“She’s gone away.
“She was handsome,” David said.
“Yes. We had a very big fight and she went away.
“She was a bitch,” Catherine said. “But then I think almost everyone is a bitch.”
“Usually they are,” the girl said. “I always hope not but they are.
“I know plenty of women who aren’t bitches,” David said.
“Yes. You would,” the girl said.
“Was Nina happy?” Catherine asked.
“I hope she will be happy,” the girl said. “Happiness in intelligent people is the rarest thing I know.”
“You haven’t had such a long time to find out about it.
“If you make mistakes you find out faster,” the girl said.
‘You’ve been happy all morning,” Catherine said. “We had a wonderful time.”
“You don’t need to tell me,” the girl said. “And I’m happier now than I can remember ever.”
Later, over salad David asked the girl, “Are you staying far from here along the coast?”
“I don’t think I’m staying.”
“Really? That’s too bad,” he said and felt the tension come to the table and draw taut as a hawser. He looked from the girl with her eyelashes down so they touched her cheeks to Catherine and she looked at him very straight and said, “She was going back to Paris and I said why not stay here if Aurol has a room? Gome on up to lunch and see if David likes you and if you like the place. David do you like her?”
“It’s not a club,” David said. “It’s a hotel.” Catherine looked away and he moved fast to help her, going on as though it had not been stated. “We like you very much and I’m sure Aurol has room. He should be delighted to have someone else here.”
The girl sat at the table with her eyes down. “I think I’d better not.”
“Please stay a few days,” Catherine said. “David and I would both love to have you. I’ve no one here to keep me company while he works. We’d have good times the way we did this morning. Tell her David.”
The hell with her, David thought. Fuck her.
“Don’t be silly,” he said. “Call Monsieur Aurol please,” he told the boy who served. “We’ll find out about a room.
‘You won’t mind truly?” the girl asked.
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“We wouldn’t have asked you if we minded,” David said. “We like you and you’re very decorative.”
“I’ll be useful if I can,” the girl said. “I hope I’ll find out how to be.”
“Be happy the way you were when you came in,” David told her. “That’s useful.”
“I am now,” the girl said. “I wish I’d taken the martini now that I don’t have to drive.”
“You can have one tonight,” Catherine said.
“That will be lovely. Can we go and see the rooms now and get it over with?”
David had driven her down to retrieve the big old Isotta convertible and her bags from where the car had been parked in front of the cafe in Cannes.
On the way she said, “Your wife is wonderful and I’m in love with her.”
She was sitting beside him and David did not look to see if she blushed.
“I’m in love with her too,” he said.
“I’m in love with you also,” she said. “Is that all right?” He dropped his arm and closed his hand on her shoulder and she leaned close against him.
“We’ll have to see about that,” he said.
“I’m glad I’m smaller.”
“Smaller than who?”
“Catherine,” she said.
“That’s a hell of a thing to say,” he said.
“I mean I thought you might like someone of my size. Or do you only care for tall girls?”
“Catherine’s not a tall girl.”
“Of course not. I only meant that I was not as tall.”
“Yes and you’re very dark too.”
“Yes. We’ll look well together.”
“Who will?”
“Catherine and I and you and I.”
“We’ll have to.”
“What does that mean?”
“I mean we can’t escape looking well together can we, if we look well and we are together?”
‘We’re together now.
“No.” He was driving with only one hand on the wheel, leaning back and looking up the road ahead at the juncture with the N.7. She had put her hand on him. “We’re just riding in the same car,” he said.