Page 684 - Belgrave Diaries(N)_Neat

1932

and all have so called treasure hunts. I had Mrs Steele with me, we found the first two clues with great difficulty and some
help from other people and then gave it up as most of the other people did too, only two couples stuck to it and one couple
found all the clues and so won, one car full went all the way to Budeya, a village about ten miles off and arrived very late and
very angry to find most of the luncheon eaten. It was rather an acrimonious picnic as the guests I think all felt rather the worse
for wear after last night's party. I thought all the time about the business of Parke being given notice. The lunch was very
good but mainly provided by Major Holmes and other people, Parke has a genius at getting things for nothing. Came back and
did nothing in the afternoon, Prior and the Gregorys came to dinner, we asked Holmes but he didnt accept. I found her a trifle
tiresome, very opiniated and rather irritating though quite pretty, he is deadly dull. Prior flirts quite a lot with her and she
seems to like it very much. Afterwards we adjourned to the Agency for dancing, there were not as many people as expected as
several of the women were too tired by the picnic in the morning and Dr Tiffany had an assignation with one of the oil men to
whom it is said she is engaged, but I doubt it myself. The dance was quite amusing and people got very lively, D.G. left very
early as she was not there, he said very pompously that he thought he ought to put in an appearance. During the evening we
played a game called sardines during which all the lights were turned out and there was a good deal of rather rough scrambling
about on beds and elsewhere. Prior, who was hiding, was delighted to hear some remarks about himself made by Parke who
always dislikes games of this description. At the end of the evening I noticed some mistletoe in the hall on a lamp and pointed
it out to some others at which everyone kissed everyone else and there was a really comic scene. Parke got simply furious and
told his wife to stop in very violent language which simply made her go on more. Eventually, just in time to prevent any free
fights the party broke up. It really was very comic and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Saturday 16th Jan.

Parke came in in the morning and I had rather an unpleasant interview with him. He is simply furious at the letter which Prior
wrote to him telling him that it had been decided to economise in various ways amongst others by not renewing his contract.
Prior suggested that he might prefer not to make it public till after he left and this suggestion, which was honestly made with
the idea of helping Parke, seemed to be the last straw as Parke took it to mean that there was an idea that the people would be
so angry at his leaving that they would do something and so the matter was to be hushed up. It was all very disagreable. Parke
said he intended to tell everyone at once and to tell them how badly he had been treated. In the afternoon I motored out to see
the Shaikh about a proclamation dealing with estates of deceased people, which he signed after going over the matter very
thoroughly and sensibly, then I talked to him about Parke, he was very loath to discuss the matter but said he was sorry about it
and put all the blame about it onto the Resident, saying that if the matter had been between him and me and perhaps Prior, we
could have arranged otherwise, but as it was the suggestion of the Resident it could not be altered, really, on the whole, he was
very unconcerned about it and already treated it as a fait accompli. He was only worried when I said that Parke had meant to
come and see him today but had put off doing so, that rather bothered him. In the evening we went up to the Fort and played
Bridge with the Parkes staying on for dinner, a most difficult evening, Parke began by showing Prior's letter and then they
talked about it for most of the evening, I agreed myself in thinking that Prior's letter might have been differently worded, it was
not quite a friendly letter nor an official one and most unsuitable for a man like Parke as it started with an allusion which he
didnt understand. When I came back I went across to see Prior and had a talk about Parke and the letter, he wrote another one
explaining that he had not meant to be disagreable which will I hope sooth Parke's feelings. It is all very unpleasant, I dont
dislike Parke personally but he really is very lazy and is not needed here now. I am more sorry for her as she is evidently very
cut up about it, a good deal, I fancy, because she is so bored at the idea of having to have him on her hands again. I think she is
very bored with him at times, and shows it. He is more angry than anything else and evidently had no idea that Bahrain could
exist without him, she is more reasonable but very hurt by Prior's letter.