Part 32 (1/2)
”It's a good thing I am the only witness,” she laughed. ”The poorness of your jokes alone would have horrified your colleagues, but to see you eating such a tea must have meant a request for your resignation - it is so incompatible with the dignity of a Cabinet Minister.”
”I had almost forgotten I was a Cabinet Minister. Gad! but it's nice to get right away from the cares of office occasionally like this.
When will you come again?”
”Oh, I don't think I must come any more,” roguishly. ”I'm sure Brother Dudley will not consent.”
”What has Brother Dudley go to do with it?... Did he consent this time?”
”Not exactly. I antic.i.p.ated his willingness.”
”You little fibber. You mean you antic.i.p.ated his firm refusal, and took French leave, so that you need not disobey him.”
”It is true that Dudley and I differ occasionally, but I do not disobey him... if I can help it.”
”Well, if you took French leave this time, you can easily do it again.”
”But this time it was a novelty. I was curious to find out how I should enjoy an afternoon with you?”
”Rubbish. You knew perfectly well you would enjoy it immensely. So did I. Two people who like each other always know those kind of things at once.”
Hal leaned back in her chair, and her expressive mouth twitched in a way that made him long to kiss it hard.
”There are occasions when I don't like you at all,” she said.
”Fibber again. When don't you like me?”
”Chiefly when you are quite positive certain sure that I do.”
”Well, that is never; so you are a fibber.”
”I thought you seemed particularly confident nine seconds ago.”
”I was only teasing you. I could hardly have been serious after you have called me a worm, and an old man. So now - when will you come again?”
”In about a month. Let's go out as Guys on the fifth of November.”
”A month be blowed! I want to know which day next week?”
”I am full up next week.”
”Full up of what?”
”Lorraine Vivian, d.i.c.k Bruce, Quin, the Beloved Chief, and the Baby.”
”What a list! Is Lorraine Vivian the actress? Who are Quin and the Baby?”
”She is... and they are!...”
”Who does the Baby belong to?”
”It would be difficult to say. About a dozen probably claim him.”