Rosemary laughed.
“It’s perfectly obvious,” she said, “that you’ve known me too long. Familiarity has bred a wholesome contempt.”
“One moment,” said Derry calmly. “All I’ve just said about me can be said about you—except that, even if you explained the position to your prey, he wouldn’t retort with vitriol. In fact, you’re so very charming that he’d probably jump at the chance. But that’s beside the point—which is that we each need a playmate by whom we can play the game. Well, our respective spice have fairly slung us into each other’s arms. . . . If you don’t want to play, say the word. But I think it’s a chance. Perhaps I was foolish to say that I loved you, dear, and that, as the game had to be played, I’d be happy to play it with you, but seventeen years of admiration are bound to leave their mark.” Rosemary bowed her head. “With anyone else I’d hate it. In fact, it couldn’t be done. With you—well, it’s very easy, lady, and that’s the truth.” He slid an arm round her waist. “I know I’m in love with Jenny, but when I say that I love you you know it’s true. For one thing, who could help it? Look at your mouth. . . . But it wouldn’t console me to kiss you, if you didn’t—understand. A state of emergency exists, requiring special measures of an abnormal kind. That I find those measures sweet is pure good fortune: they might have been nauseous. Of course, if you find them——”
“I don’t,” said Rosemary, laying her head against his. “I—I rather like them, Derry. . . . I wonder what Roger would say if he——”
“Will say,” corrected Derry. “Unless I’m much mistaken, it’ll send the blood to his head. An’ the same with my lawful wife. Then perhaps they’ll begin to perceive that marriage is not like bettin’ an’ you can’t have a bit each way. Whereupon they’ll gird up their loins and return to the fold.”
“And we?”
“I suppose we shall have to do the same,” said Derry ruefully. “It’s rather hard, isn’t it? They’ve gone an’ thrown us together an’ presently they’ll tear us apart. Never mind, I shall write to you surreptitiously. And when I smudge the letter you’ll know that I’m thinking of a night when your hair was full of the Rubaiyat and your blessed cheek stung me till I wanted to pick you up and carry you into the hills.”
Rosemary lifted up her voice—
What’ll I do
When you