Dangerous Illusions by Gabriele Joseph J

Author:Gabriele, Joseph J. [Gabriele, Joseph J.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Atreus Books
Published: 2013-11-26T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER XXIV

BY THE TIME I got back to the apartment, it was close to three o’clock. I found a large bundle of mail waiting for me in front of my apartment door, picked up the letters and parcels from the doormat, and added them to the newspapers, magazines, and correspondence that were beginning to accumulate on top of the small bookcase in the foyer. I knew I should check my messages and open the mail, but I couldn’t bring myself to do so. Instead, I tried to reach Nora Townsend, but she wasn’t in her office.

It was still, however, a good day to work. I picked up the page proofs, left the apartment, and returned to the bright autumn light. I walked west on Thirty-ninth, crossed Fifth Avenue, and headed north toward the New York Public Library where I often liked to work. The afternoon was so extraordinarily beautiful that by the time I reached Fortieth Street, I thought I’d work outside at Bryant Park and passed along the south side of the library to the park’s southeast entrance.

The grass seemed more Kentucky blue than rye or fescue green and felt plush under my feet as I crossed the lawn to the north side where the afternoon light was the strongest. The rows of mature London plane trees were bathed in the afternoon light, as were the circular boxwoods and upright yews in the northern perimeter beds. The clusters of profuse rose blossoms rising above the bright blues, cool whites, and deep carmine pinks of the various annuals and perennials stood out against the deep green foliage. The leaves of the plane trees glowed so brightly in the sunlight that they seemed to be a source of illumination themselves.

I turned one of the Parisian park chairs into the sun and sat down, soothed by the fleeting expressions of countless faces and the murmuring tones of many voices. I sat and read, immersed in the facts of the book, until I found myself in the shade as the last of the sun turned toward the upper terrace and the great arched windows of the Main Reading Room in the library’s west façade.

As the sun began to set, I wasn’t quite ready to return home and decided to have a bite to eat at Bryant Park. I took a table outside on the terrace overlooking the long lanes of finely pruned shrubs, the towering London plane trees, and the ivy-covered beds lining the southern perimeter of the park.

When a waiter approached, I ordered one of my favorite scotches and the late afternoon light passed into early evening as I sipped the drink. The glow of the park’s wrought-iron lanterns appeared with the twilight, along with thousands of lights pouring from the windows of the surrounding buildings. The air was warm and balmy and pleasant. Perhaps this would be the last warm evening I would be able to enjoy before the inevitable onset of another New York winter.

When the waiter returned, I ordered the venison and a green salad.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.