“Well you've said it often enough.”
“I'm going to make you understand,” said Brenda. “You clod.”
On Monday morning Tony found this letter on his breakfast tray.
Darling Tony, I am not coming back to Hetton.
Grimshawe can pack everything and bring it to the flat.
Then I shan't want her any more.
You must have realized for some time that things were going wrong.
I am in love with John Beaver and I want to have a divorce and marry him.
If John Andrew had not died things might not have happened like this.
I can't tell.
As it is, I simply can't begin over again.
Please do not mind too much.
I suppose we shan't be allowed to meet while the case is on but I hope afterwards we shall be great friends.
Anyway I shall always look on you as one whatever you think of me.
Best love from Brenda.
When Tony read this his first thought was that Brenda had lost her reason.
“She's only seen Beaver twice to my knowledge,” he said.
But later he showed the letter to Jock who said,
“I'm sorry it should have happened like this.”
“But it's not true, is it?”
“Yes, I'm afraid it is.
Everyone has known for some time.”
But it was several days before Tony fully realized what it meant.
He had got into a habit of loving and trusting Brenda.
CHAPTER FOUR
English Gothic — II
One
“How's the old boy taking it?”
“Not so well.
It makes me feel rather a beast,” said Brenda.
“I'm afraid he minds a lot.”
“Well you wouldn't like it if he didn't,” said Polly to console her.
“No, I suppose not.”
“I shall stick by you whatever happens,” said Jenny Abdul Akbar.
“Oh everything is going quite smoothly now,” said Brenda.
“There was a certain amount of gene with relatives.”
Tony had been living with Jock for the last three weeks.
Mrs. Rattery had gone to California and he was grateful for company.
They dined together most evenings.
They had given up going to Brat's; so had Beaver; they were afraid of meeting each other.
Instead they went to Brown's where Beaver was not a member.
Beaver was continually with Brenda nowadays, at one of half a dozen houses.
Mrs. Beaver did not like the turn things had taken; her workmen had been sent back from Hetton with their job unfinished.
In the first week Tony had had several distasteful interviews.
Allan had attempted to act as peacemaker.
“You just wait a few weeks,” he had said. “Brenda will come back.
She'll soon get sick of Beaver.”
“But I don't want her back.”
“I know just how you feel, but it doesn't do to be medieval about it.
If Brenda hadn't been upset at John's death this need never have come to a crisis.