SILK WICKEDNESS 25

‘Sort of. I’m not sure.’

‘What’s she saying?’ Paul said. ‘Tell Uncle Paul all about it, Claudia. Is he a cad and a dashed bounder who’s only after one thing, as your old Granny used to say?’ He launched into his Moany Old Bag voice that never failed to have them in fits. ‘That’s all they ever think about these days. I blame the television.’

‘Will you stop it?’ Kate giggled. ‘This is seriousV

‘Yes, dear. Sorry, dear. Tell me all about it.’

‘She thinks maybe he didn’t really fancy her before,’ Kate explained, ‘but once he realized she fancied him like mad, it sort of got him going.’

‘Well, it would/ Paul said.

‘And she thinks maybe he thought he was in with a chance, and that’s why he tried it on.’

‘He’d hardly try it on if he thought he wasn’t in with a chance.’

‘Paul, you’re not helping!’

‘OK. Let me speak to her.*

There was a scuffle as the phone changed hands. ‘Sounds as if you’ve got yourself in a bit of a tizwoz, me dear,* he said. ‘Want some advice from the enemy camp?’

‘Yes, ple