STEAK AND KIDNEY PIE

Evening Star, Issue 25677, 28 December 1945, Page 2

STEAK AND KIDNEY PIE

A SHORT STORY

The man in the brown Harris tweed stood in. the doorway and gazed upon the animated scene. It was the lunch hour; and Arcott’s was crowded out. Evidently he was too late to secure a seat. Nothing for it but to wait. Two girls and a man from the table in the corner under the window suddenly arose, and sauntered towards the exit. " Ralph Sloune, the man in brown, hurried to secure one of the vacated seats.

He found he was not alone. Looking across the table, Ins eyes met two misty blue eyes with a glint of recognition in their depths. “You Ralph!, What a surprise!’’ There was not even a hint of recognition in the eyes opposite; rather was the cold stare inimical.

The'igirl lowered her eyes to hide her embarrassment. A deep red flush mounted to her forehead, and she.bit her lips in vexation. The waitress came for their orders. The embarrassment vanished miraculously, and the little pointed chin was thrust out stubbornly. Turning naively to the waitress, she said firmly yet softly, “Steak and kidney pie for two, please.” •The • man flushed with anger; but only for a brief second or two. Then,, closing his eyes, he‘ tossed back his head and laughed. She remembered that trick of his, had loved him for it in the old days. Now, in the light of bitter experience, she felt it was only a gesture to cover up his illhumour.

“ Kind of you to have remembered my weakness for steak and_ kidney pie, after all these years! ” His voice was tender. He hesitated, then frowned. Silly of him to bring up the past. It had just slipped out. “After being treated so cruelly! You were cruel, weren’t you? Unforgiveably cruel. And yet it was the kindest act you ever did.” She laughed, a little tinkling laugh. “ You see, you opened my eyes to the real you. Mother and Sally had always wanted me to break, with you. They said you were not to be trusted. I thought them hard and suspicious. I must have been very innocent, ‘ oldfashioned ’ is the term used now/ isn’t it? How you must have laughed at me! ” She smiled, but the smile was twisted.

“ With all my sins, I was never guilty_of that, Anne. I revered your innocence.”

She laughed lightly. “You had a novel way of showing it, hadn’t you? ” The waitress came with tlieir orders.

“ Anyway, let’s enjoy our steak and kidney pie*. = I’m starving,” and she busied herself with her knife ad fork. He smiled. “ I’m ravenous. By Jove, tastes good, doesn’t it?. I’ve you to thank for. “ I’m afraid you’re mistaken,” she interrupted. • “ I wasn’t thinking of you really when I gave the order.” There was a mischievous gleam in her eyes.' “ Remember the first time you asked me to have lunch with you ? It was at the Savoy. And I was shy.” Again there was the tinkling laugh. “ ‘ Raw ’ is the modern term, isn’t it? When you asked me to give the order,, I asked you to, instead.” A tender look crept into her eyes. “ You ordered steak and kidney pie. I had never fancied steak and kidney pie, but I ate it because you did. And you enjoyed it so much that I enjoyed it too.” Her eyes grew misty. “ I don’t think you ever knew; I was too shy to tell you. But from the time I met you, I no longer had any likes or dislikes.. I borrowed yours. What you fancied, I fancied.” She leaned towards him. and smiled bewitcbingly. “So I pretended to you that I liked steak and kidney pie.” There was a slight pause. She was looking beyond him, out into space; skirting the present, and intent on the past. Her voice became dreamy. “ I- proved the theory that we are creatures of habit. Wherever I went for lunch, I ordered steak and kidney pie, just through force of habit. And in 4 time I liked it.” She laughed roguishly. “My role in life seems to be to prove theories, for I proved that our tastes are acquired. So you taught me a lot, Ralph. Thank you.’i Ralph angrily flicked a fly from the sugar bowl, and muttered viciously, “ Drat these flies.”

