Summary

Chapter 8

After their visit in Rome, Edith and Charles land on the island of Mallorca and are driven for two hours across the scrubby center of the island to the resort area where Eric and Caroline have rented a villa for the summer. Charles is dismayed to find that there are several other people staying at the villa, including Jane and Henry Cumnor and some business friends of Eric, Bob and Annette Watson. Edith tries to cheer Charles up about the crowd but is secretly glad there will be others there as she is intimidated by Caroline, does not like Eric, and has run out of things to talk to Charles about.

Edith notices that her relationship with Jane Cumnor has changed slightly since their first meeting. Jane is now more deferential to her. Bob and Annette Watson are outsiders. When they are not...