Page 31 of Fire Must Burn

‘A bit of a head this morning, I’m afraid,’ he said, smilingruefully. ‘Those slings may have been short a few ingredients, but alcohol certainly wasn’t one of them.’

‘Miss Sparks has told me all about you, Mr Danforth,’ said Mrs Bainbridge as she sat behind her desk. ‘She was so happy to find you were back in London, and even happier that you were coming to us. However, in the interest of giving you a more objective assessment, I am going to be conducting the interview, if that’s agreeable.’

‘Of course,’ said Danforth. ‘I’m quite curious to see what this is all about. Perhaps I’ll learn a few things about myself.’

‘Well, it isn’t psychotherapy,’ said Mrs Bainbridge with a smile. ‘Let me peruse your application for a moment. Oh, you left your address blank.’

‘I’ve just signed for the place,’ he said. ‘I haven’t taken up residence yet.’

‘When are you moving in?’

‘This Saturday.’

‘Why don’t you add it, then?’ she said, passing it back to him. ‘We’d be addressing correspondence to you there, and if we come up with a good prospect for you in the next two days, we could always ring you at your office.’

‘Certainly,’ he said, filling it in. ‘It’s Grenville House, Flat 504, Dolphin Square, in Pimlico. I have to get used to saying that. You’re the first people I’ve told. Very much bachelor’s digs at the moment, so if you succeed quickly I’ll have to move again to accommodate my new bride. I’m up on the fifth storey, and not on the side with the nice view of the Thames, so more a convenient location than anything else.’

‘Easy walk to the Foreign Office, at least,’ commented Mrs Bainbridge as he handed the forms back to her. ‘Now, let’s get to the business at hand. Education, we know about. You’ve been with the Diplomatic Service since 1939?’

‘Yes,’ he said. ‘Went out to Singapore, tried my hand at teaching first, and found I didn’t like children much. So I went hat in hand to the local consulate to beg for a job. They put me at a desk approving visas at first, but someone overheard me speaking Malay to the locals and I was moved up to something with more responsibilities. Then China in late ’41, mostlyunder George Kitson after he took over in Chungking. I put in for the position here five months ago and my appointment came through in May. And here I am.’

‘Are you hoping to stay in London?’ she asked.

‘I’m hoping to move up the ladder as far as I can, whether that leads to a higher post overseas or a bigger desk here.’

‘So ultimately what?’

‘Ambassador to Muckity-Muckistan or Grand High Pooh-Bah,’ he said, laughing. ‘I have no idea what that top level might be.’

‘Would you go back to China?’

‘Ah, doubt it,’ he said, grimacing slightly. ‘I’m done with them, they’re done with me.’

‘What happened?’ she asked.

‘That would make for a very long and boring conversation,’ he said. ‘Let’s just say that I made certain recommendations of policy that were dismissed out of hand, and by the time they realise I was right, it will be too late. So I’ve come home to strike a new path.’

‘With a new wife.’

‘Exactly so. Have you got any?’

‘Maybe,’ she said. ‘What sort would you like?’

‘Not sure,’ he said. ‘Never had one before.’

‘Do you have specific requirements?’

‘Two of everything where two is the normal number, although a three-eyed woman would be fascinating, come to think of it.’

‘Let’s be a little more serious about this, shall we?’ said Mrs Bainbridge. ‘We’ll go through the basics. Religion?’

‘Immaterial,’ he said. ‘Although I may have to sham my way through some church services now that I’m back.’

‘Age?’

‘Old enough to know better, but not old enough to know better than me.’

‘Education?’