The idea of being with anyone but Edward was unthinkable. There could never be another man for her.
She was at a table with Charlie Campbell and his wife and several people from the State Department. The conversation turned to anecdotes about ambassadors.
“A few years ago in Madrid,” one of the guests recounted, “hundreds of rioting students were clamoring for the return of Gibraltar in front of the British embassy. As they were on the verge of breaking into the building, one of General Franco’s ministers telephoned. ‘I’m deeply distressed to hear what’s happening at your embassy,’ he said. ‘Shall I send more police?’ ‘No,’ the ambassador said, ‘just send fewer students.’ ”
Someone asked, “Wasn’t it Hermes who was regarded by the ancient Greeks as the patron of ambassadors?”
“Yes,” came the rejoinder. “And he was also the protector of vagabonds, thieves, and liars.”
Mary was enjoying the evening tremendously. The people were bright and witty and interesting. She could have stayed all night.
The man next to her said, “Don’t you have to get up early for appointments tomorrow?”
“No,” Mary said. “It’s Sunday. I can sleep late.”
A little later, a woman yawned. “Excuse me. I’ve had a long day.”
“So have I,” Mary said brightly.
It seemed to her that the room was abnormally quiet. She looked around, and everyone seemed to be staring at her. What on earth—? She glanced at her watch. It was two-thirty A.M. And with horror she suddenly remembered something Stanton Rogers had told her: At a dinner party, the guest of honor always leaves first.
And she was the guest of honor! Oh, my God, Mary thought. I’m keeping everybody up.
She rose to her feet and said in a choked voice, “Good night, everybody. It’s been a lovely evening.”
She turned and hurried out the door, and behind her she could hear the other guests scrambling to leave.
Monday morning she ran into Mike Slade in the hallway. He grinned and said, “I hear you kept half of Washington up Saturday night.”
His supercilious air infuriated her.
She brushed past him and went into James Stickley’s office.
“Mr. Stickley, I really don’t think it would serve the best interests of our embassy in Romania for Mr. Slade and me to try working together.”
He looked up from the paper he was reading. “Really? What’s the problem?”
“It’s his—his attitude. I find Mr. Slade to be rude and arrogant. Frankly, I don’t like Mr. Slade.”
“Oh, I know Mike has his little idiosyncrasies, but—”
“Idiosyncrasies? He’s a rhinestone in the rough. I’m officially requesting that you send someone else in his place.”
“Are you finished?”
“Yes.”
“Mrs. Ashley, Mike Slade happens to be our top field expert on East European affairs. Your job is to make friends with the natives. My job is to see to it that you get all the help I can give you. And his name is Mike Slade. I really don’t want to hear any more about it. Do I make myself clear?”
It’s no use, Mary thought. No use at all.
She returned to her office, frustrated and angry. I could talk to Stan, she thought. He would understand. But that would be a sign of weakness. I’m going to have to handle Mike Slade myself.
“Daydreaming?”
Mary looked up, startled. Mike Slade was standing in front of her desk, holding a large stack of memos.
“This should keep you out of trouble tonight,” he said. He laid them on her desk.
“Knock next time you want to come into my office.”
His eyes were mocking her. “Why do I get the feeling you’re not crazy about me?”
She felt her temper rising again. “I’ll tell you why, Mr. Slade. Because I think you’re an arrogant, nasty, conceited—”
He raised a finger. “You’re being tautological.”
“Don’t you dare make fun of me.” She found herself yelling.
His voice dropped to a dangerous level. “You mean I can’t join the others? What do you think everyone in Washington is saying about you?”
“I don’t really care what they’re saying.”
“Oh, but you should.” He leaned over her desk. “Everybody is asking what right you have to be sitting at an ambassador’s desk. I spent four years in Romania, lady. It’s a piece of dynamite ready to explode, and the government is sending in a dumb kid from the sticks to play with it.”