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bathroom.’
    ‘No. I don’t want to go back in there.’
    ‘You’ll feel better in a minute.’ He put his arm around her again, and this time she didn’t pull away. He kissed her, while his hands explored her body.
    She felt weak and her head spun, and when she shut her eyes everything whirled round and round. She could feel Paul touching her, and his mouth on hers, but it all seemed like it was happening to someone else.
    Abruptly he let go of her and started the car. They seemed to be driving for ages, but really it was no time at all. Then he was helping her out of the car, and they were climbing a lot of stairs, and then they were in a room, and he was pushing her onto a bed.
    She didn’t struggle when he unzipped her dress and pulled it off, because, after all, this wasn’t really happening.
    He kissed her slowly. The bed was soft, and she felt very comfortable. His arms were strong and warm, and his hands created a fantastic excitement in her. He rolled her over on her stomach and she felt him undoing her bra.
    ‘I’m not here,’ she whispered. ‘I’m on another planet. I’m very drunk, you shouldn’t take disadvantage of me. I’m at an advantage…’ She started to giggle.
    He began to kiss her back, and then she was suddenly lost in a raging passion which seemed to go on forever and ever.
    ‘I love you,’ one of them said.
    ‘I love you,’ the other said.
    It was good to be wanted.
    * * *
    Linda awoke at five in the morning. She opened her eyes in disbelief, and was parched with an awful thirst. Her eyes felt heavy and her face like sandpaper. She looked around and discovered she was in a small untidy room. Paul was sprawled across the end of the bed asleep.
    She sat up slowly and looked for something to cover herself with. Her head felt it would split open if she moved too rapidly. She pulled a cover off the bed, and wrapping it round her, she got up.
    Paul didn’t stir. She groped her way to the door and found herself in a tiny hallway piled high with clutter. She made her way through to the bathroom, which was small, rusting, and old. She switched on the light. It was a naked bulb, and when she turned on the cold-water tap a large black spider ran disdainfully across the basin. She almost screamed.
    Quickly she drank four mugfuls of water. It tasted faintly of toothpaste but made her feel a little better in spite of that.
    She stared in the mirror above the basin. Her makeup was smeared and etched into deep lines about her face. Her hair was untidy and matted. I look like I belong here, she thought vaguely.
    She padded back into the bedroom and searched for her clothes. When she found them she dressed quickly. She looked at Paul. He slept deeply. She stared at him for a long time and then, finding her coat, she left.
    It was cold and silent in the street. Her car coughed and spluttered, and she thought that it would never start. At last it did, and she drove home through the deserted streets.
    She let herself quietly into the house and went straight to her bedroom. Everything looked clean and new. She took a hot bath and then collapsed into bed, where she lay and thought. She felt tremendously guilty, and angry at herself for having allowed it to happen. Yes, she had been drunk, but was that any real excuse? She had never imagined herself in the role of the unfaithful wife and it was not something she accepted easily.
    What would David say?
    Why was her first thought always of David?
    At last she fell asleep knowing that in the morning she would have to face him, and that wasn’t going to be easy.
    She tossed and turned. It was a long and restless sleep.

Chapter Five
    David left the Turkish baths at eight in the morning feeling refreshed and invigorated. He contemplated phoning Claudia but then decided to wait the day out and see if
she
called him .
    He parked his car, bought the morning papers, and then made his way along Park Lane to the Grosvenor House Hotel where he planned to breakfast