«I don't know what he believes and I don't care.»
«Please try. Truth does matter. What exactly happened yesterday after Arnold arrived back and we were- Please describe the events in detail. I want a description beginning, 'I ran down the stairs.' «
«I ran down the stairs. Arnold had gone out onto the veranda. So I dodged through the kitchen and into the side passage and then came into the garden as if I'd just seen him, and I took him down to the end of the garden to show him something and I kept him there and that seemed all right. Then about half an hour later Julian turned up and said she'd met you and you'd said you'd been at our place.»
«I didn't say it. She assumed it and I didn't deny it.»
«Well, that comes to the same thing. Then Julian started to talk about the boots you'd bought her. I must say I was rather surprised. You are a cool customer. Anyway, Arnold raised his eyebrows, you know the way he does. But he said nothing while Julian was with us.»
«Wait a moment. Did Arnold notice that Julian was wearing my socks?»
«Ha! That's another thing. No, I don't think so. Julian went straight on upstairs to try the boots on. I didn't see her again till after Arnold had gone to see you. Then she explained about the socks. She thought it was a great joke.»
«You see, I just shoved them in my pocket and-«All right, I imagined it all. Here they are, by the way. I washed them. They're still a bit damp. I told Julian not to mention you to Arnold for a while. I said he was so cross about that review. So I trust the sock incident is closed.»
«He asked me why I hadn't said you'd been.»
«What did you say?»
«What could I say? I was completely taken by surprise. I laughed and said you'd annoyed me. I said you'd been rather emotional and I'd turned you out, and felt it would be kinder to you not to tell Arnold.»
«Couldn't you think of anything better than that?»
«No, I couldn't. While Julian was there I couldn't think, and then I just had to say something. My head was full of nothing but the truth. The best I could do was to tell half of it in a garbled form.»
«You could have invented a complete falsehood.»
«So could you. There was no need to let Julian assume you'd been visiting us.»
«I know, I know. Did Arnold believe you?»
«I'm not sure. He knows I'm a liar, he's often enough caught me in lies. He lies too. We accept each other as liars, most married couples do.»
«Oh Rachel, Rachel-«
«You grieve over such an imperfect world, do you? Anyway he doesn't really mind. If I have some sort of thing on it eases his conscience and leaves him more free. And as long as he's in control and can bait you a bit it may even amuse him. He doesn't take you seriously as a threat to his marriage.»
«I see.»
«And of course he's quite right. There is no threat.»
«Isn't there?»
