ADDITIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY BY SHUTTERSTOCK.Exclusive
Inherview,“fidelityis certainly
important,butsoareotherthings,”and
shemakesit clearthatforallitsstrains
andoddities,theirsis a secureandhappy
marriage.Sheunderstandsthatpeople
findherloyaltyincomprehensible,and
wonderwhatliesbehindit.
DoessheunderstandJeffrey?“I think
youcanobservealltheexternalthings
aboutsomeone,andperhapsimagine
whatit is liketo bethem,butyoucan
nevertrulyinhabitanotherperson’smind.
Jeffrey’simageis a bitof a caricature.
Hetendsto barkandbouncearound
in thepubliceye,andI’mnotsaying
hedoesn’tbarkandbouncearoundin
private,butnotin thesameway.”
Bothworkfuriouslyhard
consideringtheirage.
Jeffreystartswritingat
6am,usuallyputting
in sixhoursa day.
Hewalkstothe
Houseof
Lordsa
couple
oftimes
a week,
andthe
rest of hisHappyin their
ownway:
Jeffreyin his
gold-crested
slippersand
Maryathome.
Aboveand
right:their
apartment
hasglorious
viewsofthe
RiverThames.NothingVentured
byJeffreyArcher
(Macmillan,
RRP$39.99)
is out now.TheAustralian
Women’sWeekly
recommends
readingthis
storywitha
cuppaanda
freshly-baked
Countdown
cookie.
Enjoy!
daysarea blurof lunches,meetings
andresearch,followedbyeveningsat
thetheatreorartshowopenings.The
suggestionthathemighttakethingsa
biteasierbringsa lookof near-horror
to hisface.“WhatwouldI do?”he
gulps.“Sitherelookingoutofthe
windowallday?”
Welookoutofthewindow.Pleasure
boatsandbargesarechuggingupand
downtheriver,pastthegrand,Imperial-
erabuildingsoftheEmbankment,the
HousesofParliament,theLondonEye
andontowardstheBaroquespiresand
dazzlingskyscrapersoftheCity.Up
here,withhisartcollectionanda wife
famouslydescribedbya HighCourt
judgeas “elegant,fragrantandradiant”,
it’shardnottofeelthatJeffreyhas
outplayeda worldthathadevery
opportunityto bringhimdown.
Heremainsaddictedtopolitics,
appalledbutfascinatedbyBritain’s
Brexitpsychodrama,whichhebelieves
is spirallingtowardsa fullconstitutional
crisis.“I’mactuallyratherenviousof
Boris[Johnson],becomingPMat what
is themostexcitingtimethere’sbeen
in politicsin mylifetime,”heenthuses.
“Of course, Boris’s chances of solvingtheproblemareabsolutelyzero.”
AsidefromLadyThatcher,hisother
politicalidolis ThomasJefferson,the
architectofAmerica’sDeclarationof
Independence.“He’dneverhavegot
anywheretoday,”saysJeffrey,“because
ofallthewomenhewassleepingwith,
buttheUSwouldhavebeena hellofa
lotworseoffwithouthim.”
DameMaryis safelyoutofearshot,
althoughit’shardtoimagine,afterall
theseyears,thatanythingherhusband
sayscouldrufflehercomposure.Later,
sheconfidesthatheworriesabouther
workingtoohard.
“He’llsay,‘Youshouldreallycut
down,you’llburnout’,andI’llsay,
‘Oh,peoplehavebeentellingmethat
sinceI was16,’butheis probably
right.He’sa goodman,andI’mproud
to have him as my husband.”AWW