slid out of bed and stretched, before crossing to the wash basin to sluice her face with icy cold water.
Drying her face on the towel, she looked speculatively at Delia.
‘Delia,’ she said slowly, ‘have you heard of Dominic Halstad?'
Delia frowned. ‘I've heard of him, of course. He's something to do with newspapers, isn't he?'
‘Yes. He's the head of one of these big syndicates.'
Delia looked exasperated. ‘Come on, then! You didn't ask me that for no reason, just out of the blue. Do you know him?’ She looked slightly incredulous.
Susan laughed. ‘Not exactly. But I did meet him yesterday at the cocktail party at Amanda's. He's a friend of hers, and very attractive.'
‘Is he indeed?’ Delia made a moue with her lips. ‘You do move in exalted circles, don't you?'
‘Amanda does, at least. She apparently knows him very well. They treated each other like long-lost souls.'
‘Hmn! He sounds interesting. Is he married?'
‘Yes, they always are,’ Susan chuckled. ‘Why? Has Alan begun to pall already?'
‘Of course not. But I can see he made quite an impression on you. Is that the cause of the depression? Did David seem meek in comparison?'
‘No, not at all.’ Susan felt cross. She ought not to be discussing a complete stranger, and a friend of Amanda's, in this manner. After all, the chances were that she would never see him again. Besides, she somehow felt disloyal to David just talking about Dominic Halstad. But she would not admit, even to herself, the reason why she felt this way.
Shooing Delia out of the bedroom she dressed in a dark-blue jersey shift and emerged to find that Delia had prepared her a slice of toast and a cup of creamy coffee, which were delicious.
Wishing her friend good luck during the weekend, she donned her sheepskin coat, and hastily left the flat. She ran down the flight of stairs and came out into the fresh morning air.
It was one of those slightly frosty mornings, when a faint haze hid the sun and promised a warm and sunny day. Susan breathed deeply and felt her depression leaving her. Who could feel depressed when everything looked so new and fresh and the young shoots were greening on the trees in the parks?
A bus set her down near Amanda's apartment and she opened the door of the lounge as the near-by church clock struck nine.
Amanda was sitting at her desk, studying her correspondence, and smiled as Susan came in.
‘Good morning, Susan,’ she said briskly. ‘You're remarkably punctual.'
Susan chuckled. ‘I'm not sure whether I should take that as a compliment or not,’ she remarked, taking off her coat and hanging it in the minute entrance hall.
‘Sorry, dear,’ said Amanda. ‘Anyway, there's not a lot for us to do today.’ She rose to her feet and, crossing to the kitchen door, called, ‘Coffee for two, Sarah, please.'
Then she turned to Susan. ‘There are just a few letters to answer, and afterwards I think we'll take a ride into the country. It will make a nice change for both of us.'
While they were smoking cigarettes and drinking some of the continental coffee Sarah had prepared so expertly, Amanda said, ‘By the way, what did you think of Dominic Halstad?'
‘I don't really know,’ replied Susan, flushing. ‘He … well … he didn't tell me who he was, and I'm afraid I was rather abrupt with him. I treated him like an eager reporter trying to get an inside story.'
Amanda laughed. ‘Oh, don't worry about that. I expect he was quite amused. He's used to people hanging on his every word. Do him good to meet someone who didn't treat him like the purple emperor.'
‘He did say he was a very good friend of yours.'
‘So he is, girl.’ Amanda nodded thoughtfully. ‘You know it was he who persuaded his father to publish my first novel. They weren't very inspiring stories in those days, but Dominic thought I had promise and persuaded his father to think so, too. Of course, I've known Dominic for years. Long before I took up writing, in fact. His mother and mine were great friends, and when we were children we used to play together. I was seven years older than Dom, but he led me a terrible life.’ She chuckled reminiscently.
‘I see.’ That accounted for the familiar way he had spoken of her. ‘He hasn't been here before, has he?'
‘No, he's been abroad for quite a long time,’ replied Amanda. ‘He seems to do a lot of his work in America, or so I believe; at any rate I haven't seen him for a couple of years or so.'
‘He seems very young,’ murmured Susan, drawing deeply on her cigarette. ‘But he must be nearly forty.'
‘He is, darling. But I agree, he doesn't look his age, which is remarkable in the circumstances.'
‘What circumstances?’ Susan was curious.
‘Oh, the problems he has had to face with Veronica.'
‘Veronica? Oh, is she his wife?'
‘That's right.’ Amanda sounded bitter. ‘Regrettably.'
Susan stubbed out her cigarette. ‘Why so? Are they divorced?'
‘No. Nothing so simple.’ She smiled, a little forcedly, and then said, ‘Well, let's get on.'
Susan picked up her notebook, but as she did so she wondered why Amanda seemed so reluctant to talk about Dominic Halstad's wife. There seemed to be a mystery about the whole affair, but she respected Amanda's confidence and firmly tried to push all thoughts of the Halstad ménage from her mind.
But it was not so easy as she thought, and she found her mind twisting back over all that had been said, trying to find some reason for Amanda's oblique comments.
But it was no use. She did not know sufficient about them to be able to form any opinion, and it seemed unlikely that Dominic Halstad should have any problems that he could not handle, when she considered his immense wealth and personal charm.
They lunched at the apartment and afterwards drove out of town in Amanda's Rolls-Royce, Susan acting as chauffeuse. They stopped at a small country pub for a drink, and relaxed in the garden of the inn, sitting at rustic tables on wooden forms.
It was all very olde-worlde and Susan liked it.
‘I'm having dinner with Dominic this evening,’ remarked Amanda suddenly. ‘At least, I should say he's having dinner with me. He's coming to the apartment.'
‘Alone?’ Susan was intrigued. Where was his wife?
‘Yes. Alone. Why? Would you and David like to make up a foursome?'
‘Oh, really … I … of course we wouldn't intrude …’ Susan felt embarrassed.
‘You wouldn't be intruding,’ replied Amanda easily. ‘It's a grand idea. Why didn't I think of it before?'
Susan's nerves felt as taut as violin strings, and she inwardly rated herself for feeling this way at the mere mention of that man's name.
‘I don't think David would want to come,’ she murmured truthfully.
‘Oh, never mind what that young man says. Would you like to come?'
‘I … I suppose so.'
Amanda screwed her nose up, and looked rather cynical. ‘I must say your enthusiasm is overwhelming,’ she remarked dryly.
Susan giggled. ‘I'm sorry, Amanda. Of course, I'd like to come, but you know what David is.'
‘I know,’ said Amanda. ‘Why don't you give him a ring? I expect he'll be working as usual today, won't he? Tell him Dom is coming. I guarantee he won't refuse.'
‘Perhaps you're right,’ agreed Susan, sighing. ‘All right.