BOOK 4

'I'm sorry, I forgot to ask if you wanted a pudding,' Paul said. 'Or coffee . . .'

'Nothing more, thank you.'

He paid the bill from an ancient, battered wallet of some soft leather from which the gilt flourish of his initials had almost worn away. The waitress, apparently satisfied with her tip, picked up their plates and departed.

'Right.' He put away his wallet, and started to rise. 'Let's go . . .'

'Wait.' Amy stayed firmly where she was. 'I . . . I'm sorry I've left this till now,' she began, still awkward from his coolness of a few moments ago. 'I suppose it's because I've had a lot on my mind . . .'

'You want to pay your share?'

'Something like that,' she said, relieved to have the words spoken. 'How did you guess that was what I wanted to say?'

'I've had supper with one or two women before.'

'Oh.' Amy wondered why she should find that so surprising. He was an attractive man, of course he would know lots of women. She badly wanted to hear if he was currently seeing anyone, but e