``Did you know,'' she said with a slightly puzzled smile, ``that there's something wrong with me?''
Her directness caught Arthur unprepared.
``Well,'' he said, ``I'd heard some vague sort of ...''
``I wonder how much you do know about me,'' she said. ``If you heard it from where I think you heard then that's not it. Russell just sort of makes stuff up, because he can't deal with what it really is.''
A pang of worry went through Arthur.
``Then what is it?'' he said. ``Can you tell me?''
``Don't worry,'' she said, ``it's nothing bad at all. Just unusual. Very very unusual.''
She touched his hand, and then leant forward and kissed him briefly.
``I shall be very interested to know,'' she said, ``if you manage to work out what it is this evening.''
