'What level?' said Mark Darcy. 'It's not a level, it's a perfectly good point.'
'No. No. I'm sorry, you're deliberately being obtuse,' she said, turning bright red. 'I'm not talking about a ventilating deconstructionalistic freshness of vision. I'm talking about the ultimate vandalization of the cultural framework.'
Mark Darcy looked as if he was going to burst out laughing.
'What I mean is, if you're taking that sort of cutesy, morally relativistic, 'Blind Date is brilliant' sort of line . . . ' she said with a resentful look in my direction.
'I wasn't, I just really like Blind Date,' I said. 'Though I do think it would be better if they made the pickees make up their own replies to the questions instead of reading out those stupid pat answers full of puns and sexual innuendos.'
'Absolutely,' interjected Mark.
'1 can't stand Gladiators, though. It makes me feel fat,' I said. 'Anyway, nice to meet you. Bye!'
I was just standing waiting for my coat, reflecting on how much difference the presence or absence of a diamond-patterned sweater can make to someone's attractiveness, when I felt hands lightly on my waist
I turned around. 'Daniel!'
'Jones! What are you doing skulking off so early?' He leaned over and kissed me. 'Mmmmmm, you smell nice,' then offered me a cigarette.
'No thank you, I have found inner poise and given up smoking,' I said, in a preprogrammed, Stepford Wife sort of way, wishing Daniel wasn't quite so attractive when you found yourself alone with him.
'I see,' he smirked, 'inner poise, eh?'
'Yes,' I said primly. 'Have you been at the party? I didn't see you.'
'I know you didn't. I saw you, though. Talking to Mark Darcy.'
'How do you know Mark Darcy?' I said, astonished.
'Cambridge. Can't stand the stupid nerd. Bloody old woman. How do you know him?'
'He's Malcolm and Elaine Darcy's son,' I began, almost going on to say, 'You know Malcolm and Elaine, darling. They came over when we lived in Buckingham – '
'Who in the – '
'They're friends of my parents. I used to play with him in the paddling pool.'
'Yes, I bet you did, you dirty little bitch,' he growled. 'Do you want to come and have supper?'
Inner poise, I told myself, inner poise.
'Come on, Bridge,' he said, leaning towards me seductively. 'I need to have a serious discussion about your blouse. It's extremely thin. Almost, when you examine it, thin to the point of transparency. Has it ever occurred to you that your blouse might be suffering from . . . bulimia?'
'I've got to meet someone,' I whispered desperately.
'Come on, Bridge.'
'No,' I said with a firmness that rather surprised me.
'Shame,' he said softly. 'See you Monday,' and gave me a look so dirty I felt like throwing myself after him shouting, 'Shag me! Shag me!'
11 p.m. Just called Jude and told her about Daniel incident, also about Malcolm and Elaine Darcy's son, whom Mum and Una had tried to get me off with at the Turkey Curry Buffet, turning up at the party looking rather attractive.
'Wait a minute,' said Jude. 'You don't mean Mark Darcy, do you? The lawyer?'
'Yes. What – do you know him as well?'
'Well, yes. I mean, we've done some work with him. He's incredibly nice and attractive. I thought you said the chap at the Turkey Curry Buffet was a real geek.'