"A woman is a lovely creature who sends a man away so that he can't do what she wants him to do most of all."
"Uh-huh."
"She feeds him full of rare steak until he wants to crawl off in a corner like the family mutt and go to sleep. Once she gets him in a somnolent state, she drapes herself tastefully on his shoulder and gets soft and warm and willing."
Mrs. Bagley laughed throatily. "Just start getting active," she warned, "and you'll see how fast I can beat a hasty retreat."
"Janet, what is with you?"
"What do you mean?"
"What are you hiding?"
"Hiding?"
"Yes, confound it, hiding!" he said, his voice turning hard. "Just who is this Charles Maxwell character, anyway?"
"Tim, please—"