“Comfortable?” he asked.
“Fine, thanks.” She smiled up at him.
“Can I get you anything?”
“Not a thing.”
“How about some brandy? Or maybe there’s some green mint. It was a wonderful dinner — we ought to top it off with something.”
“No thanks — and,do you mind waiting, just for a little while? I don’t mean to be a wet blanket,” she added hastily. “It’s only that I don’t want you to be at all confused, and I don’t want to be — because I’ve been too much so for the past couple of days.”
“You’re being very cryptic,” he said. “You were starting to be, a little, before dinner, too.”
“I won’t be any more,” she said. “I want to get everything straight. Because I can’t stand your being suspicious of me, as you’ve been ever since I’ve been here, Oh, you had reason to be — I can see that now. But it never occurred to me. And that’s what I want to straighten out.” She was leaning toward him, eager sincerity shining in her eyes, and she looked very young.
He couldn’t help himself. “You’re utterly lovely,” he said. The words had to be spoken.
“What?” She drew back. “Don’t confuse me any more.” She hesitated a moment. “You’ve shown quite a talent for silence since I’ve been here. Don’t stop now.”