Amazed at the reaction by a few to the Witch's death . . .

[JDPriestly]

87. I think I met her husband once.

I was a secretary in London -- low wages, bed-sitter (one room for two people). My boss let me go to a very important conference mostly because he wasn't interested in the topic of the day.

I think the only other woman there was the wife of an extremely wealthy, extremely prominent, extremely famous man. (Not Margaret Thatcher. I did not talk to her.)

I was standing at a break with a cup of coffee in my hand, wearing a suit (which was itself a major event) trying to be inconspicuous.

This guy walks up to me. He was well dressed and acted friendly and sort of casual. He said something that I don't remember and then said something like his wife was very prominent or very outstanding, something like that. He ended his sentence with "too."

Hearing that "too" which I think was intended to place me, a lowly secretary, in the class of this man's prominent or outstanding wife completely threw me out of kelter. Upon which, I dropped my cup of coffee all over my new suit. I will never forget it.

Either my boss put him up to it (they knew each other) to test my poise (if so I flunked) or he saw me as an imposter and was curious (wouldn't surprise me because of my cheap suit) or he was trying to be kind and thought he could put me at ease or -- he was flirting. I will never know.

Strange duck he was. But I was even stranger I suppose. I was young.