that the club was not just a place for sexual assignations as she had started to suspect.
Next to approach her was a sandy-haired naval officer called Tony Cassilis, who had been talking intently to James and Sally as if he knew them well. Because Tony showed no inclination to flirt and had a reassuringly diffident manner, Andrea felt safe to ask him why he thought a complete stranger should have been more eager to make advances as soon as he’d learned she had a husband.
Tony gazed at her sagely. ‘Officers prefer their affairs to be with other men’s wives simply because they won’t be asked to marry them or father a child. And most of these wives are delighted their lovers never get serious.’
‘Wives never run off with their lovers?’ she asked with a raised brow.
‘The balloon goes up now and then,’ he conceded .
Andrea frowned. ‘What would happen to Sally if her balloon went up?’
‘God knows. Her old man’s a damned cold fish. Maybe he knows already. Don’t get me wrong though. I think he’s a terrific doctor. I’d rather go to him than to our naval MO .’
Someone put a record on the radiogram, andseveral couples began dancing to the song ‘Heaven’. A tall man came in from the hall wearing a shabby duffel coat over a white rollneck sweater. There was a sudden turning of heads in his direction and the very young officer with the patches on his lapels hurried over to greet the new arrival with sycophantic enthusiasm. But he remained motionless, listening to the music, his memorable face conveying neither disapproval nor pleasure. Andrea was struck by some inner quality that she could not quite grasp. His interest in the room and its occupants seemed only a matter of form, as if his mind were wholly occupied elsewhere.
Above the words of the song, Andrea heard the man in the white sweater demand, ‘Where’s my Jimmy?’
‘Oh God,’ groaned Tony.
‘Who is his Jimmy?’ Andrea asked.
‘I’m his sodding Jimmy,’ groaned Cassilis.
‘But you’re called Tony.’
‘“Jimmy the One” is naval slang for the first lieutenant of a ship.’ He ran a hand through his hair as if involuntarily preparing himself for something. ‘Over here, skip,’ he called out, waving eagerly despite his earlier irritation.
‘Skip’s’ dark hair looked as if it had been blown back by a stiff breeze, which was strange since Andrea could not remember any wind to speak of when she had arrived. Perhaps he had brushed it back, just before entering.
Tony said, ‘Mrs Pauling, I’d like you to meet Lieutenant Commander Harrington.’
As Andrea shook hands with Harrington, his fingers felt surprisingly cold. This poised, weary looking man glanced at her briefly as he was told her name, and then murmured to Cassilis, ‘I’m sorry, Tony, I must have a word alone with you.’
Even while telling herself she didn’t care, Andrea felt vexed. To be talking to the two most interesting looking men in the room one moment and the next to see them eager to get away was not a cheering experience.
‘Maybe we’ll meet again,’ said Cassilis, draining his glass and thumping it down on a table.
‘Maybe we will,’ said Andrea, puzzled by his gloomy tone. True to form, Harrington said not a word to her before hurrying to the door.
Sally had spotted the two men abandoning Andrea and joined her immediately after their departure. James was no longer in tow.
Sally asked, ‘What did you make of Tony?’
‘I liked him.’
‘Elspeth worships the ground he treads on.’
‘Does he repay the compliment?’
‘You bet.’ Sally moved closer. ‘What was your impression of mournful Mike Harrington?’ To Andrea’s surprise she rolled her eyes like the swooning heroine of a silent film.
‘He’s handsome. Maybe a bit pleased with himself. But I only saw him for a few seconds.
‘If you’d seen him for a few hours it wouldn’t have helped.’
‘I don’t care about him, Sally.’
‘Just as well. He’s still
Next to approach her was a sandy-haired naval officer called Tony Cassilis, who had been talking intently to James and Sally as if he knew them well. Because Tony showed no inclination to flirt and had a reassuringly diffident manner, Andrea felt safe to ask him why he thought a complete stranger should have been more eager to make advances as soon as he’d learned she had a husband.
Tony gazed at her sagely. ‘Officers prefer their affairs to be with other men’s wives simply because they won’t be asked to marry them or father a child. And most of these wives are delighted their lovers never get serious.’
‘Wives never run off with their lovers?’ she asked with a raised brow.
‘The balloon goes up now and then,’ he conceded .
Andrea frowned. ‘What would happen to Sally if her balloon went up?’
‘God knows. Her old man’s a damned cold fish. Maybe he knows already. Don’t get me wrong though. I think he’s a terrific doctor. I’d rather go to him than to our naval MO .’
Someone put a record on the radiogram, andseveral couples began dancing to the song ‘Heaven’. A tall man came in from the hall wearing a shabby duffel coat over a white rollneck sweater. There was a sudden turning of heads in his direction and the very young officer with the patches on his lapels hurried over to greet the new arrival with sycophantic enthusiasm. But he remained motionless, listening to the music, his memorable face conveying neither disapproval nor pleasure. Andrea was struck by some inner quality that she could not quite grasp. His interest in the room and its occupants seemed only a matter of form, as if his mind were wholly occupied elsewhere.
Above the words of the song, Andrea heard the man in the white sweater demand, ‘Where’s my Jimmy?’
‘Oh God,’ groaned Tony.
‘Who is his Jimmy?’ Andrea asked.
‘I’m his sodding Jimmy,’ groaned Cassilis.
‘But you’re called Tony.’
‘“Jimmy the One” is naval slang for the first lieutenant of a ship.’ He ran a hand through his hair as if involuntarily preparing himself for something. ‘Over here, skip,’ he called out, waving eagerly despite his earlier irritation.
‘Skip’s’ dark hair looked as if it had been blown back by a stiff breeze, which was strange since Andrea could not remember any wind to speak of when she had arrived. Perhaps he had brushed it back, just before entering.
Tony said, ‘Mrs Pauling, I’d like you to meet Lieutenant Commander Harrington.’
As Andrea shook hands with Harrington, his fingers felt surprisingly cold. This poised, weary looking man glanced at her briefly as he was told her name, and then murmured to Cassilis, ‘I’m sorry, Tony, I must have a word alone with you.’
Even while telling herself she didn’t care, Andrea felt vexed. To be talking to the two most interesting looking men in the room one moment and the next to see them eager to get away was not a cheering experience.
‘Maybe we’ll meet again,’ said Cassilis, draining his glass and thumping it down on a table.
‘Maybe we will,’ said Andrea, puzzled by his gloomy tone. True to form, Harrington said not a word to her before hurrying to the door.
Sally had spotted the two men abandoning Andrea and joined her immediately after their departure. James was no longer in tow.
Sally asked, ‘What did you make of Tony?’
‘I liked him.’
‘Elspeth worships the ground he treads on.’
‘Does he repay the compliment?’
‘You bet.’ Sally moved closer. ‘What was your impression of mournful Mike Harrington?’ To Andrea’s surprise she rolled her eyes like the swooning heroine of a silent film.
‘He’s handsome. Maybe a bit pleased with himself. But I only saw him for a few seconds.
‘If you’d seen him for a few hours it wouldn’t have helped.’
‘I don’t care about him, Sally.’
‘Just as well. He’s still
Similar Books
