I haven’t said—”“No, darling. You haven’t said a thing,” Mrs. Morley assured her. “You’ve been a model of tactful reticence, and shifted off the subject of Frances every time I have come near it. Frances, too, hasn’t said a word. But her silences are much more informative. I might say she has been a model of tactful reticence. Between the two of you, I can’t help knowing that something is wrong. I wish you’d tell me what it is.”For several moments Leila was silent, marvelling really that Simon could ever have supposed that he could practise a well-meant, amateur deception on his very wide-awake mother. Then she said slowly, picking her words carefully:“You mustn’t think I’m unkind if I say that it’s—it’s a fairly simple case of jealousy, I’m afraid.”Mrs. Morley tapped her admirable front teeth with a thoughtful forefinger.“I don’t think you’re unkind at all. And the mention of jealousy leaves me completely unshocked and unsurprised. I know and love both my children very well,”
