30Mr Harrison ducked. The china lady in her applegreen gown and flowered petticoat smashed against the door which he had closed behind him and fell in splinters on the parquet floor. The head rolled under a small gold gimcrack chair. Ella Harrison stood against the mantelpiece, heavily flushed and breathing deep. Nobody spoke until Frank Abbott said, his voice very cool and detached.
‘Perhaps it would be better to defer the rest of this interview until Mrs Harrison is calmer.’
Jack Harrison spoke.
‘I think it would be better. If you want me, I shall be in the study.’ He turned and went out of the room.
Ella Harrison left the hearth and came forward.
‘And now we can get on with it!’ Her voice was loud and dominant.
She was furiously angry, but she had got past smashing china. There we
