Mary had been so solicitous of him in the few weeks since her temper tantrum that David had indulged her as well as himself in sharing a few complaints. But he didn’t want it to become a habit between them, when what he really needed to do was declare greater independence from that household.

‘Mary, I’ve decided to put in my own phone,’ he said as casually as he could.

‘Whatever for, Dad?’ she asked in surprise.

‘The girls are getting to that age ….’ David began.

‘I’ll speak to them,’ Mary said decisively.

‘No, no, I don’t want you to do that. They’re very good about getting off the line when I want to use it.’

‘And I couldn’t take messages for you. …’ Mary went on.

‘I’d rather you didn’t have to. Even when I’m home, you have to answer the phone and buzz me.’

‘Daddy, you’re so little nuisance now, I mostly don’t know you’re there.’

‘Good,’ David replied. ‘Oh, and by the way, I’ll be out Wednesday evenings, when you’re making your own plans.’

‘Have you joined something?’

‘No,’ David said. ‘I’ll be spending those evenings with my sister.’

‘Daddy,’ Mary said stiffly, ‘when I want to know anything more about your sister, I’ll ask.’

David looked sharply at his daughter and said, ‘Wherever did you get a line like that?’

‘Out of Châtelaine,’ Mary confessed, ‘in an article on how to control your temper better.’

‘I would say it’s not guaranteed to stop other people from losing theirs.’

‘It does sound ruder than I thought it would,’ Mary admitted.

‘I’m not going to talk with you about Diana for a while,’ David said gently. ‘But I may not be able to wait until you think you’re ready.’

‘I understand about the phone.’

‘Thank you,’ David said. ‘I’ll just go put in a call about that now.’

The number in the phone book was in large, dark type. When it was their business, the phone company knew their regular listings were as safe from old eyes as if they were in code. He ought to join the Grey Panthers or whatever the organization was here in Canada, probably less aggressively named.

But he was really feeling as ridiculously proud as he had earlier felt ridiculously humiliated because he was ordering his very own phone and because he had re-established a more normal equilibrium with his daughter—not large achievements some might think, but for David they were giant steps of liberation.

David’s first call, when the phone had been installed, was to Laura.

‘How did you manage it?’ Laura asked. ‘Mary hasn’t even mentioned it to me.’

‘I simply told her I was getting my own phone,’ David said. ‘Mary isn’t tyrannical. She’s simply candid. I’m learning to be a bit more candid myself.’

‘Did you get anything fancy?’ Laura asked.