You never know!

In my time in the diplomatic service I have had a variety of postings in many places, where Her Majesties Government has an embassy's or some type of diplomatic representation. In my early years I seemed to move about quite often, newly married and with the faithful Pomfrey, we seemed to be packing and unpacking our belongings at regular intervals. When you are young, it seems exciting and adventurous and I have always been one to embrace change, to my great delight it seemed that Lady Guestling was of like mind and whilst she knew she had married a man in the diplomatic service, fortunately, took to the life like a fish to water. 
Often you would find yourself stationed with both new people and those whom you had served with in other locations. Sometimes a familiar face was a blessing, if it was someone who you liked or at least got along with but occasionally you would have the misfortune to reacquaint with someone who you hoped you might never meet again! 
Like any profession the diplomacy game has a cross section good and bad but there does seem to be a preponderance of pompous buffoons who somehow have managed to make a career in the service. Mostly men, the odd female, they strut about in a superior way making gaffs and generally thinking they are more capable than they are, usually leaving a mess which their colleagues have to clear up. Now and then you get a particularly nasty piece of work, who is not necessarily a bad diplomat but seem to reserve the worse side of their personality exclusively for those they work with.
One such was Viscount Percy Haldean. Haldean was the son of some minor royalty from out of Somerset. The family were large landowners,though they did no more than manage their holdings and it had made them very wealthy. When their youngest Percy showed no apptitude for the family business and had apparently committed some terrible  fo par, they persuaded a relative already in the service to get Percy in.
I first came across him, when posted to our German embassy in Berlin, this was still in the cold war days and there was a delicacy and sometimes a real danger in the work done there. Percy is a little older than me and had been in the service for a few years already. I first met him in a formal meeting with the East German representative's over some border dispute, which were common and as I discovered, part of the local game that the East and West played. I have to say that my first impression was favourable, Percy seemed to be the epitome of the British diplomat, polite, firm and with just the right tone of diplomatic language. I was still very young and impressionable and very much keen to "get on", so I thought I could learn from Percy. Later that week I had occasion to find myself alone with him and in a friendly way, introduced myself formally and just mentioned that I liked the way he had handled the meeting. Well imagine my surprise, when this "colleague" looked at me with total contempt as though I was something he had found on his shoe.
Your opinion is of no import to me young man and I'll thank you to keep your them to yourself. Now I have work to do I suggest you do to? Was his terse reply.
From that point onward, it seemed that Percy was nothing but antagonistic towards me. Putting me down at any opportunity and generally being thoroughly obnoxious. His sarcasm could be cutting and being young and truthfully a little intimidated, I was unable to reply in kind. I hardly noticed that he did not reserve his behaviour exclusively towards me and with the exception of those senior to him was like it with almost everyone. Because of his presence I did not enjoy my time and could not wait to be transferred elsewhere, fortunately after six months I moved on.   
Well shortly after our marriage and having arrived at my next posting, imagine how my heart sank, when on my first day of duty I was being introduced to my colleagues, mostly new to me, a couple I had met before, when who should walk in the room but Percy Haldean. It had been a few years since Berlin but I could see he recognised me and I swear a small evil smile crossed his face.
When I returned to our bungalow that evening, I was quite subdued. My darling wife asked me what was wrong, at first I did not want say but she persisted and I had already learnt that when she wanted to find something out, she did not let go until you told her. 
Her solution was simple, as it has been ever since and as I have mentioned I like simple, look him straight in the eye, stand up to him and tell him exactly what you think of his behaviour! 
Well emboldened by this plain speaking advice I determined to do just that, should the occasion arise. For some weeks we did not encounter each other and I began to quite enjoy the posting, I had been given the special task of concentrating on commercial opportunities for British firms and found myself meeting with many of the local business community. This often took me away from the Embassy and I got the chance to understand how the people actually lived and worked. I've always been a great one for immersing oneself in the local culture,it broadens the mind and in the diplomacy business is a distinct advantage. I was always amazed when I used to meet people who had been in a location for some time and yet seemed to be ignorant of the country they served in! 
However, returning one evening after a latish meeting, I found myself alone in the communication office, when who should walk in but old Percy himself. He looked tired and for him, unkempt and disheveled. At first he did not appear to notice me but then he in a resigned manner he spoke 
Sometimes this bloody job is a fucking pain!
I was completely shocked, I'd never heard anything but personnel sarcasm from him before and had never heard him swear
I'm sorry old man, tough day?
He slumped down in a chair 
If you look in the third draw down of Smethringtons desk you'll find a bottle of whiskey and two glasses. Pour a couple out will you?
I did as asked.
We sat in silence sipping our snifters
I know you always thought I'm a bastard He smiled ruefully over the rim of his glass
I nodded 
A bit I replied
You don't have to be diplomatic 
Percy laughed at his own pun, first time I'd seen him do that as well.
I know what most people think of me 
He paused and drained his glass held it out and I obliged. 
It's a front you see, a shield if you will, my way of coping with the day to day task, I don't mean to alienate everyone, just seems to be my way! Well after the day I've had the shield has slipped but that's deal in this job,eh?
We talked for quite some time and I found him to be in reality a rather self depreciating, shy man, who found it difficult to fit in. I ended up inviting him back to our bungalow for dinner, Mrs Thorn was somewhat taken aback but she rose to the occasion with her usual good grace.
Percy and I became friends of a sort, oh he still could be cuttingly sarcastic but I knew the real man and understood some of his character.
We remained friends for many years and kept in touch in the way that Englishmen do, until his untimely death from cancer some ten years ago. I went to the funeral and was gratified to find that far from the poor turnout that I expected, many of the people he had worked alongside were there to pay their last respects. 
It seems you should never judge a book by it's cover and none of us are who we appear to be!