11.45 p.m. Ugh. First day of New Year has been day of horror. Cannot quite believe I am once again starting the year in a single bed in my parents' house. It is too humiliating at my age. I wonder if they'll smell it if I have a fag out of the window. Having skulked1 at home all day, hoping hangover would clear, I eventually gave up and set off for the Turkey Curry3 Buffet4 far too late. When I got to the Alconburys' and rang their entire-tune-of-town-hall?clock-style doorbell I was still in a strange world of my own — nauseous, vile-headed, acidic. I was also suffering from road-rage residue6 after inadvertently getting on to the M6 instead of the M1 and having to drive halfway7 to Birming-ham before I could find anywhere to turn round. I was so furious I kept jamming my foot down to the floor on the accelerator pedal to give vent2 to my feelings, which is very dangerous. I watched resignedly as Una Alconbury's form — intriguingly8 deformed9 through the ripply10 glass door bore down on me in a fuchsia two-piece.
'Bridget! We'd almost given you up for lost! Happy New Year! Just about to start without you.'
She seemed to manage to kiss me, get my coat off, hang it over the banister, wipe her lipstick11 off my cheek and make me feel incredibly guilty all in one movement, while I leaned against the ornament12 shelf for support.
'Sorry. I got lost.'
'Lost? Durr! What are we going to do with you? Come on in!'
She led me through the frosted-glass doors into the lounge, shouting, 'She got lost, everyone!'
'Bridget! Happy New Year! said Geoffrey Alconbury, clad in a yellow diamond-patterned sweater. He did a jokey Bruce Forsyth step then gave me the sort of hug which Boots would send straight to the police station.
'Hahumph,' he said, going red in the face and pulling his trousers up by the waistband. 'Which junction13 did you come off at?'
'Junction nineteen, but there was a diversion
'Junction nineteen! Una, she came off at Junction nine?teen! You've added an hour to your journey before you even started. Come on, let's get you a drink. How's your love-life, anyway?'
Oh God. Why can't married people understand that this is no longer a polite question to ask? We wouldn't rush up to them and roar, 'How's your marriage going? Still having sex?' Everyone knows that dating in your thirties is not the happy-go-lucky free-for-all it was when you were twenty-two and that the honest answer is more likely to be, 'Actually, last night my married lover appeared wearing suspenders and a darling little Angora crop-top, told me he was gay/a sex addict/a narcotic14 addict/a com?mitment phobic and beat me up with a dildo,' than, 'Super, thanks.'
Not being a natural liar15, I ended up mumbling16 shame?facedly to Geoffrey, 'Fine,' at which point he boomed, 'So you still haven't got a feller!'
'Bridget! What are we going to do with you!' said Una. 'You career girls! I don't know! Can't put it off for ever, you know. Tick-tock-tick-tock.'
'Yes. How does a woman manage to get to your age without being married?' roared Brian Enderby (married to Mavis, used to be president of the Rotary17 in Kettering), waving his sherry in the air. Fortunately my dad rescued me.
'I'm very pleased to see you, Bridget,' he said, taking my arm. 'Your mother has the entire Northamptonshire constabulary poised18 to comb the county with toothbrushes for your dismembered remains19. Come and demonstrate your presence so I can start enjoying myself. How's the be-wheeled suitcase?'
'Big beyond all sense. How are the ear-hair clippers?'
'Oh, marvellously — you know — clippy.'
It was all right, I suppose. I would have felt a bit mean if I hadn't turned up, but Mark Darcy. . . Yuk. Every time my mother's rung up for weeks it's been, 'Of course you remember the Darcys, darling. They came over when we were living in Buckingham and you and Mark played in the paddling pool!' or, 'Oh! Did I mention Malcolm and Elaine are bringing Mark with them to Una's New Year's Day Turkey Curry Buffet? He's just back from America, appar?ently. Divorced. He's looking for a house in Holland Park. Apparently20 he had the most terrible time with his wife. Japanese. Very cruel race.'
Then next time, as if out of the blue, 'Do you remember Mark Darcy, darling? Malcolm and Elaine's son? He's one of these super-dooper top-notch lawyers. Divorced. Elaine says he works all the time and he's terribly lonely. I think he might be coming to Una's New Year's Day Turkey Curry Buffet, actually.'
I don't know why she didn't just come out with it and say, 'Darling, do shag Mark Darcy over the turkey curry, won't you? He's very rich.'
'Come along and meet Mark,' Una Alconbury sing?-songed before I'd even had time to get a drink down me.
Being set up with a man against your will is one level of humiliation21, but being literally22 dragged into it by Una Alconbury while caring for an acidic hangover, watched by an entire roomful of friends of your parents, is on another plane altogether.
