“It must have been something we forgot,” he said. “We’ll find
it.
“I did something I know. But it’s gone now.
“That’s good.”
“It wasn’t anyone else’s fault whatever it was.”
“Don’t talk about faults.”
“I know what it was now,” she smiled. “But I wasn’t unfaithful. Really David. How could I be? I couldn’t be. You know that. How could you say I was? Why did you say it?”
“You weren’t”
“Of course I wasn’t. I wish you hadn’t said it though.”
“I didn’t say it, Devil.”
“Somebody did. But I wasn’t. I just did what I said I’d do. Where’s Marita?”
“She’s in her room I think.”
“I’m glad I’m all right again. Once you took it back I was all right. I wish it was you had done it so I could take it back about you. We’re us again aren’t we? I didn’t kill it.”
She smiled again. “That’s good. I’ll go and get her. Do you mind? She was worried about me. Before you came back.”
“She was?”
“I talked a lot,” Catherine said. “I always talk too much. She’s awfully nice, David, if you knew her. She was very good to me.”
“The hell with her.”
“No. You took all that back. Remember? I don’t want to have all that again. Do you? It’s too confusing. Truly.”
“All right bring her. She’ll be glad to see you’re feeling good again.”
“I know she will and you must make her feel good too.”
“Sure. Does she feel badly?”
“Only when I did. When I knew I was unfaithful. I never was before you know. You go and bring her, David. Then she won’t feel bad. No don’t bother, I’ll go.”
Catherine went out the door and David watched her go. Her movements were less mechanical and her voice was better. When she came back she was smiling and her voice was almost natural.
“She’s coming in just a minute,” she said. “She’s lovely, David. I’m so glad you brought her.”
The girl came in and David said, “We were waiting for you.” She looked at him and looked away. Then she looked back at him and held herself very straight and said, “I’m sorry to be late.”
“You look very handsome,” David said and it was quite true but she had the saddest eyes he had ever seen.
“Make her a drink please, David. I had two,” Catherine said to the girl.
“I’m glad you feel better,” the girl said.
“David made me feel good again,” Catherine said. “I told him all about everything and how lovely it was and he understands perfectly. He really approves.
The girl looked at David and he saw the way her teeth bit her upper lip and what she said to him with her eyes. “It was dull in town. I missed the swimming,” he said.
“You don’t know what you missed,” Catherine said. “You missed everything. It was what I wanted to do all my life and now I’ve done it and I loved it.”
The girl was looking down at her glass.
“The most wonderful thing is that I feel so grown up now. But it’s exhausting. Of course it’s what I wanted and now I’ve done it and I know I’m just an apprentice but I won’t always be.”
“Apprentice allowance claimed,” David said and took a chance then and said very cheerfully, “Don’t you ever talk on any other subjects? Perversion’s dull and old fashioned. I didn’t know people like us even kept up on it.
“I suppose it’s only really interesting the first time one does it,” Catherine said.
“And then only to the person who does it and a bloody bore to everyone else,” David said. “Do you agree, Heiress?”
“Do you call her Heiress?” Catherine asked. “That’s a nice funny name.”
“I can’t very well call her Ma’am or Highness,” David said. “Do you agree, Heiress? About perversion?”
“I always thought it was overrated and silly,” she said. “It’s only something girls do because they have nothing better.”
“But one’s first time at anything is interesting,” Catherine said.
“Yes,” David said. “But would you want to always talk about your first ride at Steeplechase Park or how you, yourself, person ally soloed alone all by yourself in a plane absolutely away from the earth and up in the sky?”