In the Bible Belt, Edwina's former lover stays silent on adultery and underpants

Call it a case of now you see him, now you don't. John Major, pursued by a sizeable posse of British journalists, arrived in Dallas last night and seemed all set to give a news conference in which, we were told, he would happily take questions on anything, including his affair with Edwina Currie.

The Banquet Room was booked, the accreditation badges were printed and distributed. The press could not believe its good fortune. The mounting anticipation of an old-fashioned media scrum could be felt in lobby of the downtown Fairmont Hotel as journalists and TV cameramen excitedly talked logistics on their cellphones and ordered drinks from the bar, while presumably drafting their questions about the reputed colour of Mr Major's underpants.

But then Mr Major played spoilsport. Maybe he chickened out, maybe he had a change of heart following Ms Currie's media blitz back home. But one thing was clear: he was not talking. His scheduled appearance at the news conference was abruptly cancelled, and plans to allow the media to attend a black-tie charity dinner were also withdrawn.

"Mr Major ... has heard that the British media are reporting that he plans to hold a press conference in Dallas to discuss personal matters. This is not and has never been the case," a spokesman in London said, pointing out that the former prime minister had issued a statement at the weekend and "does not propose to add to it."

In Dallas, the media company handling his visit ­ centred on a floating hospitals charity called Mercy Ships ­ was in disarray. Where, 24 hours earlier, journalists were told Mr Major would place "no restrictions" on questions, they were now curtly informed: "We would not expect Mr Major to address personal questions at a private charity event, nor was this his intention," a statement said. "We have no desire for this occasion to become a media circus." Later, when Mr Major arrived for the dinner, he was driven into the underground car park of the hotel, straight past the media circus.

Mercy Ships, which had booked Mr Major and his wife, Norma, months ago and apparently woke up only slowly to the full impact of the revelations, praised Mr Major's "strong commitment to humanitarian aid and international relief", and said he would help raise money for an important cause.

Clearly, though, the news that the organisation's new patron was an admitted adulterer was not exactly music to Mercy Ships' ears. This is the Bible Belt, after all. The charity's founder and chief executive, Don Stephens, hurriedly issued a statement urging his donors to show mercy. "The cornerstone of the Messiah's life is the message of forgiveness for all," he said.