Love Among the Ruins by Robert Clark

Author:Robert Clark
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Romance, Contemporary, FICTION
ISBN: 9780393083781
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
Published: 2011-06-13T21:13:44+00:00

3

IN THE MORNING, EDWARD AND VIRGINIA AGREED that Edward ought to go to work; that there was nothing he could usefully do at home (Virginia would go through Emily’s room; Edward was privately much relieved that he would not have to) and he could drop off the photograph at the police department and show O’Connor the postcard. Because they both thought of it, because he was kind and she was kind, he could even collect William’s picture on the way, and save his mother the trouble and perhaps the pain.

When Edward arrived, Jane was up and cheerful, after a fashion. In the afternoon, she, too, was going to go to work for a couple of hours, and this morning she was going to play all twelve sides of Tristan und Isolde, and she was going to clean the house. She was going to carry a great stack of magazines down to the boiler room and let the custodian have at them.

Jane invited Edward in and asked him if he’d like coffee. Edward said, “I’d better not. I just thought I might save you a trip downtown with Billy’s picture. For the lieutenant, or whatever he is.”

“Oh, that’s very . . . sweet of you. To think of that,” Jane said. “Just let me look. They did one last winter for school.” Jane began to rummage in a drawer in the hall, and then moved down the hall to the living room, calling after Edward to follow her. “I’m a little scatterbrained. Forgive me.”

“More than understandable under the circumstances,” Edward said, and looked around. He saw a little sofa, an impressionist print of some kind, and then he heard the music. “Oh, Wagner. Right?”

“Tristan.”

“I thought so. I spent time in Germany after the war. Not that they were putting on much music.”

“I suppose not,” Jane said. She thrust her hand into another drawer and pulled out a five-by-seven print. “Here we are.” She regarded the picture. “You know, he already doesn’t quite look like this. He’s already . . . older, more grown-up. Or more composed or something. But I guess it’ll do.” She handed the photograph to Edward.

He held it and looked down at it for a moment. “Ginny’s going to check through Emily’s room today. Rather daunting. With a teenager.”

“I suppose I should do the same. But I don’t know if I can bear it. Not the mess . . .” Jane had stopped, and Edward looked at her and saw that a tear was running down her cheek. He had to stop himself from reaching out his hand to wipe it away.

Instead, he spoke, very softly, and said, “You can wait. Until you’re ready. There’s no harm in it.”

“I suppose.”

“But it’s very hard, isn’t it? I suppose especially for you.”

“I don’t know. I suppose it is. But I thought I was doing better. Until just now.”

“You’ll do fine,” Edward said, and moved toward the door. “I ought to go.”

“Well,” Jane said, “I’m sorry I couldn’t get you anything. Some coffee.

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