Her eyes grew misty again, but she shaded! them with her hand. She was back in the past. It seemed so long ago since she had fallen in love with Ralph.' Yet it was only three years. But during those three years she had grown up, had learned to value pteople for what they were, not for what she wanted them to be. Yet life had been very sweet before she woke up. She sighed, then gave herself a little shake, and smiled. “.Funny how you made me believe anything you wanted me to. When you left me oh the plea of an appointment, that last day we lunched together, when you—well, 1 deserted ' is a hard word to use, isn’t it, but I can’t find a sweeter name for it—how you' must have been laughing at me! You shrugged your shoulders and looked away; even went so far as to say you hated leaving me. And 1 believed you, and assumed a cheerfulness I was far from feeling, to cheer you up. Remember? ’’

Apart from the impatient rapping of his knuckles on the table, lie gave no sign that he heard'. . “ And that night when you didn’t come as usual, I felt dreadfully depressed. not on my own account, but on yours. I felt some dreadful calamity had overtaken you.” She laughed softly. “ 1 was unversed in the ways of men, not the modern girl at all, was 1? I suppose that’s what made you tire of me.”

A deep crimson spread over his face. He coughed uncomfortably. “ Stop. You* have cause to think harshly of me, God knows But give me credit for enough decency to have appreciated your innocence. It was that that attracted me in the first place.”

“ I could forgive yon for becoming infatuated with Eileen. I met her once at vour home. She is very dainty. But what I couldn’t forgive you for was for not having the courage to tell me yourself. That would have been more manly than to send a message through your father.” She gaVc him a covert glance irom beneath lowered eyelids; but, apart from a nervous twitching of the lips, he gave no sign that he beard. “ I shall never forget the torture I endured that night, while you were eloping with Eileen.” She laughed huskily, a laugh not far from tears. “ The funny part is that

(Written by Beatrice Wilson, for the ' Evening Star.')

we always suffer torture for those who never waste a thought on us. Thank you for teaching me that, Ralph. Er—two lumps of sugar, isn’t it? ” He merely inclined his head. “ I rang up your home, but got no reply; so tried the hospital, For 1 was sure that only an accident, could have kept you from keeping an appointment.” She laughed suonly. *’ i was very, very young. And a tier a night of agony 1 got up and went round to your home. Your father gave me your message: that you had fallen madly in love with your cousin, Eileen Mansky, and had' eloped with her; adding that it was kinder to leave me then than go through a mockery of marriage • with me. “ And then . . . and then,” she laughed recklessly, “he had the audacity to inform, me that you wished me to remember you kindly.” He made as though to rise, then thought better of it and remained seated.

“ And when Friday came,” the girlish voice went on, day we lunched together at the Savoy, I found myself walking along to the Savoy, mounting the stairs, and sitting in my old seat at the corner table. There was a man seated opposite in your old chair.

“The waitress came for our orders, and before I thought what I was doing I ordered steak and kidney pie for two; As soon as I liadi said it I realised what I had done. I began to stammer an apology, but my companion was too gentlemanly ’’—she smiled—“ too well-bred to allow me to proceed. He thanked me gallantly for choosing for him, said he was no good at making a choice, that steak and kidney pie was just what he liked.” There was a harsh scraping of Ralph Sloan’s chair on the polished floor. His voice was harsh as he jerked out: “ I say, you’re rubbing it in a bit too strong.” The blue eyes looked up at him reproachfully, and the tone was that of a hurt child, as she naively asked: “ Why, what do you mean? ’ “ Well, that well-bred, gentlemanly touch, you know.” ' / “ Oh, but he was ... he is,” she cried eagerly, “and we talked as though we had always been friends. And that was only the beginning. “ Now we are— ” she paused, “ well . . . the closest of friends. Thank you, Ralph,” and she bowed her head. He bit his lip in anger, and savagely attacked the pie.

“ Every Friday Alex, and I come here for steak and kidney pie.” She laughed softly. “So .you see, when I lost you I didn’t lose all. I still have my steak and kidney pie.”

