    Oh yes. But she’s . . . different.
    GENTLY
    In what way?
    TRUDI
    Well . . . I don’t know! Frieda isn’t a happy person, she takes offence easily. She’s all wrapped up in the business. That’s her whole interest in life.
    GENTLY
    She would do a lot for the business.
    TRUDI
    Yes, it comes first with her.
    STEPHEN
    You’d have to marry it if you married her. It’d be a life sentence.
    TRUDI
    (A sidelong glance at Stephen.)
    It’s as I say, she isn’t happy. I don’t know what would make her happy. Perhaps nothing would. She’s like that. Perhaps it’s power she really wants, though I’m sure it wouldn’t make her happy either.
    GENTLY
    She may be lonely.
    TRUDI
    Then it’s her fault.
    GENTLY
    I suppose your sister was never engaged.
    TRUDI
    Oh, there’s no great tragedy of that sort. Being jilted wouldn’t squash Frieda.
    GENTLY
    Has she been jilted?
    TRUDI
    That’s hardly possible, you must fall in love before you’re jilted. I know it’s cattish, talking like this, but I don’t think Frieda could fall in love.
    GENTLY
    She loves the business.
    TRUDI
    Yes, exactly.
    STEPHEN
    Trudi was right about her wanting power. Her sort of love would be megalomania, she’d want a man she could put in a cage.
    GENTLY
    But then, if she lost him—
    STEPHEN
    She’d be dangerous. She wouldn’t shed any tears.
    GENTLY
    You seem to have studied her case, Mr Halliday.
    STEPHEN
    Well, yes, psychology is part of my job.
    GENTLY
    Then perhaps you can tell me – a trained observer – what offence Clooney gave to Miss Breske.
    STEPHEN
    He didn’t jilt her, I can tell you that.
    GENTLY
    But, you would say, he was some threat to her power?
    Stephen Halliday stares silently a moment. Trudi sits hugging her brown knees. Trudi has not quite regained her colour, she may be encouraging its return by keeping her head low. The position, however, exhibits her fine shoulders, and the tanned grace of her back, and the regular spacing of strong vertebrae receding handsomely to the dress-line. You cannot discompose Trudi into anything short of beauty.
    STEPHEN
    It’s a theory, of course. But I don’t see how it’s possible. If you mean Clooney was making up to Mrs Breske, I can only say that no one noticed it.
    GENTLY
    No one?
    STEPHEN
    Well, generally speaking.
    TRUDI
    I say the idea