Chapter 10
Canned food tycoon Sir Richard Marsh sat with Lady Marsh, chairman of the National Unity Party, to watch the highly promoted program of Lydia Lovelock interviewing the 'controversial' wife of the President, The Lady Magnolia Fitzroy.
Richard sniffed and Sylvia told him to stop sniffing because it was an impolite habit.
"What did Magnolia actually do with this other woman?" he asked. "I've never been sure what gay women would do."
"Just about everything that a man and women do, even more if they are inventive. Now shut up and listen."
"Couldn't we watch a travel show?"
"No."
Richard sighed and worried about the price of steel creeping up in the face of worldwide demand.
The interviewer, very attractive for a forty-something, was back-grounding the controversy surrounding Lady Fitzroy unfortunately being exposed publicly as having a lesbian affair and that the term 'controversy' had arisen because the Gay Woman's Collective had argued it was a perfectly acceptable coupling to occur between two women whereas the pulpit thumpers and the Greens had spat brimstone in opposing such wishy-washy acceptance labeling that as being 'morally bereft'.
The woman then told viewers if the sordid affair was in dispute as being 'controversial' then what about Lady Fitzroy's intention to stand for a parliamentary seat in the next General Election?
"What!" Sylvia screamed.
"What's what?"
"Be quiet, and listen. This is of grave national importance."
Yeah, yeah, Richard thought. So was a shortage of tinned cat food not twelve months ago when Sylvia had found empty shelves at the supermarket with a sign saying 'Try dog roll'. Women actually marched on Parliament calling for a national emergency to be declared. Those cat lovers had no brains -- they should have called for the Air Force to fly in supplies from abroad, using the emergency as a military exercise.
Richard looked at the sweet Lady Fitzroy and thought of the days when women like her virtually lined up to ask if he were interested. He wasn't of course, being happily married to Sylvia who in those days was ravishing and he ravished her often. Of course there were the occasional exceptions and this cute lady would have been a regular exception.
Intervier: Why have you decided to stand for a seat in Parliament?
Lady Fitzroy: To become a MP.
Richard roared with laughter and said, "Oh darling, aren't you so sweet."
Sylvia almost choked with anger as she was also sucking her hair, something she did when under stress and denied it was just as repulsive as a man scratching his nuts. "Will you shut up!"
"Yes dear." He decided to say that instead of asking what was that dear?
The dreary woman labored on asking pedestrian questions until they reached a very juicy bit, encouraging Richard to sit forward on his chair, brushing his moustache as if it were to announce a company takeover offer.
Interviewer: When both of you undressed and you sank down to fondle one another, what were your thoughts?
Lady Fitzroy: I hoped I was going to like what was about to happen. It was my afternoon of madness.
Interviewer: No feeling of repulsion?
Lady Fitzroy: Of course not. Do you see women's bared bodies as being repulsive.
Interviewer: No, of course not.
Lady Fitzroy: Then why ask the question?
Interviewer: Look, I'm the interviewer. After it finished did you feel you loved that other woman?
Lady Fitzroy: No.
Interviewer: Don't you feel that was a little strange?
Lady Fizroy: Of course not, do you love all the men who [bleep] you.
Intervierer (turning puce): We pause here for an ad break.
Richard said to his wife, noting she had stuffed strands of hair into both sides of her mouth, "That was a riveting piece of TV. Lady Fitzroy is running rings around that interviewer who is touted as TV Interviewer of the Year."
"Darling, I think you have lost yourself in interview byplay instead of judging the interviewer on her ability to draw out meritorious responses?"
"What was that dear?"
"Stop being a clown Richard, you can see I'm under extreme stress."
"Why?"
"Because this woman, a whore, has told the country on network TV that she is going to contest a seat on behalf of the National Unity Party with no approach having been made to me. Damn that slimy husband of hers who has unreasonable influence on the PM who is our political party leader."
"Don't blame him. She's got more brains than he has. And why call her a whore? I can't recall you calling yourself a whore when you were putting it around during a downside in our relationship?"
Sylvia bristled. "Richard, for goodness sake, there can be no comparison because at that time I was under stress. I'm also telling you now she'll not win selection to stand for a seat because I remain disgusted by her despicable behavior with that other woman and she did not have the decency to make an appointment with me to discuss her political ambition."
"Bad move Sylvia, she'll go to Alf and offer to stand for a seat to represent his party."
"Poof, he won't do that. Alf has indicated he's divorcing his wife."
"Don't be thick Sylvia. Alf will go for her, especially if the country roots for this Magnolia standing against the National Unity Party who spurned her. You know what they say about people taking the side of the little battler."
"Oh God, Richard. You're so right. I've been blinded by my anger. We must have Lord Fitzroy and that woman of his over for dinner tomorrow."
"You better do better than referring to her as 'that woman' darling."
"Oh yes, of course. I sit reprimanded dear."
* * *
As arranged, Magnolia sat alone with Lydia Lovelock in the presenter's locked dressing room for a half-an-hour after the interview while they sipped wine and discussed reactions as Lydia believed the best critics of any interview were the interviewer and her subject. She already knew Magnolia would speak her mind.
"You were delightful to interview Magnolia, quick-minded, witty and clear in diction and in how you expressed yourself. You can imagine my initial thoughts when told, without you being named at that point, you were a mindless lesbian married to a guy almost twice your age and you had only just recently taken up work and regularly hobnob with the gentry."
"Yes, it must have been confusing for you. And when you were given my name?"
"I rub my hands and thought I'd publicly crucify the slut."
"And?"
"In rolls Kitty Loveridge. She's awesome but consistently refuses to come on to my show."
"Why not?"