“Don’t worry,” I said, after the silence had grown uncomfortable. “She told me you didn’t… show any preference. But I was just wondering, you know, if any of them had. Shown a preference for you, I mean.” Again he said nothing. “Which one?” I asked, trying to keep my voice casual, and not quite managing. “Or was there more than one?” No answer. I wished I could see his face, so I could try to guess what this silence meant. “Alice will tell me,” I said. “I’ll go ask her right now.” His arms tightened; I was unable to squirm even an inch away. “It’s late,” he said. His voice had a little edge to
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