He sat without moving while coffee and balloon glasses were set before them.
Lady Valerie Woodchester stubbed out a half-smoked cigarette and lighted another. She tasted her brandy.
"It's a hard life," she observed moodily. "I suppose if one can't get exactly what one wants the next best thing is to have bags of money. That's what I'm going to do."
"Who are you going to blackmail?" Simon inquired steadily.
Her eyes widened.
"What do you mean?" she asked in astonishment.
"Just that," he said.
She laughed. Her laughter sounded a trifle false.
She emptied her coffee cup and finished her brandy. She began to be very busy collecting her accoutrements and dabbing powder on her nose.
"You do say the weirdest things," she remarked. "I'm afraid I must go now. Thanks so much for the dinner. It's been a lovely evening — most of it."