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She poured her heart out to Pat

"I understand you perfectly"

"Really?"

"Yes! Loving inevitably makes you dependent, and therefore at risk Otherwise the relationship is purely superficial - safer, but, in return, never as fulfilling So there's nothing you can really do about it It's just the way life is It's the way it was for me with my ex-husband The way, I suppose, it was for you with David And noe are both again exposed with Steve and Jesse And the same with friends, relatives…"

Kathy nodded and rubbed her chin pensively

"I sometimes wish I were a superficial, hypocritical person Despite your very-much-to-the-point remark, I do think they are happier; or at least they seem to be"

"But I wouldn't confide in you if you were"

"Neither would I," admitted Kathy

She looked around The rooed to Mrs Sloan was now joyfully sprinkled with little Stephanie's toys

"Did Dr Caet in touch with you?" Kathy found herself asking, not really knohere this thought had come from "Mrs Horwood said he wanted to offer you his condolences I was kind of surprised I didn't knoas so close an acquaintance" This last sentence was especially hard for her to get through, since it was such bare-faced gossip But of lately she was developing an uncoe to know as much as possible of everyone involved in this new and yet to be resolved chapter of her life

"He isn't," answered Pat emphatically "But the few days he holidayed here he made friends with every influential islander: the major, the priest, butcher Ada"Kathy s what butcher Adahtful, Dr Cao unnoticed, but Kathy didn't try to get any s she wanted to know: Pat disliked the doctor as ive soht to later - and Jesse didn't have a friendlier relationship with hiiven her to understand

"Do you think it is a ain?" Pat asked, with such an anxious face that Kathy was sure she would not dwell too much on her question about Dr Cameron

"Do you like him?"

"Yes, very much"