His knife and fork fell on the floor with a clatter, and, as he stooped to pick them up, Anne continued. “ You see, I had forgotten Alex, was to be out of town to-day. So when I ordered the pie for two I was ordering for Alex; and myself. I hadn’t really noticed you.” He savagely threw the knife and fork op the table. They would have overturned the vase of sweet peas if Anne had not ‘caught it in time. “ Sorry,” .he said gruffly, “ but flowers on a dinner table seem out of place, anyhow.” She looked up at him archly from under her eyelashes. “ I thought Eileen ■would have been most punctilious about having flowers on the table at meal time.” She remembered how three years before ,she had been introduced to Eileen Mansky; and her daintiness had made her feel awkward and clumsy. No wonder Ralph had become infatuated. If lie _ had not caused her such agony of mind, she would have admired, him for his good taste. She looked at him covertly. But Ralph wasn’t even listening. At least he was pretending to be uninterested. She could shake him. Must rouse him from that indifference somehow.

Laughing softly, she said: “Funny how Alex, seems to have sapped up all my individuality. But then you did, too, though that was three years ago when I was very, very young, and immature. I really didn’t know my own mind. Looking back, I see I was just a flapper, ready to dance to the piping of any callow youth who came along.” ■ Still that stony indifference from' the man opposite. “ But now, in the light of experience, bitter though it was, my judgment is sounder, so sound, indeed, that I rec.ognise the quality in another.” She threw out her hands dramatically, a little way she had that had endeared her to him in the past, and whispered: “Hence my penchant for Alex.”

She scrutinised him from behind half-closed eyes. His were closed. The fingers of his left hand were busily stroking his forehead, a habit he had when worried', she remembered. She leaned back with a satisfied smile. So, her thrust had gone home. Ralph Sloane became a dynamic force. Suddenly jumping up, he murmered. “ Excuse me, but ” But before he got any further, Anne had risen quietly from her chair, and gathered up her hand-bag and gloves. “Oli, 1 had forgotten. 1 bad an appointment. Sorry.” Ralph smiled' broadly. “ Not for steak and kidney pie, I hope? ” She smiled sweetly. “ You must have lost caste with the ‘ fair sex ’ since we parted. The modern girl’s appointment is for a perm.” “ If you had heard me out just now, you may have learnt that the modern, or more correctly, the ultra-modern man is also guilty of that' perm appointment.” And he walked towards the exit

Anne laughed. They were walking towards the foyer now. and as hn stopned to settle the hill at the desk nearby, she .slackened her .juice. He hurried to overtake her, and together they went down the stairs. On reaching the street, they paused instinctively. The snn was shining brightly People were lounging under the verandahs

‘‘ Pity to miss the sunshine for a perm.” Ralph remarked as he gazed past her into the street. “Ts the lienutv parlour von ■ patronise far awav?”

“ Er . er . . . yes: I mean, no.” “ Well, flint’s easy. Let’s taxi you there.”

“ But,” and a glint of mischief lit up the blue eyes. what about yours? ”

“ Yes . . . quite; er . . er . . matter of fact, I forgot all about it. It can wait.”

1 Beckoning a taxi, he opened the door and signalled to her to he seated. There was nothing for it but for her to scramble in. He climbed in beside her, leaned forward to give the chauffeur his instructions and then leaned back For a few minutes neither of them spoke. Suddenly Anne sat up stiffly. “ But I haven’t told you where I want to go.” “ Oh, yes, you did. Don’t you remember? ‘Er . . . yes ... I mean, no.’ Surely that was clear enough.”

She looked out of the window. The shopping area was left behind, and they were nearing the suburbs. “ If it’s any satisfaction to you, you have made me late for my appointment.”

