What other wife in the world had spent the first evening of her 23 married life watching a game of billiards she wondered? And a little helpless laugh escaped her.
Young Atkins looked down quickly.
"I beg your pardon. What did you say?"
"Nothing—I only laughed."
She bit her lip to prevent the laugh from coming again. How stupid she was, because nothing amusing had happened.
Only once Chris came across to her.
"Would you like some coffee?" he asked.
"No, thank you."
"Do your head good." he said, but without looking at her. His eyes were watching the table the whole time, and without waiting for her to speak again he went off back to the game.
"Chris really plays a thumping good game," Atkins confided to her. "I always tell him he's a rotten player, but he isn't a rotten player at anything, really! Fine sportsman, you know."