A Cup of Tea

Rosemary Fell was not exactly beautiful. Pretty? Well,if you took her to pieces...but why be so cruel as to take anyone to pieces. She was young,brilliant,extremely modern,exquisitely well-dressed. She was married and had a lovely boy. And her husband,Philip,absolutely adored her. They were rich,really rich.
One winter afternoon,she was buying something in a little antique shop in Curzon Street. The man showed her a little box,an exquisite enamel box. Rosemary liked it very much. 'Charming'! But what was the price?'Twenty-eight guineas,madam.'
Twenty-eight guineas. Even if one is rich...'Well,keep it for me - will you?'
The door shut with a click. Rain was falling,and with the rain it seemed the dark came too. Suddenly,at the moment,a young girl,thin,dark,shadowy - where had she come from? - was standing at Rosemary's elbow and said quietly,
'Madam,would you let me have a price of a cup of tea?'
'A cup of tea? Then you have no money at all?' asked Rosemary.
'None,madam,' came the answer.
'How extraordinary!' And suddenly it seemed to Rosemary such an adventure. Supposing she took the girl home? And she heard herself saying afterwards to the amazement of her friends,'I simply took her home with me', as she stepped forward and said,'Come home to tea with me.'
The girl drew back startled. 'I mean it',Rosemary said,smiling. And she felt how simple and kind her smile was. 'Come along'.
'You're not taking me to the police station?' the girl stammered.
'The police station!' Rosemary laughed out. 'No,I only want to make you warm and to hear - anything you care to tell me,'
Hungry people are easily led. The servant held open the door of the car and a moment later they were driving through the dusk.
'There!' said Rosemary. She had a feeling of triumph. She could have said,'Now I've got you',but of course she meant it kindly. She was going to prove to this girl that rich people had hearts,and that women are sisters.
The car stopped,they rang the bell,the door opened,and Rosemary drew the girl into the hall. Warmth,softness,light,a sweet scent,all these familiar things she never even thought about.
The girl seemed dazed.
'Come and sit down',Rosemary cried,as she walked into the drawing room. 'Sit in this comfortable chair. You mustn't be frightened. Come and get warm. Won't you take off your hat?'
The girl remained standing,but Rosemary gently pulled her towards the chair. The girl had moved only a few paces when she whispered, 'I'm very sorry,madam,but I'm going to faint.'
Rosemary guided her into the chair,crying, 'How thoughtless I am! Tea at once! And some brandy immediately!' She rushed to the bell to call a servant.
'No,I don't want brandy. It's a cup of tea I want,madam'. And she burst into tears.
'Don't cry,poor little thing'. Rosemary said,sympathetically.
Now at last the girl forgot to be shy and said, 'I can't go on any longer like this.'
'You won't have to. I'll look after you. Don't cry anymore. I'll arrange something,I promise.'
The girl stopped crying just in time for the tea.
Some little while later,the door handle turned. 'Rosemary,may I come in?'. It was Philip.
'Of course. This is my friend,Miss - '
'Smith,madam'. said the girl,who was strangely still and unafraid.
Philip looked at the girl,at her hands and boots and then at Rosemary. 'I wanted you to come into the library for a moment. Will miss Smith excuse us?'
Rosemary answered for her: 'Of course she will.' And they went out of the room together.
Philip asked, 'Explain. Who is she?'
Rosemary laughed and said, 'I picked up her in Curzon Street. She asked me for the price of a cup of tea and I brought her home with me. I'm going to be nice to her. Look after her.'
'My darling girl,' said Philip, 'you're quite mad. She's so astonishingly pretty.'
'Pretty?' Rosemary was so surprised. 'Do you think so?'
'She's absolutely lovely. Look again. I think you're making a mistake. But let me know if miss Smith is going to have dinner with us.'
Rosemary did not return directly to miss Smith but went to her writing room and sat down at her desk. Pretty! Lovely! She opened a drawer and took out five 1£ notes. She paused,then put two back,and holding three in her hand,went back to the girl in the drawing room.
Half and hour later,Philip was still in the library, when Rosemary came in.
'I...only wanted to tell you miss Smith insisted on going, so I gave the poor little thing some money.'
Rosemary had just done her hair,darkened her eyes and put on her pearls.
She touched Philip's cheeks.
'I saw a fascinating little box today. It costs twenty-eight guineas. May I have it?'
'You may,' Philip said. But that was not really what Rosemary wanted to say.
'Philip,' she whispered, 'Am I pretty?'