“You can't really think that everything's over merely because we're not going to be married,” said Antonia reasonably. “I expect you only feel numb because I took you by surprise. You'll be quite thankful when you do realise it. For one thing you won't have to have bullterriers in your house, and you know you never really liked them.”
“Is that all you can say?” he demanded. “Is that the only crumb of comfort you can find?”
It was apparent to tiles that Mesurier was enjoying himself considerably. He rose, feeling that the jilted lover did at least deserve to hold the stage alone for the last time. “I'm sorry about it, Mesurier,” he said pleasantly. “But Tony made a mistake. I expect you'd like to have a little talk with her. I'll go and get Murgatroyd to help me pack Kenneth's suit-case, Tony.”
Mesurier was so much interested in this that he forgot his role for a minute. “Why, what's happened? Is Kenneth going away?”
“He's gone,” said Antonia, recalled to present trials with a jolt. “He's being detained, whatever that means.”
“My God!” said Mesurier deeply.
Giles went out of the studio, and shut the door behind him.
Twenty minutes later Antonia joined him in Kenneth's bedroom, remarking with a sigh of relief that Rudolph had gone at last.
“And a good job too!” said Murgatroyd, fitting a bulging sponge-bag into the suit-case that lay, half-full, on the end of the bed. “If it weren't for this dreadful thing that's happened I should be congratulating you from the bottom of my heart, Miss Tony, but when I think of poor Master Kenneth, locked up in a horrid cell with ten to one no proper bed or anything - well, it's just too much for me! I can't seem to take much notice of anything else. Not that shirt, if you please, Mr Carrington; it's only just back from the laundry.”
“Giles says he doesn't think Kenneth did it,” said Antonia.