The Last Resort by Alison Lurie

Author:Alison Lurie
Language: eng
Format: mobi
ISBN: 9781453271230
Publisher: Open Road
Published: 2012-10-12T23:31:00+00:00

10

LATER THAT DAY, AS the sun grew even warmer, Jenny lay on the chaise longue beside the pool, protected by wire netting from the bugs that, since Mosquito Control, no longer existed. This afternoon the place looked neglected: Jacko was at work on other people’s gardens and hadn’t had time to sweep up the tropical debris that had fallen during the week of rain.

Jenny was tired of the pool and of the house that went with it. What she really wanted was to see Lee Weiss, even though she’d seen her on Friday and would see her again tomorrow. But she felt something almost like terror at the possibility that if she walked into Artemis Lodge unexpectedly Lee would look not only surprised, but a little bored.

Instead, she had thought, why shouldn’t she go to the beach with Wilkie? After all, he was her husband, and couples who were married usually went to the beach together. She’d approached him to propose it as he descended from the study at the usual time.

“I thought I might come swimming with you,” she’d said, touching his arm, smiling nervously.

Wilkie stopped cold. He stared strangely, fiercely at his wife, as if he were about to strike her. Then he said in the tight, controlled voice of a professor pointing out some obvious flaw in a student’s argument, “But you’re not ready.”

“I’ll get my suit on now; it won’t take a minute,” she’d promised.

“Sorry,” her husband muttered. “I can’t wait. Maybe another time.” Then he pushed past her, across the sitting room, and out the door.

Jenny, stunned and faint, stood by the stairs, holding on to the ugly chrome banister so she wouldn’t fall. Wilkie had been abrupt with her often lately—but never so harsh, so rude. Maybe he doesn’t love me anymore, she thought. Maybe he hasn’t loved me for a long time.

And maybe I don’t love him either, she thought suddenly. Because how could anyone love a person who was so cold and unkind?

As she lay in the warm, dappled shade, a shudder went through her. Because if Wilkie didn’t love her, and she didn’t love him, everything was changed and wrong.

Perhaps he hadn’t meant it the way it sounded, she told herself. Perhaps she was just touchy because she was physically frustrated. After all, it had been nearly two weeks since Wilkie had wanted to make love, and even longer before that.

Jenny wasn’t used to being troubled by desire: for most of their marriage, Wilkie had always been the more passionate one, the one whose need was greater and more frequent. Then, about fifteen years ago, his demands had begun to slow down gradually, until at last they were perfectly matched at once a week. Those had been wonderful years, years of harmony during which Jenny never had the unkind thought (not that she’d ever expressed it, of course) Oh no, please, darling, not so soon.

But then, last autumn—It was because Wilkie was getting older, he claimed. One sad wet night he had mumbled those words, asking Jenny if she minded waiting a few days more.

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