She came over and kissed me. “So you’ve come to your senses,” she said.

“You can put it that way if you like,” I said.

“And this silly business with Norah Hauxley – you’ve come to your senses about that?” She laughed. “Oh Joe, I don’t really blame you, I know how you still must feel about Mark – but she wouldn’t be suitable for you, honestly she wouldn’t. You wanted to get your own back – you’ve done it now.” She sat on my lap. “Admit it, Joe, she terrifies you really. She’s so bossy, she’d manage you all the time. There’s too much of her, she’s so damned over­powering. You’ll be far better off with your silly little wife.” She took my hand and put it on her knee. “Joe, I want—”

I jerked my hand away. “Get up,” I said. “I’m leaving the Council because I’m leaving Warley. And you. I’ve had my belly­ful, I can’t stand it one moment longer. Just for once I’m going to do what I want to do. I’m going to marry Norah. I’m going to give her children. I’m going to forget that I ever was married to you or that I ever worked for your father. You said I hadn’t the guts. You thought you had me just where you wanted me. Under your thumb. Didn’t you? Didn’t you?”

She sat down heavily.

“Is that all?” she said.

Her face was scraped dry of colour.

“I’ll sleep in Harry’s room tonight,” I said. “Then I’ll find some­where to stay until I go to London. I don’t want to stay in this house any longer than I can help.” I would have added some­thing about my resentment about it not being my house; but now that my moment of triumph had come I had no enemy: she looked too small, too sick, too hurt.

“What about the children?” she asked.

“I can’t do any more for the children. I can’t keep up a front for their sake. Not any more. They’d suffer in the end. You wouldn’t be able to hide what you really felt either.”

“I have done so far.”

“When Barbara grows older, will you be able to? Will I? No. Let’s stop deceiving ourselves. It’s better to have a clean break.”

“I wouldn’t have called it clean,” she said. “How many lies am I going to have to tell Barbara? And Harry?”

“Harry won’t be bothered very much,” I said. “How much does he see of me anyway?”

There were two ugly patches of colour in her cheeks now. She drew in her breath sharply. “Ah. That’s written off Harry, has it? What about your favourite? What about the one you love the best? What about Barbara?”