The Designer(87)

‘So long as I can powder my nose when we get there.’ The fiacre set off with a lurch. Rattling along in the smell of horse and harness leather, she tried to catch her breath. ‘How long are you in Paris for?’

‘I’m back for good.’

She turned away, not wanting him to see her tears. ‘Is that a promise?’ she asked in a choked voice.

‘Yes. I’ve come for you – if you want me.’

Copper accepted the handkerchief he offered her. ‘I’ll let you know when I make up my mind. What’s with the horse and cart?’

He smiled. ‘There are not many cities left where you can still get a carriage to pick up the love of your life. I couldn’t resist it.’

‘You always were an incurable romantic,’ she said.

‘I suppose you’re right.’

‘I’ve been sick with worry about you,’ she said. ‘Are you smiling? I can’t see your expressions under all that face-fungus.’

‘My expression is a happy one, I assure you.’

‘Do you forgive me for leaving you at the altar?’

‘If you forgive me for being a Bluebeard.’

‘Done. Speaking of beards, I really need to remove yours. Can we stop at your house on the way?’

‘Of course.’

They reached Henry’s house and went in. Everything was bright and clean, and the air smelled of polish and fresh paint.

‘It looks wonderful.’

‘It’s coming back to life,’ he agreed. ‘It’s waiting for a new mistress.’

The bedroom was full of flowers, as before. In the white marble bathroom, he gave her scissors, a razor and the other materials necessary for removing his beard. He stripped to his waist so she could get to work. She made him sit on the edge of the bathtub and began by trimming his beard close to his jawline with the scissors.

‘I read your article in Picture Post,’ he said. ‘Balmain must be grateful to you. You gave him an excellent launch.’

‘He’s brilliantly talented.’

‘And when will you be doing the same for your friend Dior?’

She concentrated on cutting the thick curls without damaging his skin. ‘One of these days, I suppose. I keep urging him to do something about leaving Lelong. But he can be disgustingly timid. Or disgustingly lazy. Or both.’ She lathered his stubbly face abundantly with shaving soap and then set to work with the razor.

‘You’ve done this before?’

‘Twice a week until I left home. I was the one who shaved my father, Mondays and Wednesdays. Stop trying to kiss me or I won’t be responsible for any cuts.’ In fact, her hands were trembling in a way that threatened Henry’s life, but she managed to get them under control. It helped if she didn’t meet his eyes but focused on shearing away the foam to reveal the familiar contours of his face. ‘Where have you been? Tell me the truth.’

‘There has been a war for the soul of France. The communists have been doing everything in their power to destabilise the country and annex it for Soviet Russia. But at last the tide is turning and their strength is starting to fade a little. And strangely, that has less to do with me and my beard than with Stalin’s own brutality.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘The glorious Red Army has been the communists’ chief propaganda weapon. For years, they’ve been telling French workers tales of how the Red Army are coming to liberate them from slavery. But now we can all see what liberation by the Red Army really means. We saw the rape and looting which followed them at every step. We’ve seen them turn Poland, Hungary, Czechoslovakia and the rest into prison nations. Now we see them turning Berlin into a prison city. And Berlin, my dear, is not so far from Paris. My task, in the end, lay merely in pointing out these details in the right company and allowing them to draw their own conclusions.’

‘There must have been more than that. You said you would tell me the truth.’

‘Well, it was not always easy to get into the right company. And playing one side against the other is always difficult. The Reds would like to take sole credit for defeating the Nazis. According to them, every Resistance hero was a Stalinist. Dispelling that myth was vital.’ His dark, slanted eyes took her in hungrily. ‘You are so beautiful. I’ve dreamed of you. But my dreams always fall short of the reality.’

‘You’ve lost weight,’ she said, taking in his lean torso.

‘I haven’t been eating very much. I’m looking forward to our dinner at the Ritz grill.’

‘You can’t keep living at the Ritz,’ Copper heard herself saying. ‘Not with this magnificent home standing empty. It’s an unnecessary expense.’ She scraped off the last patch of foam. ‘And we can’t keep eating restaurant food, either. It’s not good for us. We need healthy, home-cooked meals.’

‘I couldn’t agree more.’ He caught her wrist. ‘Copper – how long are you going to keep me waiting?’

She was silent for a moment. Then she freed herself gently and rinsed the razor under the silver tap. ‘If you really want me, I’m yours.’

‘My beloved!’ He put his arms around her. ‘I thank God for you.’

She laughed a little unsteadily. ‘Henry, you’re the only man I know who actually says things like that.’