His face is blank, and suddenly she feels very uneasy. His wide-eyed, silent stare makes her desperate to fill up the dead air with reassurances.
"Of course, I wouldn't expect you to contribute financially. You know I make enough for us to get on fine and, he wouldn't have to know that you..."
He's turned away from her now, deep into himself, his eyes skimming the carpet without really seeing. She feels a shiver run through her - it's like being in the room with a corpse. She leans gently into him, placing her hand on his leg. In an instant, his mask is back up and he's the same old Tony. Except that he recoils from her touch. Except that she knows that smile isn't real. She tries again, giving his thigh a little squeeze.
"Tony, say something."
"What do you want me to say, Carol?"
She ventures a conciliatory smile "Yes, obviously."
He nods his head up and down a few times, but it's clear that he's not agreeing to her proposal.
"Can I have some time to think?"
She tries to keep the hurt from straining her features, and she does a half-way decent job.
"Yeah, of course."
He rises and disappears into the kitchen, leaving her alone on the couch. She blinks, confused. She hadn't exactly expected him to throw his arms around her and cry tears of joy, but neither did she envision this chilly reception. After a few moments of uncomfortable silence she follows him into the kitchen. She finds him leaning against the sink, staring intently at the tiles. His head snaps around when she softly calls his name from the doorway.
"Tony...Did I say something wrong?"
He looks in her direction, without looking at her.
"I...I need some time to think."
"Ok. Um...shall I go?"
He sighs heavily and finally looks her directly in the eye. There is no mirth in his expression.
"Yeah, I think that's best. Good night, Carol."
She wants to traverse the small span of the kitchen floor and wrap her arms around him, but his demeanor advises against such actions.
"I'll talk to you later, then."
He nods. Utterly bewildered, she makes her way to the foyer. At the door she calls out goodnight, but he does not answer her. Back home at her own flat, a very confused Carol Jordan beds down for the night. Sleep eludes her.