The Penultimate Chance Saloon by Simon Brett

Author:Simon Brett
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
ISBN: 9789085241522
Publisher: For the Benefit of Mr. Kite
Published: 2005-12-31T16:00:00+00:00

Thirteen

…and, by way of contrast, a Bengali woman accused of marketing a fraudulent love potion was acquitted by a judge, who subsequently married her.

Bill Stratton could not deny that he was shaken by what Ginnie Fairbrother had said. Her perspective on his recent life did make it appear slightly shabby. That, coupled with Sal’s words about people ‘sniggering’, diminished his self-image as a magnificent love-god. He was just another more-than-middle-aged man, trying to cram in as much action as possible before the final shutter fell.

He was also intrigued as to why Ginnie had taken him to task with such vigour. Fair enough that she should disapprove of his late- flowering promiscuity, but she seemed to be taking it personally, as if it was her he’d let down, rather than her entire gender. Bill didn’t allow himself to think why she should have behaved like that. He just wanted to see her again as soon as possible, and find a way to reinstate himself in her good books. But that was not going to be easily achieved. The morning after their dinner she had flown back to Croatia, where she was scheduled for many more months of convent capers. Bill’s bridge-building with Ginnie would have to wait. But he did think a lot about what she said. Particularly about the lack of love in his life. While he had been with Andrea – even though she subsequently denied its presence – he at least had had the illusion of love surrounding him. And it was true that love had not been a component in any of his sexual encounters since the divorce.

Men were, of course, proverbially bad at using the ‘L’ word. The commitment implied in it was so total. Telling a woman that you loved her was tantamount to signing a binding contract never to stop loving her, undertaking to protect and look after her for as long as you both shall live. Or at least that was the way Bill had always seen the situation. And he reckoned that was the reason why most men avoided all mention of love in their dealings with women. It was safer that way. But what Ginnie had said made him wonder whether his definition of love was perhaps too narrow. Ideal married love to one person was a nice idea, but how many people achieve that? Bill Stratton thought he had, but he’d been wrong.

Ginnie had hurt him when she said there was no love in his life. Maybe there wasn’t that one exclusive love, but perhaps by a more relaxed definition…? Well, he certainly felt something for Ginnie. That was a kind of love – he’d told her so. Perhaps he felt something similar for Sal, come to that. Even Carolyn.

Maybe he should tell them that he loved them? Mind you, he wasn’t quite sure what response he would get. Baffled incomprehension, most likely.

Interesting idea, though. It might, he thought, be quite easy to say ‘I love you’, once he got used to the idea.

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