and Paul Knight, of whom I spoke earlier to Mrs Foster, wants to marry her. She reverted to her maiden name, by the way. You'll like her. . .she gets on with people and I'm not prejudiced, I assure you.'
Irene shivered.
'You think she'll persuade me to go out.' She looked at him very levelly. 'Agoraphobia hasn't affected my powers of deduction.'
'I'm sure it hasn't,' he said, adding with telling emphasis, 'It isn't a question of persuading you to go out, but encouraging '
'I don't want to talk about it. . .I'm all peaceful. . .' She hesitated, because that wasn't true. The thought of Ruth had stirred up all the warring elements and she didn't like the fact that she was committed. But she said, 'You're the only new person I've met since it all happened.' There was a note almost of doom in her voice.
'Then it's fitting that my sister should be the second.'
'There'll only be you and your sister—not Mr Knight?'
Adam shook his head. 'Not Mr Knight. I promise.'
Irene tried to feel enthusiastic, but the prospect cut across her momentary calm, giving her a day to worry about. She liked it best when she could see only clear days when she and Emma were together and their privacy protected.
Emma heard the news when Adam and Irene joined her in the sitting-room some few minutes later. Marion had discreetly left, assuring Emma that she would always be available to look after Irene and hoping that things would work out.
Irene said boldly as she faced Emma and sat down in her usual chair, 'I'm going to invite Adam's sister here this coming Sunday.' She added swiftly, 'You don't mind?'
Emma could not have been more surprised. Her gaze went half accusingly to Adam and, even as it did so, the memory of their kiss seemed to intrude as though he were repeating it and she could not escape from his power.
'Of course I don't mind,' she said immediately, tactfully avoiding mentioning or stressing the fact that Irene would never have strangers to the house. It streaked through her thoughts that Adam had obviously engineered the meeting, and she felt rebellion and resistance build up within her.
Adam held her gaze in a look that reached those inner depths where escape was impossible. There was a tenacity about him that defied any challenge. She said, more because she felt suddenly nervous than because the question was important, 'What time had you in mind?'
Irene put in immediately, 'The morning. Drinks before lunch.' The words slipped out involuntarily. 'I get tired in the evening.' She wanted to establish when Ruth would come and go, and not to have the whole day waiting for her arrival, getting all worked up at the idea of her visit.
Adam looked at Emma for confirmation as he said, 'That would be splendid.'
'Then that's settled.' Irene spoke with complacency and then suddenly looked wan. Her hand went up to her head and she held it as though it hurt. To their surprise, she said quietly, 'I'm going to have a rest for half an hour.' She looked at Adam, 'Have I done well?' Her voice was pleading, like a child craving praise.
'Very well.' He opened the door for her.
'Until Sunday,' she said as she left. To Emma, she said, 'I'll come down at teatime.'
Emma reminded her that it was already four o'clock.
'Then let's have tea at five,' she said firmly. Then, as though aware of a faux pas, she added, 'Unless Adam would like a cup now.'
Adam immediately replied, 'I can't stay. I promised Judy I'd not be long.'
Judy. How easily, Emma thought, the name slipped out. And for the first time. It had always been Dr Meyhew, or Judy Meyhew, before. Irritation changed Emma's expression. What did it matter how he referred to his partner?
Irene gone, Adam said, 'I think we've moved a step forward.'
She was amazed at his coolness, his attitude as though the last scene between them had no significance, and that he could kiss her passionately and then revert to what was normality for them.
She wanted to attack him, and exclaimed, 'No doubt as a
Irene shivered.
'You think she'll persuade me to go out.' She looked at him very levelly. 'Agoraphobia hasn't affected my powers of deduction.'
'I'm sure it hasn't,' he said, adding with telling emphasis, 'It isn't a question of persuading you to go out, but encouraging '
'I don't want to talk about it. . .I'm all peaceful. . .' She hesitated, because that wasn't true. The thought of Ruth had stirred up all the warring elements and she didn't like the fact that she was committed. But she said, 'You're the only new person I've met since it all happened.' There was a note almost of doom in her voice.
'Then it's fitting that my sister should be the second.'
'There'll only be you and your sister—not Mr Knight?'
Adam shook his head. 'Not Mr Knight. I promise.'
Irene tried to feel enthusiastic, but the prospect cut across her momentary calm, giving her a day to worry about. She liked it best when she could see only clear days when she and Emma were together and their privacy protected.
Emma heard the news when Adam and Irene joined her in the sitting-room some few minutes later. Marion had discreetly left, assuring Emma that she would always be available to look after Irene and hoping that things would work out.
Irene said boldly as she faced Emma and sat down in her usual chair, 'I'm going to invite Adam's sister here this coming Sunday.' She added swiftly, 'You don't mind?'
Emma could not have been more surprised. Her gaze went half accusingly to Adam and, even as it did so, the memory of their kiss seemed to intrude as though he were repeating it and she could not escape from his power.
'Of course I don't mind,' she said immediately, tactfully avoiding mentioning or stressing the fact that Irene would never have strangers to the house. It streaked through her thoughts that Adam had obviously engineered the meeting, and she felt rebellion and resistance build up within her.
Adam held her gaze in a look that reached those inner depths where escape was impossible. There was a tenacity about him that defied any challenge. She said, more because she felt suddenly nervous than because the question was important, 'What time had you in mind?'
Irene put in immediately, 'The morning. Drinks before lunch.' The words slipped out involuntarily. 'I get tired in the evening.' She wanted to establish when Ruth would come and go, and not to have the whole day waiting for her arrival, getting all worked up at the idea of her visit.
Adam looked at Emma for confirmation as he said, 'That would be splendid.'
'Then that's settled.' Irene spoke with complacency and then suddenly looked wan. Her hand went up to her head and she held it as though it hurt. To their surprise, she said quietly, 'I'm going to have a rest for half an hour.' She looked at Adam, 'Have I done well?' Her voice was pleading, like a child craving praise.
'Very well.' He opened the door for her.
'Until Sunday,' she said as she left. To Emma, she said, 'I'll come down at teatime.'
Emma reminded her that it was already four o'clock.
'Then let's have tea at five,' she said firmly. Then, as though aware of a faux pas, she added, 'Unless Adam would like a cup now.'
Adam immediately replied, 'I can't stay. I promised Judy I'd not be long.'
Judy. How easily, Emma thought, the name slipped out. And for the first time. It had always been Dr Meyhew, or Judy Meyhew, before. Irritation changed Emma's expression. What did it matter how he referred to his partner?
Irene gone, Adam said, 'I think we've moved a step forward.'
She was amazed at his coolness, his attitude as though the last scene between them had no significance, and that he could kiss her passionately and then revert to what was normality for them.
She wanted to attack him, and exclaimed, 'No doubt as a
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