Lucy Crown by Irwin Shaw

Author:Irwin Shaw
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub, azw3, pdf
Tags: Psychological, Contemporary Fiction, Family Life, Literature & Fiction
ISBN: 9781480412415
Publisher: Open Road Media
Published: 2013-04-16T16:27:09.186000+00:00

14

WHEN JEFF WAS GONE, Oliver turned to Lucy. “Where’s Tony?” he asked.

“He’ll be back in a minute,” said Lucy.

“Oh.” Oliver looked at the row of bags on the porch. “Where are your things?” he asked. “Inside?”

“They’re not packed,” Lucy said.

“I told you in the telegram,” Oliver said, a little of the old domestic irritation at her inefficiency creeping into his voice, “to be ready at three o’clock. I don’t want to drive the whole way in the dark.”

“I can’t go home,” Lucy said. “Didn’t you get my letter?”

“I got it,” said Oliver impatiently. “You said there were a lot of things to be cleared up between us. Well, we can clear them up just as well in our own house as here. I don’t want to stay here any longer than necessary. Go in and pack your things, Lucy.”

“It’s not as easy as that,” Lucy said.

Oliver sighed. “Lucy,” he said, “I’ve thought it all over. And I’ve decided to forget what happened this summer.”

“Oh, you have,” said Lucy, her voice curiously hard.

“I’ll accept your promise that it’ll never happen again,” Oliver said.

“Oh, you will,” said Lucy, the hardness now becoming metallic and toneless. “You’ll believe me if I say that?”

“Yes.”

“Two weeks ago you wouldn’t believe a word I said.”

“Because you were lying,” said Oliver.

“How do you know that I won’t lie again?” Lucy asked.

Oliver sat down, the lines of fatigue bitten into his face, his head nodding over his chest. “Don’t torture me, Lucy,” he said.

“Answer me,” she said harshly. “How do you know I won’t lie to you again?”

“Because I have to believe you,” Oliver said, his voice almost inaudible. “I sat in the house, thinking of what it would be like to try to live the rest of my life without you … and I couldn’t stand it,” he said simply. “I couldn’t do it.”

“Even though I’m a liar and you hate liars,” Lucy said, standing over him. “Even though I disgust you?”

“I’m trying to forget I ever said those things,” Oliver said.

“I can’t forget it,” Lucy said. “You were right. It was disgusting. I disgusted myself.”

Oliver raised his head and looked at her. “But you’ll change now?”

“Change?” said Lucy. “Yes, I will. But perhaps not in the way you think.”

“Lucy,” Oliver asked, and that was the first time he’d ever asked the question, “don’t you love me?”

Lucy stared at him thoughtfully. “Yes,” she said slowly, “yes, I do. I’ve been thinking myself these last ten days, about you. About how much I owe you. How much I need you. How much you’ve done for me. How solid you’ve been. How secure.”

“Lucy,” Oliver said, “it’s so good to hear that.”

“Wait,” said Lucy. “Not so fast. You’ve done something else too, Oliver. You’ve educated me. You’ve converted me.”

“Converted you?” Oliver asked, puzzled. “What do you mean?”

“You always talked so much about your principles,” said Lucy. “About the truth. About seeing things clearly, about not fooling yourself. You even wrote a long letter to Tony about it this summer, when you were worried about his eyes.

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