Free High Master of Clere by Jane Arbor

at half-past twelve, when he should be free. This is Verity Lytton speaking—his secretary, you know—and I ’ m under orders not to call him from a class after it has begun, except for the greatest urgency. ’
    ‘ And who decides what is urgent and what isn ’ t ?’
    ‘ Almost invariably, I can, ’ said Verity evenly.
    ‘ Dear me! The complete watchdog, aren ’ t you ?’ Ira ’ s short laugh was unamused. ‘ But as you say you know Mr. Wyatt asked me to ring him, why are you being quite so obstructive, I wonder? ’
    ‘ If you remember, he suggested you should ring me to make an appointment for you, ’ Verity corrected. ‘ And I can do that now if you like, as I keep his engagement book. ’
    Silence from the other end of the line. Then Ira asked, ‘ Well, if you ’ re all that au fait, do you know whether he ’ s prepared to co-operate on the Stately Schools project? ’
    ‘ I kn ow he ’ s ready t o discuss it with you. He asked me to tell you so when you rang up. ’
    ‘ Very well— Cerberus ! Or is that too bad of me? ’ Ira ’ s voice was mocking. ‘ I mean, if he ’ s the kind of chief who gives you the works if you don ’ t obey orders to the letter, one must forgive you the three-headed custodian act! Some bosses come that way, I know, and you ’ ve simply got to train them. Use your sex appeal like crazy. Flutter your eyelashes. Or throw a small tantrum every other week. However, to business. I have my own great man ’ s little book here, so what about—let ’ s see—the twenty-fourth at, say, three o ’ clock? ’
    ‘ The time would do, but I ’ m afraid not the date, as Mr. Wyatt will be in London, ’ said Verity.
    ‘ The twenty-fifth instead? ’ As she waited for Ira to agree, Bob Wales knocked and looked round the door. In dumb show she told him she would be off the phone in a moment and he came to perch on the edge of her desk as she confirmed the appointment aloud, ‘ Friday the twenty-fifth at three. Mr. Wyatt will expect you, ’ and wrote it into the engagement book.
    Bob swung a leg. ‘ “ And gentlemen in England, now abed, shall think themselves accursed they were not here, ” ’ he remarked dreamily, and grinned at her glance of perplexity.
    ‘ Don ’ t you know your Shakespeare better than that? ’ he accused. ‘ Henry the Fifth—the speech before Agincourt ?’
    ‘ Of course. But what ’ s the connexion ?’
    ‘ The twenty-fifth of October, of course. St Crispin ’ s Day. Agincourt. El Alamein too. And by the oddest coincidence, also my birthday, as by now you should well know. And what are you going to do about it ?’
    Verity smiled. ‘ I dare say I ’ ll run to a birthday card. I usually do, don ’ t I? ’
    ‘ But I shall have a birthday card. Or two. Or perhaps even three. No, I really looked in to see if we couldn ’ t make a date for a meal together that night? And before you go all upstage about playing proxy for my lovely but capricious Rosemary, may I remind you that it wouldn ’ t be the first time, nor the second, that you ’ ve saved my face and I ’ ve saved yours at some delicate or crucial point in our affairs of the heart? ’
    ‘ I know. Do you remember that Clere Old Boy you rescued me from by telling him we were only waiting for our people ’ s consent to get engaged? That faded him out, and was I grateful to you! But what is it this time? Do you want rescuing from Rosemary or simply to teach her a lesson? ’ asked Verity.
    ‘ Rescue? Heaven forbid! ’ said Bob, alarmed. ‘ No, but she ’ s playing hard-to-get rather cunningly just now and I thought that one or two “ other good fish in the sea ” ploys might bring her back to heel. Such as taking you out and subtly letting her know that I had. What do you think ?’
    ‘ It depends. If she ’ s a girl of any spirit it might send her whinneying off in quite other directions, and then where would you be ?’
    ‘ Much where I am now—at Square One, ’ said Bob