Embassy Wife by Katie Crouch

Author:Katie Crouch
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux

* * *

Back in Windhoek a lifetime later, it was now time to leave the plant nursery and go home for a family day in an estate more luxurious than that former version of herself would have dared to imagine. Except she was going alone with her daughter, because her husband, it seemed, didn’t want her anymore.

“I should take a lover,” Mila said suddenly.

Josephat glanced around at the other tables nearby, making sure no one had heard her. “Mila, what has gotten into you?”

Patrons were gathering their bags and blankets and drifting toward their trucks. It was Saturday, nearing one o’clock, signaling the deadest stretch of the afternoon. Already the café staff was shutting down the slushy machine and hovering near the front door with a bouquet of keys; Mila could almost hear the simultaneous crash of the iron gates slamming across the entrances to the shops throughout the city.

“Mila,” Josephat said now, bringing her attention back. “Don’t think I don’t understand how you’re feeling, my dear.”

“Oh?” she said, foolishly hopeful at his kind tone.

“Yes,” he said soothingly. “You’re over forty. Soon men will not want you at all. I can see why that would make you angry.”

Mila was so surprised it took her a moment to speak. “You think this is about my age?”

“Of course. But, Mila, you must get yourself together. This close friendship with an American woman? The oryx prank? The fits? I have to think you are going through your change. You’re not thinking correctly.” He draped his arm around her, patting her shoulder. “Go on a trip, why don’t you? Take Anna to Paris.”

I should fling his arm away, she thought. But it feels so very nice there, him touching me.

Oh, it was maddening. When had she become so pathetic?

“That would be the very worst thing for Anna,” she finally managed. “Reward her for being spoiled?”

“Then take Taimi. Or better yet, go to the north. Visit your village and see how far you’ve come. And watch yourself. Just remember what happened to…” He stopped himself, obviously thinking better of it.

She did pull away this time, so that she could face him. “To whom, Josephat? Saara?”

“Yes,” he said, finally. “You could have been Saara.”

She could kill him. She would kill him.

“Mother?” Taimi said. “Are you quite well? You’re shaking.”

“I’m fine,” she said, looking away from Josephat. “Mummy and Daddy are just having a disagreement. But it’s over now, girls. Let’s go.” She let Josephat walk ahead with the girls. Dropping behind to take her phone out of her purse, she sent off a quick text to Adam Wilder, inviting him to see Osha.

God help her. She would show these men something about control.

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