“ Yes, I’m afraid you’ve decided on a perm appointment rather late in the day,” and he looked at her hair, lying sleek and shiny against her head. “ A perm- wouldn’t suit you, somehow. Shows your well shaped head, left straight. Why not admit that you had no perm appointment, never have had, and never will? ” She turned on. him angrily. “ You . . . you . . . how dare you say I have no appointment? ” “ Well, have you, Anne? ” There was a tender look in the eyes he bent on hers, and Anne r was very human. Lowering her yes, she said softly, “ But . . . but . . then drew herself erect. The tenderness in the blue eyes gave way to a gleam of defiance. “ Anyway, what right have you to take me joyriding without'my consent? What will Eileen have to say about it? ”

“Oh, I don’t think she’ll mind.” They were nearing the sea now, about a mile from Brighton. . The girl and her companion sniffed eagerly, at the salt-laden air. Ralph’s brown, sinewy hand closed on the soft little hand that lay unresisting on Anna’s knee. “ Remember, Anne?” His voice was husky. Anne drew her hand away, but her eyes were misty. The taxi stopped. They were at the sea

Ralph jumped out, and thrust out his hand to help her alight. For a scarcely perceptible moment she hesitated, then placed her hand in the man’s strong grasp and lightly sprang to the ground. Her gaze wandered over the expanse of water, and a tender, a very tender, look crept into her eyes. Could it be three years since she and Ralph had picnicked here? Everything was just the same.

There, bobbing up and down, was the very raft she and Ralph swam out to three years ago. There were the surf boards cleaving the breakers, just as they did three years ago. A man and a girl came splashing through the water, hand in hand. Suddenly the man dropped the girl’s hand, and Anne overheard, “ I’ll race you to the bathing sheds,” and in a twinkling they were off, scampering over the sand.

She looked’at Ralph covertly. Their eyes met and held. So lie remembered, too.

His hands went out appealingly to her as he whispered husliily, “Remember, Anne?” She swayed toward him, then drow herself erect. “I’m afraid of what Alex, will have to say about this.”

“ I’m not.” She laughed scornfully. “ But then you don’t know Alex.” “ Neither do you.” His eyes pierced hers, and then he laughed. “ For there isn’t an Alex.; never was an Alex.”

She laughed defiantly. “ And no lunch appointment, 1 suppose.” “No; decidedly not.” A deep red flush mounted to her forehead, and she turned her. head aside.

There was a tender smile round his mouth as he glanced at her. He laughed. “A girl doesn’t make an uninvited fourth at a table when she has promised to. lunch with an Alex.” There was a pause. “ You see, 1 happened to see two girls and a man get up from your table after having had lunch. It was I who took one of the vacated seats, if you remember, Anne. But then, I hadn’t made an appointment.” There was a'moment’s silence. A smile flitted across her face.

Throwing back his head, he laughed boyishly. Spontaneously. Anne’s gay laugh burst forth, and the two laughed unrestrainedly. Instinctively their gaze strayed to a gap in the sandhills, a spot sheltered from the wind and bathed in sunshine. There they had dreamt their dreams, planned and pictured their future together But that was three years ago. “ Our gap, Anne. Remember?” And moving forward eagerly, he asked, “ Coming?” There was no response. The little figure had stiffened.

He bit his lip in vexation. What a fool he was 1 His mind went back to the past. Anne would never be coaxed like a child. He remembered how she scorned anyone who could be wheedled into doing anything. Nothing weak about Anne! Every inch a thoroughbred. But Anne’s defences were down when challenged. She could never withstand a challenge, never. He threw back his head defiantly. “ Bet you can’t race me to the gap.” Anne’s eyes shot instant defiance at him, and she was gone. Ralph followed her, but it was useless trying to overtake her. Her feet barely touched the ground. When she reached the gap she sank clown on the ground, panting. With cheeks flushed, lips parted, her eyes shining like stars, she was very, very attractive. Ralph came up. But his strength was exhausted and he didn’t even fiance her way. Throwing himself own on the sand beside her, he lay still, gasping for breath. Anne was on her knees, bending over him. “ Ralph, dear,” she whispered hoarsely, “what’s wrong?” For a moment his breathing was too laboured for him to reply. But gradually it became normal again, and he sat up and gave her a reassuring smile. “Just winded. Fool trick to race after three years in the Alps at Rollier’s.” He took a deep breath. “ Too steep there to do much running. Nothing to worry about, though. The lung’s healed.” Her face cleared. She leant forward eagerly. “(Rollier’s? Isn’t that the man with a sanatorium in Switzerland, the man’s who’s made remarkable cures?”

