The next few days passed quickly and uneventfully. Absorbed in getting her new secretary oriented and catching up on back phone calls, Carla had little time to devote to long-standing doubts and conflicts. They had only been put aside temporarily, however—not silenced. Disappointingly, Ken had been of little help lately in sorting them out. He seemed, in fact, to be avoiding her. On the few occasions their schedules had brought them into contact over breakfast or a late- night cup of tea, he had been uncharacteristically reluctant to carry on their discussions of the past. She couldn’t understand that. Did it mean that he’d given up on her? A few days ago that would have pleased her, but now it bothered her greatly. She felt neglected.