The Carousel by Belva Plain

Author:Belva Plain [Plain, Belva]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: cookie429, Kat, Extratorrents
ISBN: 9780307789457
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
Published: 2011-04-05T14:00:00+00:00

When he woke up, it was almost midnight by his wristwatch. Roxanne had been watching him sleep. He rose on his elbow and frowned.

“Don’t you know people don’t like being stared at while they’re asleep?”

“How can you not like it when you’re asleep and don’t know they’re doing it?”

“Ah, don’t be stupid.”

“Men always like to think women are stupid.”

He had to smile. Be darned if she didn’t sound like Amanda Grey.

“You’re so sweet when you smile, Ian.”

At once his smile receded. What had he done? What a dirty business this was! He had felt enough guilt these past years on account of Happy, but now he had committed a double offense. My God, if this business tonight had given Roxanne any ideas, he would have wrecked poor Clive’s life. And in what might turn out to be his last few years, too.

“Don’t look so miserable, Ian,” she said, reading his mind. “We’re not taking anything away from anybody.”

He got up hurriedly to put on his clothes. He was terribly anxious.

“You said, that day I came here, that you intended to keep faith with Clive and the bargain you made with yourself. If you don’t, if you dare—”

“I intend to keep it, Ian. I’ve grown fond of Clive. But this has nothing to do with him. He’ll never, never know,” she said calmly, putting the green dress back on.

How queer it all was! A few hours ago she had driven him to her will, making her will his own, while now he was only tired, fearful, and in a rush to get away from her. And foolishly he stammered, seeking words.

“You—you actress!”

“I wasn’t an actress just now,” she said. “That was the real thing.” She looked into his eyes. “And you know it.”

He almost ran down the stairs. At the bottom she caught up with him.

“You know you’ll want to do this again. We owe it to ourselves, Ian. When can we?”

“When your husband’s in the hospital.”

“He’s coming out soon, so what then?”

“You’ve got your answer.”

“But we owe it to ourselves. It’s not hurting anybody,” she pleaded.

“You forgot to make the potato soup,” he called back when he was halfway out the door.

“Oh my God!”

From the driveway as he got into his car, he saw through the lighted kitchen window that she had put a little heap of potatoes on the table and was peeling them. She was crying.

Well, it was a mess, that’s all.

When he let himself into his empty house, the silence roared up at him. Even the dog was gone, for Happy had taken it along so it would not be home alone all day.

When he saw the blinking light on the answering machine, he knew that the voice would be Happy’s. “It’s eleven o’clock and I still haven’t heard from you, so I think that must mean it hasn’t gone well for Clive. I know you won’t wake this household after midnight, but please call me first thing in the morning, as early as six. I love you.

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