Hannah maintained a face of stony disapproval until they were shown up to their suite. Then, when the porter had gone, she burst out laughing. ‘The poor man,’ she said. ‘Did you see his face? He couldn’t believe that the terrible Collis Edmonds was actually married.’

Collis took his pocket watch out of his vest and checked the time. ‘No,’ he said, trying to smile. ‘No, he couldn’t, could he?’

Hannah sat up. ‘You don’t seem very amused. Didn’t it amuse you?’

‘Sure it amused me.’

‘You’re not laughing.’

Collis shrugged. ‘I was thinking of Laurence Melford.’

She took off her bonnet and tossed it on to the bed. ‘Of course you were. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have been so frivolous.’

‘No, no. I like you when you’re frivolous. It lets me know when you’re happy. Before, you were always so serious. So worried.’ Collis came over and gave her an unconvincing kiss. He tried to smile, but he knew she wasn’t fooled. He hesitated for a moment, but then he opened his trunk and took a clean white shirt out of its tissue-paper wrapping.

‘You’re not going out right away?’ Hannah asked him.

‘I have to. I want to let Andy Hunt know that we’re here, and Dan McReady, and then I want to go down to Laurence Melford’s attorneys and fix up an appointment to meet him.’

‘Very well,’ said Hannah, as if disappointed that he was going out so soon, but trying to show that she didn’t care. ‘Then you won’t mind if I go down to Liebes and try on some new dresses?’

‘Of course not. And tonight we’ll go have dinner at the Poodle Dog. How would you like that?’

‘That would be nice,’ Hannah said, a little airily, and went towards the bathroom.

Collis caught her arm. She didn’t turn to face him, but stopped where she was, her head slightly lowered.

‘Everything’s all right, you know,’ said Collis. ‘It’s all completely taken care of.’

‘Yes,’ said Hannah.

‘I have the feeling you don’t trust me,’ Collis told her.

‘Why shouldn’t I?’

‘No reason. But when I said I had to go see Andy and Dan—’

Hannah turned her head and kissed him, slowly and lovingly, on the lips.

‘Whatever you think is best for the railroad, my darling, is best for us,’ she said.

‘I think you’re crazy,’ Andy Hunt said. ‘Overplaying your hand.’

‘I don’t think there’s any other way,’ Collis told him. ‘Not unless we pull out a gun on him, and say that’s the way it’s going to be, whether you like it or not.’

‘It’s sure tricky,’ put in Dan McReady.