through the motions of acting the attentive fiance, and was leaving her in peace.
Going abroad, even on a temporary basis, was beginning to seem an increasingly attractive prospect. If she went where she was completely unknown, she might be able to start dragging the rags of her life together again.
When she got outside the building, Amanda found to her annoyance that it had been snowing slightly, and the traffic was in turmoil as a result. She had to queue for ages for a bus, and when it came it crawled along while Amanda sat, hunched and miserable in her seat, gazing unseeingly through the splashed window.
The others were already home when she got to the flat. She was unzipping her boots in the hall when Jane appeared, grinning at her.
‘Had a nice day?’
Amanda shuddered. ‘Can we just draw a veil over the whole painful subject?’ she appealed. ‘What’s for supper?’
Jane grimaced. ‘Fiona’s macaroni cheese for us.’ Her eyes twinkled. ‘What you might be having is open to speculation.’ With the air of a conjuror producing a rabbit from a hat, she handed Amanda a bouquet of long-stemmed pink roses which she’d been hiding behind her back. The accompanying card said, ‘Dinner tonight’, and was signed with a single ‘M’.
They were waiting when I got back‘ Jane said triumphantly. ’Aren’t they absolutely gorgeous?‘
‘Why—yes’ Amanda agreed weakly.
‘Well, put them in water, and then go and get changed,’ Jane urged. ‘You’re awfully late, and he could be here at any minute.’ She lowered her voice. ‘And you don’t surely want to leave him to Maggie’s tender mercies. The last thing he’ll want to hear is what swine you’ve both been to poor old Nigel. And she’s quite capable of saying it, and more.’ She paused. ‘Hey, love, don’t look so stricken. I’ll fend her off if you’re not ready in time.’
Amanda gave her a subdued smile. ‘Thanks.’ She held out the roses. ‘Could you see to these for me?’
Jane’s brows rose. ‘If you like, but I’d have thought you’d want to arrange them yourself.’ She gave Amanda a searching look. ‘You’re all right, are you? You haven’t picked up this virus thing that’s going the rounds?’
Amanda shook her head, and went off to the bedroom they shared. She was still holding Malory’s card, and she put it slowly down on the dressing-table. This time, it seemed, she was not being given any option. She wondered if he’d penned the message himself. The handwriting looked firm and uncompromising, especially the single initial.
She bit her lip. This wasn’t so much an invitation as a statement, and she resented it. It was irksome, too, to realise that Malory wasn’t prepared to take the hint after all, and stay away from her.
She opened her half of the wardrobe and ran an indifferent look along its hanging rail. Perhaps she should have latched on to Jane’s suggestion about the virus, and got the girls to make her excuses when Malory arrived.
On the other hand, she would only be delaying the inevitable. It was obvious that Malory intended to see her, and the best thing would be to get it over with as quickly as possible.
She had a quick bath in the small, cramped bathroom, crouching under the usual rack of damp tights and undies, then dressed swiftly and unad-venturously in a silky black dress, long-sleeved and high-necked. She put on a modicum of make-up, and brushed her hair loose on her shoulders, before giving herself a swift, clinical inspection in the mirror. She looked neat, if unexciting, she thought. And if Malory expected more, then he was going to be disappointed.
She was tucking her purse and compact into her bag, when Jane stuck her head round the door. ‘He’s here’ she whispered. ‘And Maggie’s moving in.’
Amanda reached the living-room in time to hear Maggie say aggressively, ‘Don’t you believe in animal rights, Dr Templeton?’
‘I certainly believe in human rights.’ Malory
Going abroad, even on a temporary basis, was beginning to seem an increasingly attractive prospect. If she went where she was completely unknown, she might be able to start dragging the rags of her life together again.
When she got outside the building, Amanda found to her annoyance that it had been snowing slightly, and the traffic was in turmoil as a result. She had to queue for ages for a bus, and when it came it crawled along while Amanda sat, hunched and miserable in her seat, gazing unseeingly through the splashed window.
The others were already home when she got to the flat. She was unzipping her boots in the hall when Jane appeared, grinning at her.
‘Had a nice day?’
Amanda shuddered. ‘Can we just draw a veil over the whole painful subject?’ she appealed. ‘What’s for supper?’
Jane grimaced. ‘Fiona’s macaroni cheese for us.’ Her eyes twinkled. ‘What you might be having is open to speculation.’ With the air of a conjuror producing a rabbit from a hat, she handed Amanda a bouquet of long-stemmed pink roses which she’d been hiding behind her back. The accompanying card said, ‘Dinner tonight’, and was signed with a single ‘M’.
They were waiting when I got back‘ Jane said triumphantly. ’Aren’t they absolutely gorgeous?‘
‘Why—yes’ Amanda agreed weakly.
‘Well, put them in water, and then go and get changed,’ Jane urged. ‘You’re awfully late, and he could be here at any minute.’ She lowered her voice. ‘And you don’t surely want to leave him to Maggie’s tender mercies. The last thing he’ll want to hear is what swine you’ve both been to poor old Nigel. And she’s quite capable of saying it, and more.’ She paused. ‘Hey, love, don’t look so stricken. I’ll fend her off if you’re not ready in time.’
Amanda gave her a subdued smile. ‘Thanks.’ She held out the roses. ‘Could you see to these for me?’
Jane’s brows rose. ‘If you like, but I’d have thought you’d want to arrange them yourself.’ She gave Amanda a searching look. ‘You’re all right, are you? You haven’t picked up this virus thing that’s going the rounds?’
Amanda shook her head, and went off to the bedroom they shared. She was still holding Malory’s card, and she put it slowly down on the dressing-table. This time, it seemed, she was not being given any option. She wondered if he’d penned the message himself. The handwriting looked firm and uncompromising, especially the single initial.
She bit her lip. This wasn’t so much an invitation as a statement, and she resented it. It was irksome, too, to realise that Malory wasn’t prepared to take the hint after all, and stay away from her.
She opened her half of the wardrobe and ran an indifferent look along its hanging rail. Perhaps she should have latched on to Jane’s suggestion about the virus, and got the girls to make her excuses when Malory arrived.
On the other hand, she would only be delaying the inevitable. It was obvious that Malory intended to see her, and the best thing would be to get it over with as quickly as possible.
She had a quick bath in the small, cramped bathroom, crouching under the usual rack of damp tights and undies, then dressed swiftly and unad-venturously in a silky black dress, long-sleeved and high-necked. She put on a modicum of make-up, and brushed her hair loose on her shoulders, before giving herself a swift, clinical inspection in the mirror. She looked neat, if unexciting, she thought. And if Malory expected more, then he was going to be disappointed.
She was tucking her purse and compact into her bag, when Jane stuck her head round the door. ‘He’s here’ she whispered. ‘And Maggie’s moving in.’
Amanda reached the living-room in time to hear Maggie say aggressively, ‘Don’t you believe in animal rights, Dr Templeton?’
‘I certainly believe in human rights.’ Malory
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