yards of bramble banks at twelve o'clock at night when the damned thing was sodden.' Wilt stopped. The memory was too much for him.
'And I suppose it went on raining,' said Braintree sympathetically 'That's been our experience, anyway.'
'It did,' said Wilt. 'For five whole days. After that we moved into a hotel.'
'Best thing to do. You can eat decent meals and sleep in comfort.'
'You can perhaps. We couldn't. Not after Samantha shat in the bidet, I wondered what the stench was sometime around 2 a.m. Anyway let's talk about something civilized.'
They went into The Pig In A Poke and ordered pints.
'Of course all men are selfish,' said Mavis Mottram as she and Eva sat in the kitchen at Willington Road. 'Patrick hardly ever gets home until after eight and he always has an excuse about the Open University It's nothing of the sort, or if it is it's some divorcee student who wants extra coition. Not that I mind any longer. I said to him the other night, 'If you want to make a fool of yourself running after other women that's your affair but don't think I'm going to take it lying down. You can go your way and I'll go mine.'
'What did he say to that?' Eva asked, testing the steam iron and starting on the quads' dresses.
'Oh just something stupid about not wanting it standing up anyway. Men are so coarse. I can't think why we bother with them.'
'I sometimes wish Henry was a bit coarser,' said Eva pensively 'He always was lethargic but now he claims he's too tired because he walks to the Tech every day. It's six miles so I suppose he could be.'
'I can think of another reason,' said Mavis bitterly. 'Still waters etcetera...'
'Not with Henry. I'd know. Besides, ever since the quads were born he's been very thoughtful.'
'Yes, but what's he been thoughtful about? That's what you have to ask yourself, Eva.'
'I meant he's been considerate to me. He gets up at seven and brings me tea in bed and at night he always makes me Horlicks.
'If Patrick started acting like that I'd be very suspicious,' said Mavis. 'It doesn't sound natural.'
'It doesn't, does it, but that's Henry all over. He's really kind. The only thing is he isn't very masterful. He says it's because he's surrounded by five women and he knows when he's beaten.'
'If you go ahead with this au pair girl plan that will make six,' said Mavis.
'Irmgard isn't a proper au pair girl. She's renting the top-floor, flat and says she'll help around the house whenever she can.'
'Which, if the Everards' experience with their Finn is anything to go by, will be never. She stayed in bed till twelve and practically ate them out of house and home.'
'Finns are different,' said Eva. 'Irmgard is German. I met her at the Van Donkens' World Cup Protest Party. You know they raised nearly a hundred and twenty pounds for the Tortured Tupamaros.
'I didn't think there were any Tupamaros in Argentina any more. I thought they had all been killed off by the army.'
'These are the ones who escaped,' said Eva. 'Anyway I met Miss Mueller and mentioned that we had this top flat and she was ever so eager to have it. She'll do all her own cooking and things.'
'Things? Did you ask her what things she had in mind?
'Well, not exactly, but she says she wants to study a lot and she's very keen on physical fitness.'
'And what does Henry have to say about her?' asked Mavis moving closer to her real