The rich, divorced-by-cruel-wife Mark — quite tall — was standing23 with his back to the room, scrutinizing24 the con5?tents of the Alconburys' bookshelves: mainly leather-bound series of books about the Third Reich, which Geoffrey sends off for from Reader's Digest. It struck me as pretty ridiculous to be called Mr Darcy and to stand on your own looking snooty at a party. It's like being called Heathcliff and insisting on spending the entire evening in the garden, shouting 'Cathy' and banging your head against a tree.
'Mark,' said Una, as if she was one of Santa Claus's fairies. 'I've got someone nice for you to meet.'
He turned round, revealing that what had seemed from the back like a harmless navy sweater was actually a V-neck diamond-pattern in shades of yellow and blue — as favoured by the more elderly of the nation's sports reporters. As my friend Tom often remarks, it's amazing how much time and money can be saved in the world of dating by close attention to detail. A white sock here, a pair of red braces25 there, a grey slip-on shoe, a swastika, are as often as not all one needs to tell you there's no point writing down phone numbers and forking out for expensive lunches because it's never going to be a runner.
'Mark, this is Colin and Pam's daughter, Bridget,' said Una, going all pink and fluttery. 'Bridget works in publish?ing, don't you, Bridget?'
'I do indeed,' I for some reason said, as if I were taking part in a Capital radio phone-in and was about to ask Una if I could 'say hello' to my friends Jude, Sharon and Tom, my brother Jamie, everyone in the office, my mum and dad, and last of all all the people at the Turkey Curry Buffet.
'Well, I'll leave you two young people together', said Una. 'Durr! I expect you're sick to death of us old fuddy?-duddies.'
'Not at all,' said Mark Darcy awkwardly with a rather unsuccessful attempt at a smile, at which Una, after rolling her eyes, putting a hand to her bosom27 and giving a gay tinkling28 laugh, abandoned us with a toss of her head to a hideous29 silence.
'I. Um. Are you reading any' ah . . . Have you read any good books lately?' he said.
Oh, for God's sake.
I racked my brain frantically30 to think when I last read a proper book. The trouble with working in publishing is that reading in your spare time is a bit like being a dustman and snuffling through the pig bin31 in the evening. I'm halfway through Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus, which Jude lent me, but I didn't think Mark Darcy, though clearly odd, was ready to accept himself as a Martian quite yet. Then I had a brainwave.
'Backlash, actually, by Susan Faludi,' I said triumphantly32. Hah! I haven't exactly read it as such, but feel I have as Sharon has been ranting33 about it so much. Anyway, com?pletely safe option as no way diamond-pattern-jumpered goody-goody would have read five-hundred-page feminist34 treatise35.
'Ah. Really?' he said. 'I read that when it first came out. Didn't you find there was rather a lot of special pleading?'
'Oh, well, not too much . . .' I said wildly, racking my brains for a way to get off the subject. 'Have you been staying with your parents over New Year?'
'Yes,' he said eagerly. 'You too?'
'Yes. No. I was at a party in London last night. Bit hungover, actually.' I gabbled nervously36 so that Una and Mum wouldn't think I was so useless with men I was failing to talk to even Mark Darcy. 'But then I do think New Year's resolutions can't technically37 be expected to begin on New Year's Day, don't you? Since, because it's an extension of New Year's Eve, smokers38 are already on a smoking roll and cannot be expected to stop abruptly39 on the stroke of midnight with so much nicotine40 in the system. Also dieting on New Year's Day isn't a good idea as you can't eat rationally but really need to be free to consume whatever is necessary, moment by moment, in order to ease your hangover. I think it would be much more sensible if resolutions began generally on January the second.'
'Maybe you should get something to eat,' he said, then suddenly bolted off towards the buffet, leaving me standing on my own by the bookshelf while everybody stared at me, thinking, 'So that's why Bridget isn't married. She repulses41 men.'
The worst of it was that Una Alconbury and Mum wouldn't leave it at that. They kept making me walk round with trays of gherkins and glasses of cream sherry in a desp?erate bid to throw me into Mark Darcy's path yet again. In the end they were so crazed with frustration42 that the second I got within four feet of him with the gherkins Una threw herself across the room like Will Carling and said, 'Mark, you must take Bridget's telephone number before you go, then you can get in touch when you're in London.'
I couldn't stop myself turning bright red. I could feel it climbing up my neck. Now Mark would think I'd put her up to it.
'I'm sure Bridget's life in London is quite full enough already, Mrs Alconbury,' he said. Humph. It's not that I wanted him to take my phone number or anything, but I didn't want him to make it perfectly43 obvious to everyone that he didn't want to. As I looked down I saw that he was wearing white socks with a yellow bumblebee motif44
'Can't I tempt26 you with a gherkin?' I said, to show I had had a genuine reason for coming over, which was quite definitely gherkin-based rather than phone-number--related.
