Ann fixed his drink and made another for herself and said, ‘Steak. That OK?’ At least they were able to eat well, with access to the embassy concessions.

‘Wait until I can teach you how to cook them outside.’ Eddie Blair was a tall, heavy man of casual, almost slow, movements. He spoke slowly, too, the Texas accent pronounced. The slowness and the frequent references to cook-outs and range riding and the tendency to dress in jeans and sports shirts for the more casual parties conveyed to some the impression of country-boy stolidness, which was intentionally misleading. Blair was one of the most highly regarded foreign service officers within the Central Intelligence Agency, already at supervisor rank.

‘I’m looking forward to it,’ said Ann, honestly. ‘How was your day?’

He grimaced. ‘Average. Yours?’

‘Average,’ she said. Liar, she thought. She said, ‘Betty Harrison called, suggesting lunch. But I said no.’

‘Why not?’ said Blair.

Because I lunched with her yesterday and two days before that and I’m lunching with her tomorrow, thought Ann. She said, ‘I was busy, here in the apartment.’

‘Nothing for you in the bag,’ he said. All their overseas correspondence arrived in the diplomatic pouch.

‘I wasn’t expecting anything,’ she said. Father sends his regards, she thought. ‘You?’ she said.

Blair reached into his briefcase and took out the letter, still sealed. ‘From Ruth,’ he said, unnecessarily.

‘Let’s open it,’ said Ann. They’d made each other several promises, when they married. One, practically a cliche, was no secrets and that extended to the letters between him and Ruth. Blair interpreted it by never opening his first wife’s letters at the embassy when they arrived, but always waiting until he got home.

She refilled his glass and decided, after a moment’s hesitation, against having a third herself while he opened the letter and read it. ‘She’s taking the kids to her folks’ place in Maine, for Thanksgiving,’ he reported. There was a few seconds’ silence and then he said, ‘Paul’s grades aren’t good; teacher’s apparently disappointed. John’s either.’