She had expected this response, she told herself as she paused her fiddling. Resistance was natural and besides, she was French. Refusals were always part of the bargaining process. She just had to persist. The question was how much? “Yes.” Placing down her fork she lifted her wine glass to her lips before setting it down and looking to her husband. “I know.” She couldn’t forget any bit of their conversation when they were first getting to know each other:

We shall just have to be honest with each other.


She had not been honest with him then. Only looking back now did she see the intricate dance their conversation had carved out for their futures. “I know…” She took another bite, looking down at her plate. “But we said we would be honest with each other. I…I thought now that we knew each other better, perhaps…”

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