'Thank you, no,' he said, looking at me with some alarm.
'Sure? Stuffed olive?' I pressed on.
'No, really.'
'Silverskin onion?' I encouraged. 'Beetroot cube?'
'Thank you,' he said desperately45, taking an olive.
'Hope you enjoy it,' I said triumphantly.
Towards the end I saw him being harangued46 by his mother and Una, who marched him over towards me and stood just behind while he said stiffly, 'Do you need driving back to London? I'm staying here but I could get my car to take you.'
'What, all on its own?' I said.
He blinked at me.
'Durr! Mark has a company car and a driver, silly,' said Una.
'Thank you, that's very kind,, I said. 'But I shall be taking one of my trains in the morning.'
2 a.m. Oh, why am I so unattractive? Why? Even a man who wears bumblebee socks thinks I am horrible. Hate the New Year. Hate everyone. Except Daniel Cleaver47. Anyway, have got giant tray-sized bar of Cadbury's Dairy Milk left over from Christmas on dressing48 table, also amusing joke gin and tonic49 miniature. Am going to consume them and have fag.
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1
skulked
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| v.潜伏，偷偷摸摸地走动，鬼鬼祟祟地活动( skulk的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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vent
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| n.通风口，排放口；开衩；vt.表达，发泄 | |
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curry
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| n.咖哩粉，咖哩饭菜；v.用咖哩粉调味，用马栉梳，制革 | |
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buffet
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| n.自助餐；饮食柜台；餐台 | |
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con
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| n.反对的观点，反对者，反对票，肺病；vt.精读，学习，默记；adv.反对地，从反面；adj.欺诈的 | |
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residue
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| n.残余，剩余，残渣 | |
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halfway
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| adj.中途的，不彻底的，部分的；adv.半路地，在中途，在半途 | |
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intriguingly
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deformed
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| adj.畸形的；变形的；丑的，破相了的 | |
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ripply
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| 波纹状的，潺潺声的 | |
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lipstick
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| n.口红，唇膏 | |
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ornament
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| v.装饰，美化；n.装饰，装饰物 | |
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junction
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| n.连接，接合；交叉点，接合处，枢纽站 | |
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narcotic
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| n.麻醉药，镇静剂；adj.麻醉的，催眠的 | |
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liar
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| n.说谎的人 | |
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mumbling
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| 含糊地说某事，叽咕，咕哝( mumble的现在分词 ) | |
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rotary
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| adj.(运动等)旋转的；轮转的；转动的 | |
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poised
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| a.摆好姿势不动的 | |
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remains
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| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
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apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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humiliation
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| n.羞辱 | |
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literally
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| adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实 | |
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standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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scrutinizing
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| v.仔细检查，详审( scrutinize的现在分词 ) | |
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braces
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| n.吊带，背带；托架( brace的名词复数 )；箍子；括弧；（儿童）牙箍v.支住( brace的第三人称单数 )；撑牢；使自己站稳；振作起来 | |
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tempt
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| vt.引诱，勾引，吸引，引起…的兴趣 | |
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bosom
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| n.胸，胸部；胸怀；内心；adj.亲密的 | |
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tinkling
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| n.丁当作响声 | |
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hideous
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| adj.丑陋的，可憎的，可怕的，恐怖的 | |
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frantically
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| ad.发狂地, 发疯地 | |
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bin
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| n.箱柜；vt.放入箱内；[计算机] DOS文件名:二进制目标文件 | |
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triumphantly
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| ad.得意洋洋地；得胜地；成功地 | |
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ranting
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| v.夸夸其谈( rant的现在分词 )；大叫大嚷地以…说教；气愤地)大叫大嚷；不停地大声抱怨 | |
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feminist
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| adj.主张男女平等的，女权主义的 | |
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treatise
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| n.专著；(专题)论文 | |
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nervously
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| adv.神情激动地，不安地 | |
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technically
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| adv.专门地，技术上地 | |
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smokers
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| 吸烟者( smoker的名词复数 ) | |
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abruptly
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| adv.突然地，出其不意地 | |
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nicotine
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| n.(化)尼古丁，烟碱 | |
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repulses
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| v.击退( repulse的第三人称单数 )；驳斥；拒绝 | |
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frustration
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| n.挫折，失败，失效，落空 | |
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perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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motif
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| n.(图案的)基本花纹，(衣服的)花边；主题 | |
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desperately
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| adv.极度渴望地，绝望地，孤注一掷地 | |
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harangued
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| v.高谈阔论( harangue的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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cleaver
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| n.切肉刀 | |
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48
dressing
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| n.(食物)调料；包扎伤口的用品，敷料 | |
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49
tonic
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| n./adj.滋补品，补药，强身的，健体的 | |
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