Taken aback, Martin insists it is possible to love more than one person, then flees. Later, at their invitation, Martin visits Palmer and Antonia at their health club where they reveal they have discovered his clandestine affair with Georgie. Although initially angered to see her, Martin abruptly observes that Honor would never behave in a cowardly manner. Instead of Antonia, however, Martin is surprised to see Honor, who has come to search for an object she loaned to Antonia.

On impulse, Martin takes Georgie to his home for the first time, but when he hears a noise he thinks that Antonia has returned, and desperate to keep his relationship with Georgie a secret, he panics and forcibly throws Georgie out. Later, Martin visits Georgie, but although she declares her love for him, he remains distracted. Later at Palmer's house, after Martin realizes Palmer has manipulated him to be alone with Antonia, Honor berates him for his civil attitude, insisting that it is unseemly for Martin to remain on good terms with his wife's seducer. Martin meets Honor but is taken aback by her daunting, no-nonsense nature. Feigning bronchitis, Palmer asks Martin to pick up his sister, Oxford professor Dr. While Palmer helps Antonia select a new flat for Martin, Georgie telephones to reassure Martin of her affection, but he remains vexed. Distressed, Martin goes to the country to visit his brother Alexander, an artist, but is disturbed by a bust that Alexander has made that is the very likeness of Antonia. Palmer cheerfully welcomes Martin and assures him that he and Antonia want to remain honest and include Martin in everything. When Antonia admits that she and Palmer have slept together, Martin is outraged and goes to Palmer's house.

Martin assures her this kind of attachment is common between patient and analyst and suggests that she would get over her misplaced feelings if she and Palmer slept together. Martin's complacency is shattered when one evening Antonia confesses that she and her analyst, Martin's best friend, Palmer Anderson, are in love and she wishes a divorce. British wine merchant Martin Lynch-Gibbon considers himself extraordinarily lucky to have an attractive, lively wife, Antonia, as well as a young, devoted mistress, textile designer Georgie Hands.

A Severed Head by Iris Murdoch