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‘I had to speak out,’ George said. ‘Sorry. It was either that or punch him, and I’ve got sensitive hands.’
‘Oh, come on. You love all that mystery about him. Just like you love that pensive, far-off look he does sometimes, as if he’s brooding about important matters, or contemplating a tricky bowel movement.
This was classic Lockwood. Friendly, considerate, empathetic. My personal impulse would have been to slap the girl soundly round the face and boot her moaning backside out into the night. Which is why he’s the leader, and I’m not. Also why I have no female friends.
George here is good with a spade – aren’t you, George?’ ‘Well, I certainly get plenty of practice,’ George said.
Our ordinary responses in such circumstances would be to either (a) ignore it (Lockwood); (b) ask them politely to ring back (George); or (c) send them away with a shrill torrent of abuse (me: I get grumpy with lack of sleep).
‘George, that was a window! This is a door!’ ‘So what? They’re both rectangular apertures! I can be strangled too!’
‘That’s assuming his face wouldn’t have cracked the glass first,’ Kipps said.
Subtly, without drawing attention to ourselves, Lockwood and I moved so that George was between us. We protected him on either side.
‘Lucy, you look delightful,’ he said. ‘George, you’ll have to do. Oh, here’s something for you, Luce. Might go well with that excellent dress.’ He took my hand, and placed in it a necklace of pretty silver links, with a small diamond suspended as a pendant. It was really very beautiful.
I couldn’t part with the little necklace Lockwood had given me, though; I kept it on, under my T-shirt
They were hot, itchy, and hard to see out of, plus the wool covered our mouths and made it difficult to speak. Aside from that, it was a joy to wear them.
‘Well,’ Lockwood said, ‘if you judge success by the number of enemies you make, that was a highly successful evening.’
I’ll make you rich. I’ll make you famous.’ ‘Stuff that. Our friend is more important.
‘It was pathetic. The worst fight ever. They knocked each other’s glasses off, and spent half the time crawling around trying to find them. I’m surprised they didn’t pull each other’s hair.’
