Giles said: “Yes, of course. But you ought not to be here at all, you know. In fact, as soon as you've had your coffee I'm going to take you home again.”
Antonia sighed. “Sorry; I'll go now if you want me to. It was only that I suddenly couldn't bear it any longer, and there wasn't anyone but you I could come to. Except Leslie, I suppose; but she's so livid about Roger turning up, and dishing Kenneth, that she's almost as bad as the rest of them. However, if you're bored with our rotten affairs it doesn't matter.”
“Sit down,” said Giles, pulling up another chair. “You know I'm not bored. What's the matter, chicken?”
She looked up at him, flushing, sudden surprise in her eyes. “Oh Giles, you haven't called me that for years!” she said.
“Haven't I?” he said, smiling down at her. “No, perhaps I haven't.”
“You know jolly well you've had a hate against me ever since you were such a vile beast about John Fotheringham!” said Antonia.
“Well, that's one way of putting it,” said Giles.
“It's the only way of putting it,” said Antonia firmly. “In fact, I practically made up my mind never to speak to you again, after the things you said to me.”
“You didn't speak to me again, Tony, for over a year.”
“Yes, I did,” contradicted Antonia. “I spoke to you at the Dawsons' dance, and once I had to ring you up about my Insurance shares. All the same, I wouldn't have, if I could have helped it. Only then I got myself into this ghastly mess, and I had to send for you to get me out of it.”