neck.
Harriet was grateful for the intimacy of the gesture and turned her face to his so that he could kiss her on the mouth as they continued walking along.
‘Now there I rather agree with you,’ commented Edmund. ‘It’s Noella who draws theboundary lines. Left to myself I’d probably be far more extreme.’
‘He’s kidding,’ Noella confided. ‘He isn’t nearly as wild as he’s making out.’
‘It’s difficult to imagine,’ said Harriet. ‘Even in casual clothes he always looks so conventional.’
‘Well, looks can be misleading. I definitely wouldn’t say he was conventional, it’s just that he likes to experiment, but then don’t all men?’
‘I suppose so,’ conceded Harriet.
‘You know, I’ve had a lot of lovers,’ continued Noella, not troubling to drop her voice at all. ‘And I mean a lot, but I’ve never met anyone like Edmund, and I’d sure as hell hate to lose him.’
‘Why should you lose him?’ asked Harriet as the two men walked over to look at the Pilchard Inn, where fishermen had once gone to have their fish weighed.
Noella looked thoughtfully at her. ‘I’m not sure. There was a time, not that long ago, when I felt quite secure. After all, I’m his third wife, Edmund’s money isn’t limitless, and sexually we’re very well matched but recently I’ve begun to get the impression that he’s tiring of me.’
‘Perhaps he’s just tired,’ suggested Harriet. ‘Lewis says Edmund works very hard without seeming to work at all. The holiday might be exactly what he needs.’
‘I think it might,’ agreed Noella. ‘The trouble is, I’m not sure that his needs and mine are quite the same.’
‘Meaning what?’
‘Come on, Harriet,’ exclaimed Noella, ‘let’s not kid each other. My husband’s very taken with you and he isn’t bothering to hide it from either of us.’
‘I’m on my honeymoon,’ laughed Harriet.
‘Yeah, well stranger things have happened. I remember that as soon as I was married to my first husband, I started fancying every male in sight. Some kind of reaction against being tied down I guess.’
‘I don’t feel tied down,’ protested Harriet.
‘Maybe not, but you fancy Edmund.’
‘And if I do,’ said Harriet evenly, ‘will that be the first time you’ve ever met another woman who fancied him?’
‘Of course not.’
‘Then why are you worried?’
‘Because there’s something that makes me think you might be two of a kind. I don’t care a fig about his affairs, I’ve had plenty of my own, but I don’t fancy being another ex-Mrs Mitchell.’
‘What about Lewis?’ asked Harriet. ‘Can you put your hand on your heart and say that you don’t fancy my husband too?’
Noella shook her head. ‘It’s not the same, sweetie. Every woman who meets Lewis fancies him, but that doesn’t mean he’s going to fancy them. Lewis would never be interested in me, I’m not his type, but I know that Edmund fancies you.’
‘Is this a warning of some kind?’ asked Harriet, lowering her voice as the men started to walk back towards them.
‘Hell no, I’ve never tried to warn anyone offEdmund, that would only add to the attraction. I’m just telling you I know what’s happening.’
‘Nothing’s happening,’ retorted Harriet.
‘Not yet, but it will,’ said Noella, and then she smiled brightly at her husband. ‘Come on, Edmund. I want to take a look at one of these famous views Lewis has been telling us about. How can we get up these cliffs and take a look for ourselves?’
‘There’s a cliff path by the harbour,’ said Harriet, taking hold of Lewis’s hand again. ‘If you’ve got the energy you can go up the steps there and then round the back of some cottages where the path opens out a bit. There are one or two seats and the most incredible views imaginable.’
‘I’ve got the energy,’ said Noella firmly.
Harriet and Lewis decided to stay and look at the small fishing boats in the harbour while the other
Harriet was grateful for the intimacy of the gesture and turned her face to his so that he could kiss her on the mouth as they continued walking along.
‘Now there I rather agree with you,’ commented Edmund. ‘It’s Noella who draws theboundary lines. Left to myself I’d probably be far more extreme.’
‘He’s kidding,’ Noella confided. ‘He isn’t nearly as wild as he’s making out.’
‘It’s difficult to imagine,’ said Harriet. ‘Even in casual clothes he always looks so conventional.’
‘Well, looks can be misleading. I definitely wouldn’t say he was conventional, it’s just that he likes to experiment, but then don’t all men?’
‘I suppose so,’ conceded Harriet.
‘You know, I’ve had a lot of lovers,’ continued Noella, not troubling to drop her voice at all. ‘And I mean a lot, but I’ve never met anyone like Edmund, and I’d sure as hell hate to lose him.’
‘Why should you lose him?’ asked Harriet as the two men walked over to look at the Pilchard Inn, where fishermen had once gone to have their fish weighed.
Noella looked thoughtfully at her. ‘I’m not sure. There was a time, not that long ago, when I felt quite secure. After all, I’m his third wife, Edmund’s money isn’t limitless, and sexually we’re very well matched but recently I’ve begun to get the impression that he’s tiring of me.’
‘Perhaps he’s just tired,’ suggested Harriet. ‘Lewis says Edmund works very hard without seeming to work at all. The holiday might be exactly what he needs.’
‘I think it might,’ agreed Noella. ‘The trouble is, I’m not sure that his needs and mine are quite the same.’
‘Meaning what?’
‘Come on, Harriet,’ exclaimed Noella, ‘let’s not kid each other. My husband’s very taken with you and he isn’t bothering to hide it from either of us.’
‘I’m on my honeymoon,’ laughed Harriet.
‘Yeah, well stranger things have happened. I remember that as soon as I was married to my first husband, I started fancying every male in sight. Some kind of reaction against being tied down I guess.’
‘I don’t feel tied down,’ protested Harriet.
‘Maybe not, but you fancy Edmund.’
‘And if I do,’ said Harriet evenly, ‘will that be the first time you’ve ever met another woman who fancied him?’
‘Of course not.’
‘Then why are you worried?’
‘Because there’s something that makes me think you might be two of a kind. I don’t care a fig about his affairs, I’ve had plenty of my own, but I don’t fancy being another ex-Mrs Mitchell.’
‘What about Lewis?’ asked Harriet. ‘Can you put your hand on your heart and say that you don’t fancy my husband too?’
Noella shook her head. ‘It’s not the same, sweetie. Every woman who meets Lewis fancies him, but that doesn’t mean he’s going to fancy them. Lewis would never be interested in me, I’m not his type, but I know that Edmund fancies you.’
‘Is this a warning of some kind?’ asked Harriet, lowering her voice as the men started to walk back towards them.
‘Hell no, I’ve never tried to warn anyone offEdmund, that would only add to the attraction. I’m just telling you I know what’s happening.’
‘Nothing’s happening,’ retorted Harriet.
‘Not yet, but it will,’ said Noella, and then she smiled brightly at her husband. ‘Come on, Edmund. I want to take a look at one of these famous views Lewis has been telling us about. How can we get up these cliffs and take a look for ourselves?’
‘There’s a cliff path by the harbour,’ said Harriet, taking hold of Lewis’s hand again. ‘If you’ve got the energy you can go up the steps there and then round the back of some cottages where the path opens out a bit. There are one or two seats and the most incredible views imaginable.’
‘I’ve got the energy,’ said Noella firmly.
Harriet and Lewis decided to stay and look at the small fishing boats in the harbour while the other
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