p.29:
'I'll phone you as soon as I hear something, shall I?' [NP] 'Yes,
please.' She turned to go. She had taken only a couple of steps towards
the road when she stopped and turned back to me. 'David?' [NP] 'Yes?'
[NP] 'Thank you for all you're doing.'[NP] (* MY CONSCIENCE TWISTED
UNCOMFORTABLY.*) Audrey smiled and walked away. I went back to my
study and stared at the papers on my desk. (* Concentration demanded too
much effort.*) I had slept badly, (* WITH DREAMS THAT HOVERED NEAR THE
FRONTIER OF NIGHTMARE BUT DID NOT ACTUALLY CROSS IT.*) One of them had
been set in a version of Rosington, where Rosemary and I had lived
before we came to Roth - when my wife Janet was still alive. I had not
dreamed of Rosington for years. Vanessa had unsettled me, (* BREACHED
THE DEFENCES I HAD BUILT UP SO LABORIOUSLY. (AND I HAD BEEN ALL TOO
WILLING TO HAVE THEM BREACHED.) *)
p.30:
I returned to the accounts I had abandoned the previous evening. But I
had not got very far when there was another ring at the doorbell. I
swore under my breath as I went into the hall. I opened the door.
There was Vanessa herself. [NP] I stared at her, (* FIGHTING A RISING
TIDE OF DISBELIEF.*) She was wearing her dark suit and she had the
envelope containing Audrey's typescript clamped to her chest.
p.35:
There was a silence. Lord Peter rubbed his furry body against the glass
and I wanted to throw the ashtray at him. (* I FELT A RUSH OF ANGER
TOWARDS RONALD, JOINING THE OTHER EMOTIONS WHICH WERE SWIRLING ROUND THE
SITTING ROOM. IF I STAYED HERE, THEY WOULD SUCK ME DOWN.*) [NP] I
moved to the door. 'I'll make the coffee. I won't be a moment.'
p.35:
I went into the kitchen and opened the back door. While I was waiting
for the kettle to boil I stared at my shrunken garden. [NP] (* IT WAS
THEN THAT THE IDEA SLITHERED LIKE A SNAKE INTO MY MIND, SHOWING ITSELF
OPENLY FOR THE FIRST TIME:*) if anyone was going to marry Vanessa Forde,
why shouldn't it be me?