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'There you go again If you have so on your mind, say it! Don't hide behind snide relass wall facing the street, and she consciously tried to lower it

David had no such reservations He turned to face her, eyes s as he deht?'

'I told you,' said Clare tightly 'I don't enjoy big parties'

'Perhaps if you ht surprise yourself After all, you ers who flit through Moonlight But you didn't want to enjoy yourself tonight, did you? You were just aching for an excuse to walk out'

'I don't knohat you're talking about,' hissed Clare furiously, although in a way he was right She hadn't made any special effort to join in Instead she had al-lowed herself to be overwhelmed by her own sense of inadequacy

'Oh, no? I bet you , before the concert'

'Well, yes, I—' She had called Virginia, and promised to drop in and see her before they went back to Rotorua

'And was Julian pleased to hear from you?'

'Julian?'

'Why the secrecy? Could it be that the sweet, ever-faithful uilty about her affair! I can accept that your sex drive didn't die with your husband, Clare, but wasn't it rather tacky to fall into bed with soone? Tiether while his father was in hospital…'

Clare felt the blood drain fro to faint 'W… what exactly did Tim tell you?' she croaked, white-lipped

David was equally pale, under the olive co to have drained out of hi conflictions that had been festering inside hi the last twelve hours: jealousy, disillusionment, frustration, contempt and sheer male pique… none of them had quite banished the hope and fierce desire Daht have handled everything differently…

'Ironic, really,' he said 'We had a pre-breakfast chat this , in a roundabout way, to reassure hi away We discussed loneliness and the different ways that people coped with it We agreed that ative as well as positive feelings And ent deeper into the subject of personal loss, and Tiot sick and went into hospital that you used to cry at nights until you started sleeping with Uncle Julian You often sleep with Uncle Julian when you get lonely, he said You tell him your troubles and he keeps you warm the way that Lee used to No wonder Ti secret? Don't you realise that youme that, he clammed up and made me promise not to tell anyone Why is it so ione two years now What's stopping you getting together openly? Is it because the illicit freedoives you a kick? Or is Julianan affair with a married man?'

'No But I almost had one with an idiot! You sanctiht right there and then, but the thought of all that he had put her through that day because of a si that could have been cleared up with a feords enraged her That he could think she was so… so underhanded and lacking in morals—

She simmered all the way back to the school, alone in the back seat of the cab, savouring the expression of blank outrage David had been wearing when she had slipped past him and sla hiht with Julian