He bowed with mock severity. “ Quite correct. That’s the man.” “ Ralph,” her voice was strained, “ you haven’t . . . haven’t . . .” and, growing bolder, “ Tell me, Ralph, why were you there?”

“ Why?” His tone was bantering, but he avoided her eyes. “ A man always elopes to Elysian Heights, doesn’t he?”

“ Ralph, did you . . .” she hesitated, then blundered no. “ I mean, were you ...” , “I did, and I was,” he teased. Then sitting up, he grew serious. “ The last day I lunched with you was the day after I received my death sentence.” His face was grim. “ I learned I had T.B. and was offered little hope. All night the dad and I schemed and planned what to do about it. Finally we decided ißollier was the man.”

Chin propped in hands and eyes gazing- into space, she listened intently, drinking in every word. “ You poor darling,” she breathed, as though thinking aloud. There was a pregnant silence in which each was busy with bis thoughts. After a moment or two, she asked intentively, like a bewildered child, “ But what of Eileen? ” His voice grew tender. “ There never was an Eileen, dear; at ieast for me. I had to be ‘ The (Big Bad Wolf ’ to make you hate me. And that was as good a way as any, an elopement with another woman.” He looked _at her tenderly, hut she was still gazing fixedly into space; in her eyes all the pent-up hunger and longing of the last three years. She was all contrition now. “ I’m afraid I made a very poor Red Riding Hood, Ralph. I should have trusted you. And yet,” her voice was reflective, “ you could hardly blame me. Your father was very convincing.”

“ That’s what he meant to be. To set you free heart-whole was the only decent thing to do.” “ But why didn’t you confide in mo? ” “You wouldn’t have hated me then.” Ho smiled whimsically. “ I knew you, Anne. Knew . what, a brave little warrior you were, knew you wouldn’t give me up, knew you would want to fight through with me.” He threw out his hands excessively. “ And that . . . well, couldn’t be allowed.” His voice grew husky. “ Anno, look at me.” Rut she lowered her head. In an instant he was beside her, one arm round her, and one hand clasping hers. With his other he pressed the golden head down on his shoulder, face upturned to his. Then drawing her closer, he whispered tenderly, “ Would you have let me free you if you had known the truth? Would you. Anne?”

There was no answer. But the flicker of a smile lit up her eyes. He laughed triumphantly aiid 6et her free. “ I knew it.”

" 'But Ralph, dear, are you . . . are you sure you’re quite cured now? ” “ Absolutely.” There was a mischievous gleani in his eyes. “If there hadn’t been an Alex, T would have asked you to marry me.” Her tinkling laughter rang out. “ And if there hadn’t been an Eileen, T might ... of course, I’m not sure, hut I might have accepted you.”

THE END.

Both arms went round her. For a time neither stirred. Then Ralph’s hand crept up and stroked the golden head, later pressing it possessively against liis shoulder.

From the depths of the brown tweed came a voice, a shy, hesitating voice, “ Ralph.” Anne’s head burrowed further into his shoulder. “ Why did you pretend not to know me, after I recognised you in the restaurant? ” A tender look crept into his eyes. “ You were so sweet, darling, sweeter even than I had pictured you all the years I was away. I couldn’t risk it. For I knew some lucky man had taken my place. You were so very sweet. I couldn’t bear to hear of my successor. Far better not to renew the friendship and leave things as they were.” She laughed mischievously. “ Then why did you thaw'? Was it a case of second thoughts? ” He caught her to him. “ You imp! ” Pressing his' lips to hers, he kissed her again and again, then abruptly let her go. “ That’s why. You’re so maddeningly adorable.”