Kitty and the Great Big World

Sir William Ashlin decided to drive to Malraux along Lake Geneva to attend the conference's opening session. However, the road was closed, so he enlisted a fisherman's boy to take him by boat. When they arrived, the boy demanded two francs for the fare, but Sir William had forgotten his wallet and could not pay. Unable to disembark, he was forced to return without attending the conference.

A distinguished gentleman asked Kitty Dupont for directions to the Paradiso restaurant while she was working at Jeannot's hair salon in Geneva. She kindly guided him there, and he invited her to dinner. After eating at Paradiso, they moved to a cheaper restaurant nearby, where a reporter photographed them together. Kitty only discovered her dining partner was Sir William Ashlin, the British Foreign Secretary, when she went to pay the bill and saw his face in the newspaper the next morning.

The photo showed Kitty, a simple manicurist, dining with the British Foreign Secretary at a restaurant. Crawford, Sir William's secretary, feared this could create a diplomatic scandal, particularly since the Foreign Secretary had left the restaurant unescorted during a major international conference. The concern was that this seemingly innocent dinner could be interpreted as improper conduct or that it might distract from the serious political negotiations underway.

Crawford, the British delegation secretary, devised a plan to contain the potential scandal. He assigned Sir William's nephew, Robert Ashlin, who was himself a diplomat stationed in Geneva, to manage the situation. Robert's role was to keep Kitty away from journalists and help smooth over the diplomatic incident. This family connection made Robert the logical choice for the sensitive task.

With Sir William Ashlin absent from the conference, other foreign ministers agreed to further concessions than they might have if the British Foreign Secretary had been present and negotiating aggressively. His unexpected absence created an opportunity for the UK to appear more flexible and reasonable, leading to a diplomatically favorable outcome. When Sir William returned to the English villa, he was warmly congratulated for this unexpected success.

The hairdresser had noticed Sir William's nervousness and suggested a walk to calm his nerves, a routine that once helped Briand.

Robert secured Kitty a few days' leave from the salon so she could avoid the press attention. They slipped out through the back door and traveled into the mountains above Lake Geneva. During this time away from the city's diplomatic bustle, the two grew closer through shared conversations and the intimate alpine setting. They arranged to take a boat trip to Malraux the following morning, marking the beginning of their romantic relationship.

The fisherman’s boy demanded two francs as payment for rowing Sir William to Malraux. Since Sir William had forgotten his wallet at the salon, he had no money to pay the fare. Without being able to pay, he could not disembark and was forced to return to Geneva, missing the conference entirely.

The hairdresser had noted Sir William's nervous state during his shave, suggesting he was not thinking clearly.

The crisis was resolved through a combination of factors. Robert Ashlin successfully kept Kitty away from journalists during the initial fallout, preventing the story from escalating. Sir William's accidental absence from the conference actually resulted in a diplomatic win for the UK, which helped redirect attention away from the original scandal. The potentially embarrassing situation was thus defused both by managing the press and by the unexpected positive conference outcome.

After the conference concluded, Robert was permitted to stay in Geneva for two additional weeks to complete some diplomatic tasks. This extended stay gave him the opportunity to continue developing his relationship with Kitty. The narrative ends on a hopeful note, with their relationship appearing ready to blossom as the diplomatic whirlwind subsides and personal happiness takes root.

While Sir William was sitting for a shave in Jeannot's salon, the hairdresser noticed he appeared nervous and on edge before his important conference appearance. The hairdresser suggested a long walk in the fresh air, explaining that it was a routine that had once helped Briand (presumably a reference to a well-known political figure who used such methods to calm his nerves).