15Sally Foster and David Moray arrived at Merefields next day in time for lunch. They travelled down together, David having discovered more or less by accident that Sally was to be a fellow guest.
‘And why you didn’t tell me before, I can’t imagine.’
Sally smiled brightly.
‘We can’t all have a lot of imagination. I daresay you do very well without it.’
He frowned.
‘As if an artist could get on at all without imagination! I would have you know that I’ve as much as I want and a bit over!’
She laughed.
‘Isn’t that nice, darling! No, consider that retracted—it just slipped out. I’m not to call you darling and you don’t like it and it means nothing. And we’re back where we were before I said it.’ He went on frowning.
‘And still I don’t know why you didn’t tell me you were going to Meref
