How It All Goes Down
- The Major is having Mrs. Ali over for tea and book chat. He's trying to play it cool, but he's fretting over which tea service to use more than most people fret about an outfit for a first date.
- The Major finally decides on a nice silver teapot and blue cups. While he waits, he polishes the Churchill gun he got from his brother's widow.
- Roger calls and asks the Major to come with him to look at a cottage on Thursday at two.
- The Major has another drive scheduled with Mrs. Ali that day, so he reschedules Roger for three.
- Finally, Mrs. Ali shows up. They peep at the Major's garden and talk about Kipling.
- At one point, the conversation shifts to Roger, and the Major suggests "running away to a quiet cottage in a secret location" (8.89) in order to get away from him.
- Mrs. Ali laughs at the joke, but she says, "Perhaps I may join you?" (8.90).
- Finally, the topic of conversation moves to the town dance, and the Major admits that he has been wrangled to be on the food committee.
- Mrs. Ali is looking forward to working with him on the preparations.