Chapter 2: Dinner

At the drinks before dinner there were many famous names and faces which Jane recognised from the newspapers, and there was much pre-dinner amazement that Sir Henry was engaged to be married less than two years after the untimely death of his wife. He introduced her to some of the most senior politicians in Britain. The Prime Minister even joked to Sir Henry, "Brought her with you to show off, eh? I don't blame you. No hanky-panky before the ceremony remember – a Knight of the Realm is supposed also to be a gentleman."

When they went in to dinner it was a surprise to Jane was that there were several German officers present, though they all filed in from the opposite side of the dining room. She had not realised that this dinner was the culmination of several weeks of negotiations, and that the peace group on the British side held high hopes that German agreement in principle to a peace treaty would be announced during the after dinner speeches.

Meanwhile Jane was so enthralled by the beautiful food, long forgotten by the ordinary British residents. Smoked salmon was served as a starter followed by roast haunch of venison. When a compote of red and black cherries, berries and currents arrived with unlimited quantities of fresh cream, Jane sat remembering having had cream on the table as a girl. Such luxuries were unknown during, and in the aftermath of the war; even had they been available, everything was rationed. Because of her fascination with the food, Jane heard almost nothing of the conversation, which was, in any case, all politics and therefore of no interest to her.