he had two sisters and one brother, that his father was in the merchant navy and his mother ran a small knitwear shop in the city. 'Kirstie, my elder sister, is doing very well at university. Phil, the other one, is a bit of a tomboy and has never attended to her lessons, so she'll be leaving school next year, when she's sixteen.'
'And your brother?'
'He's the eldest. Married and lives a couple of miles from us. He works in an insurance office.'
'I've only a sister-three years younger than I,' she told him when it came her turn to pass on information about herself. She was free and easy with him, not in the least awkward or feeling she must be reserved. 'She's going out with a young man-at least, I think she is. It might all be off —I don't know.' Half an hour later it was time for them to go their different ways, Jill having said that her lunch would be ready. Gilbert seemed disconsolate and Jill sent him a perceptive glance, recalling that when she had first contemplated marriage to Adam it had been in her mind that she might meet a young man and fall in love with him. But now ... She had been foolish enough to fall in love with her husband, a man who intended marrying another girl in order to bring about the business merger he so badly wanted. There was no possible chance of his ever changing his mind and making the marriage permanent, simply because love had obviously never entered into his scheme of things.
A sigh escaped her, but she was finding that her mind was quite made up about the futility of unrequitted love. The sensible thing was to fight it before it became too strong for her. She thought about Adam's assertion that they would go their own ways, that he would never interfere in her activities so long as his mother did not suffer. He had not pursued the matter of a normal relationship, and she now believed he was intending to keep to the bargain he had made. That he would have pillow friends was to be expected, and the idea hurt abominably, but she was resigned, simply because she was forced to keep to her side of the bargain as well. She had realised, too, that in spite of her denial her life was in fact becoming boring lately, and she had even begun to ask herself just how long this boredom was likely to continue. She was exceedingly fond of her mother-in-law and wanted her to live for many years yet, but Jill felt that to go on like this for years and years would mean the waste of her own youth, and for the first time she was beginning to wonder what had possessed her to be swayed by that dear old lady's anxiety over her son.
Another sigh escaped her; it was not meant to be heard by her companion, and she was surprised to hear him say, a hint of anxiety in his voice, 'Is something wrong, Jill?'
'No-nothing. ...'
'That wasn't very positive,' he observed, his shrewd eyes noting the shadows in hers.
'I suppose,' she said, fully aware of what she was doing, 'that I'm fed up with my own company.'
'Fed up — ' He stopped in his tracks to stare down into her face. 'That's a strange thing to say when you're still a new bride —'
'My husband's time is occupied with his business. He's in Athens at present and won't be back until the weekend, or even later than that.'
A long pause ensued, and when Gilbert did eventually break the silence, his tone and words were hesitant. 'I'd ... er ... like to have dinner with you, Jill-that is, I mean, if you're lonely-because I'll be on my own, and it's no fun ... although don't think I'm not used to it. If I choose to come on these island-hopping holidays, then it's what I must expect.' He paused, but Jill did not speak. 'I do sometimes manage to get an amiable compa nion, though, and so if you... ?' His words ended on an unspoken question and Jill's hesitation was brief, for there was no harm, none at all. Adam had his fiancee and his pillow friends. It was all very amicable and free-their attitude toward each other.
'I'd love to have dinner with you,' she said,
'And your brother?'
'He's the eldest. Married and lives a couple of miles from us. He works in an insurance office.'
'I've only a sister-three years younger than I,' she told him when it came her turn to pass on information about herself. She was free and easy with him, not in the least awkward or feeling she must be reserved. 'She's going out with a young man-at least, I think she is. It might all be off —I don't know.' Half an hour later it was time for them to go their different ways, Jill having said that her lunch would be ready. Gilbert seemed disconsolate and Jill sent him a perceptive glance, recalling that when she had first contemplated marriage to Adam it had been in her mind that she might meet a young man and fall in love with him. But now ... She had been foolish enough to fall in love with her husband, a man who intended marrying another girl in order to bring about the business merger he so badly wanted. There was no possible chance of his ever changing his mind and making the marriage permanent, simply because love had obviously never entered into his scheme of things.
A sigh escaped her, but she was finding that her mind was quite made up about the futility of unrequitted love. The sensible thing was to fight it before it became too strong for her. She thought about Adam's assertion that they would go their own ways, that he would never interfere in her activities so long as his mother did not suffer. He had not pursued the matter of a normal relationship, and she now believed he was intending to keep to the bargain he had made. That he would have pillow friends was to be expected, and the idea hurt abominably, but she was resigned, simply because she was forced to keep to her side of the bargain as well. She had realised, too, that in spite of her denial her life was in fact becoming boring lately, and she had even begun to ask herself just how long this boredom was likely to continue. She was exceedingly fond of her mother-in-law and wanted her to live for many years yet, but Jill felt that to go on like this for years and years would mean the waste of her own youth, and for the first time she was beginning to wonder what had possessed her to be swayed by that dear old lady's anxiety over her son.
Another sigh escaped her; it was not meant to be heard by her companion, and she was surprised to hear him say, a hint of anxiety in his voice, 'Is something wrong, Jill?'
'No-nothing. ...'
'That wasn't very positive,' he observed, his shrewd eyes noting the shadows in hers.
'I suppose,' she said, fully aware of what she was doing, 'that I'm fed up with my own company.'
'Fed up — ' He stopped in his tracks to stare down into her face. 'That's a strange thing to say when you're still a new bride —'
'My husband's time is occupied with his business. He's in Athens at present and won't be back until the weekend, or even later than that.'
A long pause ensued, and when Gilbert did eventually break the silence, his tone and words were hesitant. 'I'd ... er ... like to have dinner with you, Jill-that is, I mean, if you're lonely-because I'll be on my own, and it's no fun ... although don't think I'm not used to it. If I choose to come on these island-hopping holidays, then it's what I must expect.' He paused, but Jill did not speak. 'I do sometimes manage to get an amiable compa nion, though, and so if you... ?' His words ended on an unspoken question and Jill's hesitation was brief, for there was no harm, none at all. Adam had his fiancee and his pillow friends. It was all very amicable and free-their attitude toward each other.
'I'd love to have dinner with you,' she said,
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