working and playing, of eating and sleeping, of laughing and loving, but
it was all a sham.
Dennis was watching her from the doorway now, with that slightly puzzled
expression, the helpless look of a person who watches another drowning
and is powerless to give aid.
Samantha turned away quickly. Ready in two minutes/ she said, and he
turned back into the bedroom to finish dressing.
She flipped the waffles on to a plate and poured a fresh batch of
batter.
Beside her, the telephone rang and she sucked her fingers clean and
picked it up with her free hand.
Sam Silver/ she said.
Thank God. I've been going out of my mind. What happened to you,
darling? Her knees went rubbery under her, and she had to sit down
quickly on one of the stools.
Samantha, can you hear me? She opened her mouth, but no sound came out.
Tell me what's happening - She could see his face before her, clearly,
each detail of it so vividly remembered, the clear green eyes below the
heavy brow, the line of cheek-bone and jaw, and the sound of his voice
made her shiver.
Samantha., How is your wife, Nicholas? she asked softly - and he broke
off . She held the receiver to her ear with both hands, and the silence
lasted only a few beats of her heart, but it was long enough. Once or
twice, in moments of weakness during the last two weeks, she had tried
to convince herself that it was not true, That it had all been the
viciousness of a lying woman. Now she knew beyond any question that her
instinct had been correct. His silence was the admission, and she
waited for the lie that she knew would come next.
Would it help to tell you I love you? he asked softly, and she could
not answer. Even in her distress, she felt the rush of relief.
He had not lied. At that moment it was the important thing in her life.
He had not lied. She felt most it begin to tear painfully, deep in her
chest. Her shoulders shook spasmodically.
I'm coming to get you, he said into the silence.
,I won't be here/ she whispered, but she felt it welling up into her
throat, uncontrollably. She had not wept before, she had kept it all
safely bottled away - but now, the first sob burst from her, and with
both hands she slammed the telephone back on to its cradle.
She stood there still, shaking wildly, and the tears poured down her
cheeks and dripped from her chin.
Dennis came into the kitchen behind her, tucking his shirt into the top
of his trousers, his hair shiny and wet with the straight lines of the
comb through it, Who was that? he asked cheerfully, and then stopped
aghast, What is it, love? He started forward again, Come on now.
Don't touch me, please/ she whispered huskily, and -he stopped again
uncertainly. We are fresh out of milk, she said without turning. Will
you take the van down to the shopping centre, By the time Dennis
returned, she was dressed and she had rinsed her face and tied a scarf
around her head like a gypsy. They chewed cold, un-appetising waffles
in silence, until she spoke, Dennis, we've got to talk No/he smiled at
