They made their way downstairs, past the main dining hall, and through the swinging double doors into the kitchen. The room was enormous, clearly built to accommodate numerous guests back when the place was a hotel. Miriam quickly set about foraging through the cupboards while George pulled open a metal door to what appeared to be a walk-in cooler. Three of the walls were stocked with shelving units containing stacks of meat. The shelves themselves were labeled:
George stepped into the kitchen. “It looks like they’ve got a whole butcher shop in there. How many people are
But Miriam had found bread and cold cuts in the refrigerator and had already set out making a sizable sandwich, slapping layers of beef, turkey, and ham onto a slice of bread.
George laughed. “Whoa, sweetheart. You know I’m supposed to be watching my cholesterol. Just a little turkey is fine.”
Miriam looked up with a bit of embarrassment in her expression. “Oh… I’m sorry, dear. I was actually… making this for me.”
George stared at her as she licked her fingers and pressed a second slice of bread onto the top. “You really
Miriam’s eyes gleamed, and she curled up a corner of her mouth in a sensual grin.
She bit into the mammoth sandwich with great relish. No formalities, no condiments, and no plate. Not even a napkin. She closed her eyes and chewed luxuriously.
She polished off the sandwich in minutes, chasing it with a tall glass of milk. Then she began looking around the kitchen again. George was watching her with alternating fascination and concern when he heard a voice behind him.
“Oh, good, I see you found something to eat.” Dr. Henderson stood in the doorway.
“Sorry,” George said. “They told us to help ourselves to food. And, well… Miriam said she was hungry.”
“No worries,” Henderson said. “I was going to suggest it to you anyway. She hasn’t eaten anything substantial for nearly two days.”
Miriam opened the refrigerator again. “Yeah, and I’m still hungry.”
George frowned at her. “You wolfed that sandwich down in two minutes; give it a few seconds to reach your stomach.”
Henderson chuckled. “Actually, that’s a normal response to the perilium.”
“What, increased appetite?”
“It’s a good sign. One of the things perilium does is increase the body’s metabolic rate to aid in healing. So as the body repairs itself, it’s going to naturally require a higher level of nourishment. Mostly protein.”
George scratched his head. “That explains the Dagwood sandwich.”
Henderson laughed again. “Yeah, you’ll notice an increased craving for meat especially. That’s very normal.”
Miriam wasn’t paying much attention to their conversation and had set about making a second sandwich, nearly as big as the first.
George stared as she sank her teeth into the beef-laden sandwich. “You know, she used to hate red meat.”
Miriam paused midchew and looked up. “What’s that?”
“Nothing.”
Henderson smiled and turned to leave. “I’ll leave you two alone. Bon appetit.”
He slipped out of the kitchen as George watched Miriam devour the rest of her second sandwich. Afterward she leaned back, belched politely, and dabbed her lips with a napkin.
“Whew, that hit the spot.”
George could hardly believe this was the same woman he had married. He wondered if the perilium was having some mood-altering effects as well.
He cleared his throat. “Well, I’m guessing you could use a walk right about now.”
Miriam grinned. “Let’s go.”
A set of glass doors off the main dining hall opened onto a wide cobblestone patio that looked out over the cliff and the town below. A narrow walkway led around to the back of the mansion and skirted a sharp ridge before coming to a set of stone stairs leading up into the woods.
George tried to keep up but found that the altitude was forcing him to pause every hundred yards or so to catch his breath. Meanwhile Miriam seemed completely unaffected by the thinner mountain air and walked as casually as if she were strolling along a beach at sea level.
At length the path emerged from the woods and came to a low, circular parapet built along the ledge of a cliff overlooking the Vale mansion and the narrow gravel drive that led to the town. Moreover, they could view the hills across the highway that stretched far off into the distance. A wooden bench had been set up on the ledge for hikers to stop and enjoy the view. George gratefully collapsed onto it.
Miriam stood, leaning out on the wide brick parapet. Her shoulders lifted as she sucked in a lungful of air and let the breeze tug at her hair. Then she turned and looked at George, who was wheezing on the bench.
“You know, I really feel wonderful.”
“Good… that makes… one of us.”
“I mean, I feel like God’s given us another chance to be together. This medicine is a miracle. It’s incredible.” Then her expression clouded slightly. “Before, when I was sick, I felt like I was locked up somewhere. In some kind of prison or… dungeon. And I couldn’t get out. I couldn’t even see how awful it was. It was like having a horrible dream that I couldn’t wake up from. But then it felt as if somebody just came along and opened the cell door.” She closed her eyes again and let the wind flow around her.
George rose and folded her in his arms. She leaned into him, and they stood in the warm breeze for an endless minute.
“It’s good to have you back again,” he whispered.
Miriam kissed him. “Don’t let me go back there. Please… just tell me I can stay here with you.”
George stroked her hair and looked into her eyes. “I’m not letting you go, ever again.”
She smiled. “Make love to me, George.”
George blinked. “Wh—uh…
Miriam pulled away and took his hands in hers. “Yeah, right out here under the sun and the sky.”
George felt himself flush, and he laughed nervously. “You mean… right here on the gravel?”
Miriam’s smile broadened. “Who knows how long this will last. Let’s make the most of every second.”
“Okay.” George grinned back at her. “But… how about we make the most of it back in our room?”
Chapter 25
George awoke to see the afternoon sunlight peeking in through closed drapes. For a moment he forgot where he was; then he felt Miriam curled against his bare chest, snoring softly, and it all came back to him.
She had made love to him with a passion and vigor that George had never experienced before. Perhaps yet another benefit of the perilium. And afterward they had both fallen asleep. George hadn’t realized just how tired he’d been. Now he looked at the clock. It was just after three; they’d been napping for two hours.
George eased out of bed, taking care not to wake Miriam. He slipped on his shirt and trousers. He needed to get out and take a walk, clear his head. He would have to think about telling Miriam that they would be moving here. Perhaps for good.
He left the room and walked down the hall to the balcony overlooking the great room. No one was in sight. George crossed the balcony to the other wing. He’d never been on that side before and guessed this was where Vale had his own room. He needed to find out more about this man and this place.
The idea that Vale would want George to come work for him at seventy-three was bizarre enough, though
