Mavis Belfrage Read Online Free PDF Page B

leant against his side, then he relaxed, sighed and murmured, “Well, you’re happy Mavis. That’s good.”
    In a childish, confiding voice she said, “I want to ask you a favour.”
    â€œMm?”
    â€œBut first you must promise not to be angry.”
    â€œWhy should I be angry?”
    â€œI can’t possibly tell you until you promise not to be.”
    â€œAll right. I promise.”
    She held his hand palm upward and stroked the lines on it with her forefinger saying slowly, “Colin, Clive – Clive Evans I mean – would like an affair with me and I would love one with him –”
    He pulled his hand away; she cried, “You promised not to be angry!”
    He stood, stepped away, turned and saw her lying back in the sofa watching him alertly. He said, “You want to leave me?”
    â€œNo, I … I think I love you Colin. You’re the decentest man I know, besides being my only friend. But I’ll leave if you like.”
    â€œWhy? What’s wrong with us?”
    â€œFrankly the sex thing isn’t the fun it used to be, is it?”
    â€œIsn’t it?”
    â€œYou know it’s not. You’re still very sweet and tender of course but you leave all the work to
me
.”
    â€œYou said you dislike assertive men.”
    â€œI do but there should be a middle way … Don’t look so miserable Colin!”
    She rose and came to him saying, “Listen, order menot to do it. Tell me not to see him and maybe I won’t.”
    â€œI can’t
order
you to do anything,” he told her grimly. “We aren’t married. We’ve made no promises. You can leave me when you like. I can ask you to leave when I like.”
    â€œAre you asking me to leave?”
    â€œNo,” he said and turned away feeling cold, hard and defeated. “I need you.”
    â€œAnd you’re not angry?”
    â€œDo you care how I feel?”
    â€œYou haven’t scrubbed my back for
years
Mavis,” said Bill querulously. He stood in the doorway, barefoot and in his dressing-gown. Mavis said, “Get into the bath, I’ll be with you in a minute.”
    Bill left and Colin said firmly, “Bill must not know about this. If he finds out you must both leave here at once. I mean that, Mavis.”
    â€œOf course Bill won’t find out. I’ll tell him I’m going to evening classes and I’ll always be home long before breakfast. O don’t look sad! I feel so happy and hopeful. I wish I could put half my good feelings into you, Colin.” He could think of nothing to say. From sounding wistful and cajoling she became brisk and sensible.
    â€œI suppose you’ve a hot meal in the oven?”
    â€œCasserole for two,” he said bitterly.
    â€œI bought us a bottle of wine. I’ll see to Bill and be down in half an hour. I’m not as hungry as you of course, but we’ll still have a nice meal and a quiet evening together and you’ll soon see everything in its proper perspective. Don’t worry. Nothing dreadful is happening to us.”
    But Colin thought it was.
    When she returned from upstairs she served the meal, poured wine and played Scrabble afterward, treating him with gentle, unfamiliar tact which made him want to cling to her whenever he forgot the horrid reason for it. He won the game by over two hundred points. She chuckled and said, “That’s a healthy sign.”
    â€œWhat’s a healthy sign?”
    â€œYou usually make me win by deliberately playing badly in the last fifteen minutes.”
    He smiled slightly and said, “I thought you hadn’t noticed.”
    â€œI enjoy winning but I’m not stupid. Come to bed, Colin.”
    She got up and kissed the top of his head.
    â€œIn a while.”
    He sat by the living-room fire wondering how to share the bed with her and respect himself. He also wondered what would happen if he ordered her not to see