“No, thanks.”
“What about taking the car to Stanningleigh. I need some cigarettes and I’ll stand you a box of chocolates.”
“No.”
Howard looked at her suspiciously.
“Is this a new game? ‘No, thank you. . . . No, thanks. . . . No.’ Trying to make it shorter each time, is that it? Well, you’ve got to the bottom of the bag this shot. This is where the master-brain says ‘Checkmate!’ Ahem! Like to take a boat out on the river for a while? You can’t say No in less than two letters.”
Vera made no audible response, but she shook her head in refusal. Her companion admitted his defeat gracefully.
“Didn’t think you’d manage it. You win. Will you have a saucepan or a cheap alarm clock? All the other prizes have been awarded already.”
Then, as though dismissing trifles and becoming serious:
“What’s to be done? We can’t sit around like this the whole day. Time’s on the wing, and all that.”
Vera looked at the shadows on the grass.