29
That night as the men relaxed in the warmth radiating from their lounge room fireplace, Patrick said, ‘Well go on, what’s on your mind? You haven’t spoken for more than an hour. It’s not Pat, I hope.’
‘Nah, you know what you’re doing, Harry replied. ‘However, can I ask you a few personal questions?’
‘Of course, but I ask you to respect what I tell you and never repeat to anyone, anything that I say.’
‘Fair enough. So before we met did you ever marry?’
‘Twice, if you really must know. The first lasted only a few months. She wanted to live in Scotland; I didn’t. She wanted children; I didn’t. We parted amicably enough, but I never heard from her again, nor did I pursue her.’
‘And the second?’
‘Well, she was a beauty, educated and intelligent. That marriage lasted nearly six years.
