towards him again, and now she was smiling, and her whole attitude underwent a lightning change as she said softly, "Come and sit down, I'm being naggy."
"I... I can't stay."
"You can for ten minutes." She patted the couch.
"Just ten minutes.
Some on, sit down. "
It was impossible to refuse her request, and when he took a seat once again on the couch she curled her legs up under her as she had done on the first occasion they had sat together, but she didn't snuggle up to him or tease him; her tactics were different tonight. She kept her distance as she said, still softly, "It's
78 nice seeing you again. "
"Now, Betty." Her name had a strange sound on his lips, and as he paused she put in, "Now, now, don't get panicky, relax. I'm not going to eat you, you know." She gave a little giggle.
"You're scared stiff of me, and it's funny."
"I'm not scared stiff of you." He jerked his head to the side.
"Only there's no point in going on with this."
"Why?" The question was quiet.
"Because'--he brought his head round to her again" --I'm a married man with three children, the eldest one not much younger than you. "
"Are you happily married?"
"Yes, I'm happily married."
"I don't believe you. You've got a son seventeen, so you've been married eighteen years or more. It doesn't last that long, not eighteen months in some cases. You prove to me one middleaged man in this town who's happily married and I'll enter a convent. And look, I'm tellin' you I'm not talkin' from hearsay, I'm talking from know say I know a lot of men in this town, and I could spill some beans if I liked. But there's one thing about me, I'm not spiteful, I never have been. I don't want to cause trouble for anybody, but what I do want'--she paused, and, her hands gripping her forearms across her chest, she repeated, " But what I do want, Harry she drew out his name, paused again, then ended, 'is a bit of happiness. That's all I'm asking, just a bit of happiness. "
What could he say to this? For a moment he felt sorry for her, in sympathy with her, and he wished, he wished deeply that it was in him to make her happy, but he knew that if he was going to have an affair it wouldn't be with someone like her.
She was compelling him to look into her eyes as she went on talking.
"I liked you from the first time I clapped eyes on you, but mind, mind, I never planned anything, I just thought it was heaven sent that snow and you bringing me back, like an answer to a prayer that you didn't know you had prayed. You know ... sort of. After you had gone that night I knew I'd frightened you. You had never been with a woman had you, except, well, your wife? You knew nothing about it. To all
. ---- "-- -" ^^. An*^ ^^aj. aA otKiigii*. uul ui a monastery. I know I'm a bit wild when I get going but that's me. I'm warm inside, hot, boiling in fact, like them volcanoes, just like them, burstin' out every now and again. " She shrugged her shoulders now and grinned slyly at him.
"But I don't need to tell you, do I?
Anyway, there it is. " She leaned back from him and now stated flatly,
" I like you; I want to be friends with you. "
He turned from her and, leaning his elbow on his knee cupped his forehead; and from this position he muttered, "It's impossible, quite impossible."
"Are you afraid your wife might get to know?"
When he didn't answer she went on, "Nobody would ever see you come here; we're very fortunately placed in this house. You just need nip through the Cut and you're in. There's only six houses in the row and from when they come in at half-past five until they start to go out to the clubs or some place at half-past six the street's empty. And in front there's only a warehouse. It's a hundred to one chance you'd ever be seen, so what are you frightened of? And look, look, don't think me mana would say anything; me mam's the soul of discretion as they say."
He almost sprang to his feet now and, looking down at her, said, "It's impossible. You must take this
"I... I can't stay."
"You can for ten minutes." She patted the couch.
"Just ten minutes.
Some on, sit down. "
It was impossible to refuse her request, and when he took a seat once again on the couch she curled her legs up under her as she had done on the first occasion they had sat together, but she didn't snuggle up to him or tease him; her tactics were different tonight. She kept her distance as she said, still softly, "It's
78 nice seeing you again. "
"Now, Betty." Her name had a strange sound on his lips, and as he paused she put in, "Now, now, don't get panicky, relax. I'm not going to eat you, you know." She gave a little giggle.
"You're scared stiff of me, and it's funny."
"I'm not scared stiff of you." He jerked his head to the side.
"Only there's no point in going on with this."
"Why?" The question was quiet.
"Because'--he brought his head round to her again" --I'm a married man with three children, the eldest one not much younger than you. "
"Are you happily married?"
"Yes, I'm happily married."
"I don't believe you. You've got a son seventeen, so you've been married eighteen years or more. It doesn't last that long, not eighteen months in some cases. You prove to me one middleaged man in this town who's happily married and I'll enter a convent. And look, I'm tellin' you I'm not talkin' from hearsay, I'm talking from know say I know a lot of men in this town, and I could spill some beans if I liked. But there's one thing about me, I'm not spiteful, I never have been. I don't want to cause trouble for anybody, but what I do want'--she paused, and, her hands gripping her forearms across her chest, she repeated, " But what I do want, Harry she drew out his name, paused again, then ended, 'is a bit of happiness. That's all I'm asking, just a bit of happiness. "
What could he say to this? For a moment he felt sorry for her, in sympathy with her, and he wished, he wished deeply that it was in him to make her happy, but he knew that if he was going to have an affair it wouldn't be with someone like her.
She was compelling him to look into her eyes as she went on talking.
"I liked you from the first time I clapped eyes on you, but mind, mind, I never planned anything, I just thought it was heaven sent that snow and you bringing me back, like an answer to a prayer that you didn't know you had prayed. You know ... sort of. After you had gone that night I knew I'd frightened you. You had never been with a woman had you, except, well, your wife? You knew nothing about it. To all
. ---- "-- -" ^^. An*^ ^^aj. aA otKiigii*. uul ui a monastery. I know I'm a bit wild when I get going but that's me. I'm warm inside, hot, boiling in fact, like them volcanoes, just like them, burstin' out every now and again. " She shrugged her shoulders now and grinned slyly at him.
"But I don't need to tell you, do I?
Anyway, there it is. " She leaned back from him and now stated flatly,
" I like you; I want to be friends with you. "
He turned from her and, leaning his elbow on his knee cupped his forehead; and from this position he muttered, "It's impossible, quite impossible."
"Are you afraid your wife might get to know?"
When he didn't answer she went on, "Nobody would ever see you come here; we're very fortunately placed in this house. You just need nip through the Cut and you're in. There's only six houses in the row and from when they come in at half-past five until they start to go out to the clubs or some place at half-past six the street's empty. And in front there's only a warehouse. It's a hundred to one chance you'd ever be seen, so what are you frightened of? And look, look, don't think me mana would say anything; me mam's the soul of discretion as they say."
He almost sprang to his feet now and, looking down at her, said, "It's impossible. You must take this
Similar Books
