Page 65 of A Good Heart is Hard to Find
‘I think it’s probably nature’s way of announcing their proclivities, like baboons’ bums.’
‘You have such a romantic way of putting things.’
‘If you’re looking for romance, I doubt if you will find it through that sort of advertanyway.’
‘And if you’re looking for romance, why won’t you go and haunt Kedge Hall? I can’t see why not – I bet he would pay double the Crypt-ogram fee, and it would be quite easy, wouldn’t it? And who knows where it might lead?’
‘I’m not looking for romance, and, anyway, I don’t want to spend any time near Dante Chase.’
‘You don’t trust him?’
‘No, I’m not sure I trustme, especially if myhormones kick in again. And despite that book you gave me putting me off pregnancy a bit, at least part of me still wants to try for a baby. I might be tempted to ply him with brandy and jump on him again.’
‘What about Jason?’
‘Usual objections.’
‘Mmm. Remember the night Tanya vanished, when he came to the pub alone after they’d argued, although he wouldn’t tell us what about?’
‘Probably JackCraig, since they’d had a fairly blatant “me Mellors, you Lady Chatterley” thing going on for ages.’
‘Very likely. But do you also remember that Mike was away that night?’
I looked at her. ‘Yes: you said Jason walked you home and stayed for a cup of coffee, and when he got back home Tanya’d gone.’
‘Yes,’ she said pensively. ‘But actually he stayed for something a bit hotter than coffee!’
‘Iknewthere was something! Who’s the dark horse now?’ I exclaimed.
‘I couldn’t really say anything: Jason felt guilty when he went home next morning early and Tanya’d gone, and he felt guilty about Mike, too, because they were friends, and I felt guilty – so, you see?’
‘You’ve both been pretending it never happened ever since? You’re a fine one to talk about me!’
‘Yes, but actually I still fancyJason, only I was just a lapse on his part due to the temper he was in and he regrets it, so I know we will only ever be friends now. And he’s got the hots for you these days anyway.’
I stared at her. ‘And you keep trying to push him off on to me?’
‘Only as a potential baby generator. I know you don’t really fancy him otherwise, but I’m sure he wouldn’t mind.’
‘Probably not!’
‘And I wouldn’tmind even if Jason and I were together. But we’re not, and never likely to be.’
I really couldn’t see why not, if he could be cured of his crush on me, because it was always Orla he used to flirt with. Another thought struck me: ‘Orla, if Tanya’s car was still there when Jason walked you home, and he stayed with you, doesn’t that mean he couldn’t have done anything to her?’
‘Not entirely, becausehe left while it was still dark. But he did tell the police where he’d been when he reported her missing, so they must have been satisfied, especially after that sighting of her car. When Jason saw she’d gone he went up to Kedge Hall to see if she was there, but there was no sign of her, so he assumed she’d gone right away.’
‘That’s what he says anyway, Orla, though it does look even more likelynow that she just left on her own, doesn’t it? If they’d had another row when he got back from your house and he’d done something regrettable in a rage, I don’t think he’d have had time to dispose of her and her car and get back before it was light enough for people to see him, do you?’
‘No, you’re right! So apart from Tom being so awful, there’s really no reason why you shouldn’t try for a babywith him!’
‘Yes, but Tomisawful, so I couldn’t possibly. And that book said all the risks seem to rise horrifically at my age, even if you achieve pregnancy – which I’m not likely to do without a lover, am I? Or even possibly with a lover.’
‘But Max actually offered?’
‘He just wanted to get his leg over,’ I said crudely. ‘I’m not going to get pregnant that easily at my age, am I? And promisingto discuss it when he finally gets back from America – that’s months away. No, he doesn’t want a baby and he doesn’t want to marry me when he thinks he can have his cake and eat it as it is.’
‘Well, if you’redeterminedon trying, there are private AI clinics?’
