“Yes, it was a great occasion for me and I was sorry you missed it, Rosalie, because you would have met the Queen and a nice guy from Oxford University called Professor Porter.”
“Professor Porter?” inquired James, burying his face in his wine glass.
“Yes, Professor Porter, James. Do you know him?”
“No, sir, I can’t say I do, but didn’t he win a Nobel Prize?”
“He sure did and he gave me a wonderful time at Oxford. I enjoyed myself so much I ended up presenting the university with a check for $250,000 to be used for research of some kind, so he should be happy.”
“Daddy, you know you’re not meant to tell anybody about that.”
“Sure, but James is family now.”
“Why can’t you tell anyone else, sir?”
“Well, it’s a long story, James, but it was quite an honor for me. You do understand this is highly confidential, but I was Professor Porter’s guest at Encaenia. I lunched at All Souls with Mr. Harry Macmillan, your dear old Prime Minister, and then I attended the Garden Party, and afterward I had a meeting with the Vice-Chancellor in his private rooms along with the Registrar and the Secretary of the University Chest. Were you at Oxford, James?”
“Yes, sir. The House.”
“The House?” queried Harvey.
“Christ Church, sir.”
“I’ll never understand Oxford.”
“No, sir.”
“You must call me Harvey. Well, as I was saying, we all met at the Clarendon and they stammered and stuttered and they were totally lost for words, except for one funny old guy, who was ninety if he was a day. The truth is that those people just don’t know how to approach millionaires for money, so I put them out of their embarrassment and took over. They’d have gone on all day about their beloved Oxford, so eventually
I had to shut them up and simply wrote out a check for $250,000.”
“That was very generous, Harvey.”
“I’d have given them $500,000 if the old boy had asked. James, you’ve gone quite white. Do you feel all right?”
“I’m sorry. Yes, I’m fine. I was quite carried away with your description of Oxford.”
Anne joined in:
“Daddy, you made an agreement with the Vice-Chancellor that you would keep your gift as a bond between the university and yourself, and you must promise never to repeat that story again.”
“I think I shall wear the robes for the first time when I open the new Metcalfe library at Harvard in the fall.”
“Oh, no sir,” stammered James a little too quickly, “that wouldn’t be quite the thing. You should only wear full robes in Oxford on ceremonial occasions.”
“Gee, what a shame. Still, I know what sticklers you English are for etiquette. Which reminds me, we ought to discuss your wedding. I suppose you two will want to live in England?”
“Yes, Daddy, but we’ll visit you every year and when you make your annual trip to Europe you can come and stay with us.”
The waiters cleared the table again and reappeared with Harvey’s favorite strawberries. Anne tried to steer the conversation to domestic issues and stop her father returning to what he’d been up to during the past two months, while James spent his time trying to get him back on the subject.
“Coffee or liquor, sir?”
“No, thank you,” said Harvey. “Just the check. I thought we’d have a drink in my suite at Claridge’s, Rosalie. I have something to show you both. It’s a bit of a surprise.”
“I can’t wait, Daddy. I love surprises. Come on, James.”
James left them and drove the Alfa Romeo to Claridge’s garage so that Anne could have a few moments alone with her father. They strolled along Curzon Street, arm in arm.