Folly and Glory by Larry McMurtry

Author:Larry McMurtry
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Simon & Schuster

34

. . . Major Leon did not have the aspect of a joker.

MAJOR LEON LAUGHED genially when Jim politely inquired about his status—that is, whether he could expect to be arrested at some point down the trail. Jim thought it best to be clear on that point—he did not mean to be arrested.

“In Santa Fe you might have been an enemy, but here you are an ally, Señor Snow,” the Major told him. “We have a long way to go—we might need every fighter we can get—besides which it’s my duty to tell you that I’ve fallen in love with your wife.”

With that the Major smiled, made Jim a little half bow, and rode off.

Jim was so startled by the Major’s last remark that he would have been hard put to reply. Probably it was meant as a joke, just a rather flowery way of saying that the Major liked Tasmin a lot. And yet Major Leon did not have the aspect of a joker. He had looked, on the whole, rather melancholy when he mentioned to Jim that he was in love with his wife. Jim could not believe that such an absurd statement was to be taken literally, and yet the Major had sounded rather matter-of-fact about it.

With Petal, Monty, and Petey all competing for his attention, Jim had little opportunity to think much more about the Major’s startling declaration. It seemed that Major Leon was on good terms with the children too, even taking them one by one on short horseback rides. Petal particularly seemed to enjoy these rides, insisting that she could hold the reins herself and pushing the Major’s hands away when he briefly attempted a correction of some sort.

“Take your hands off! ” Petal insisted, and usually the Major complied.

It was late in the day before Jim finally had a chance to speak privately with Tasmin.

“That’s a funny kind of a major,” Jim remarked. “The first thing he said to me was that he was in love with you.”

Tasmin blushed a little, nervously. She made a little what-can-I-do gesture; she shrugged.

“It doesn’t surprise me that he told you,” she said, with a heavy sigh. “He’s incapable of concealing anything from anyone—it’s part of his problem.”

Jim still didn’t understand. “Does he just mean that he likes you a bunch?” he asked.

Tasmin chuckled. “No, he doesn’t mean that he likes me a bunch, as you put it,” she told him. “Geoff, after all, likes me a bunch.”

She sighed again. “It’s different with Major Leon,” she told him. “Major Leon is in love with me.”

For a moment Tasmin teared up, at the thought of the absurdity of the situation. Here she was in the middle of nowhere; her captor was in love with her; she had three bouncy children, and a husband who was honestly puzzled.

“I hope you’ll just excuse it,” she said to Jim. “Nothing improper has happened—nothing improper ever will. But the Major is in love with me and it’s best to just let it wear off.

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