But who is she with?’ said Mr Carteret.
‘A young man. She met him on the aeroplane,’ Mrs Carteret said.
‘Now go to sleep.’
Outside the bedroom window the moon was shining brightly.
‘Nobody told me there was a young man on the aeroplane’, said Mr
Carteret crossly.
‘You saw him,’ Mrs Carteret said. ‘He was there when you met her
at the airport.’
‘I don’t remember,’ said her husband.
‘Yes, you do. You noticed his hat. You said so. It was light
green…’
‘Oh dear!’ said Mr Carteret. ‘That man? But he’s too old for her. He
must be nearly forty.’
‘He’s twenty-eight, dear. Now go to sleep.’
‘I can’t sleep,’ said Mr Carteret. ‘Three o’clock in the morning and I
can’t get to sleep.’
‘Just lie still, dear, and you’ll soon fall asleep,’ said his wife.
It was a warm night in July. A gentle wind whispered in the trees
outside the bedroom window. It sounded like a car coming. Mr Carteret sat up and listened. But it was only the wind.
‘Where are you going now?’ said Mrs Carteret.
‘I’m going downstairs for a drink of water. I can’t sleep. I can never
sleep in moonlight – I don’t know why. And it’s very hot too.’
‘Put your slippers on,’ said Mrs Carteret sleepily.
He found his slippers and put them on. He went down to the kitchen
and turned on the tap. The water was warmish. He let the water
run until it was cool enough to drink. Then he opened the kitchen
door and went out into the garden. The moon shone on his roses.
Mr Carteret could see the shape and colour of every flower. There
they were: red and yellow and white, very soft and sweet-smelling.
Each flower was wet with dew. He stood on the short green grass
and looked up at the sky. The moon was very bright. It was like a
strong, white electric light shinning down on the garden.
The wind whispered again in the trees. Again Mr Carteret thought it
was a car coming. Suddenly he felt helpless and miserable.
‘Sue,’ he said aloud, ‘Sue . . . where are you? What are you doing?
Susie, Susie, you don’t usually stay out so late.’
Susie. He always called her Susie when he was specially pleased
with her. Usually he called her Sue. When he was cross with her,