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‘Spare s,’ he shot back conte the basis of our e to exonerate your behaviour!’ His voice chilled evento make out you were no worse than me! You committed adultery I did not’

Shock was ricocheting round her Theo had not continued with his affairs while they were married It was impossible to believe, and yet—

No wonder he seducedcelibate…

He had used her Deliberately and callously Used her for sexual relief…

She felt an anger that surpassed anything that she had felt for him till now Even when he had thrown at her what he had

‘You absolute bastard,’ she said slowly

So you what you are? Sha shame down on your uncle for—’

Anger leapt in her again

‘You were responsible for that! There was no need—no need at all—to tell hie had ended!’

His face darkened ‘I didhi ‘I wanted to spare his feelings But he persisted, insisted on knohy you had returned to England, why ourdissolved, and in the end I had to tell him the truth That there had been someone else, another man’ His eyes lasered into her ‘Perhaps in London, in sophisticated, liberated circles, adultery means little Here, there is a different attitude Your behaviour hurt your uncle verythat still completely fails to prick your conscience’

‘My conscience is clear!’ Her retort was instant, vehement

‘How convenient How very convenient You go from my bed to his in the space of mere hours! Hours! From sex with me to sex with hi the flesh frohed on, each word another crack of his cruel whip ‘Then, when you get greedy for the money which you think—you really think!—you’re entitled to, you co back to me! You sell your body back toit to your oh-so-accoed to get it What a very convenient conscience you have, to be sure But just how convenient, I wonder?’

He had started to walk towards her, down the length of the table His voice as he spoke was sht at her like fine barbs In all the hideous maelstrom of emotions inside her she could feel, quite suddenly, her heart rate start to quicken, adrenaline start to run Fear licked through her He was still approaching her She started to back away It was essential, quite essential, to back away—

His eyes were holding hers, dark and glittering She felt her stomach hollow

‘Hoonder, how far will that wonderfully flexible, elastic conscience of yours stretch?’