“What’s her number?”
She told him.
“Thanks, Emmy,” he said. “I really appreciate this.”
They hung up, each wondering what sort of a game Laura was playing. Charlie figured it for some kind of petty jealousy, but Emily came closer. She began to review Laura’s behavior systematically: the way she followed and imitated Beth; her disappointment when Beth wasn’t at home; her temper when Beth wasn’t there to greet her after Christmas vacation; her anger when Beth and Charlie went out.
Emily admitted that it might be some sort of obsessive friendship, but even that idea made her uncomfortable. She was unwilling to accept it but unable to dismiss it. But she said nothing to either of her roommates.
At seven, as arranged, Charlie called Beth on her room phone. He listened nervously to the ring. It rang four times before Beth picked up the receiver.
“Hello?”
“Beth—darling, this is Charlie. Don’t hang up.”
“Charlie?” She began to tremble.
“Don’t ask me anything, Beth, just listen. I have to see you. Tonight. We have to talk. We owe each other that much. Can you be ready in fifteen minutes?” His voice was urgent and soft; it brought him too close to her.
“Charlie—” she whispered, sinking into the desk chair, and tears started down her cheeks.
“I’ll be by for you in fifteen minutes,” he said. “Beth?”
“Yes?”
“Fifteen minutes, darling.” He hung up before she could say anything.
Beth put her head in her hands and gave one short dreadful sob, and then she ran to wash her face and get dressed. She was ready when her buzz sounded a few minutes later and made her heart jump. She sped downstairs as if speed would obliterate her thoughts.
Charlie was waiting at the foot of the stairs. She stopped when she saw him and moved toward him slowly, stopping in front of him in the hall. She hadn’t even time to hate her weakness; she resolutely ignored the idea of Laura. She couldn’t help herself. They stared at each other for a minute and then he put his arm around her tight and led her outside without a word and down the walk to his car.
He started the motor, and she watched him with her heart pulsing wildly and her hot hands knotted together. After a moment he turned and regarded her and, still without a word, took her in his arms. With a gasp she reached for him and they kissed for a very long time. And then again. He turned the motor off, and for almost an hour they sat there with no words, only their lips and their trembling bodies to speak for them. Finally she put her head down on his shoulder and cried soundlessly. Only her involuntary tremors betrayed her. When she was calm again he said gently, “Want to talk to me, darling?”
She shook her head. He tilted her face up and brushed away the leftover tears and smiled at her. “All right,” he said. “I won’t torture you with questions. You’ll find a way to tell me. Only tell me this, honey. Did I do something wrong?”
“No.” She smiled faintly at him and looking at him wanted him again and lifted her lips to be kissed. He took them almost violently and then, holding her, he said, “Is there someone else?”
She couldn’t answer. She struggled with herself and couldn’t answer.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” he said. “I said no questions, didn’t I?” He released her, frowning and rubbing his brow. “Let’s get a beer.” He looked at her but she didn’t answer. “I can only take so much of this, Beth. Beer, honey?”
“Okay,” she said.
They went over to Pratts’ and talked very little because there was only one thing to talk about and it couldn’t be said. So they studied each other’s faces in the candlelight and locked their hands together and got a little drunk, more on each other than on the beer. And Beth fought off the haunting image of Laura’s face from time to time when it got too strong and began to accuse her.
Charlie had to say something finally. “Emmy called me,” he said. “She gave me your number.”
“Oh.” She smiled at him.
“She said something that—made me think you might have a wrong impression, honey.”
“Of what?”
He knocked a column of ash from his cigarette and said musingly, “Twenty-eight years ago, my father went to school here with a guy named Merrill Landon. They’ve been friends ever since. When I found out Landon’s daughter was here in school last fall I called her up and we went out a couple of times.” He paused to study her. “Do you see what I’m getting at?”
There was a line of worry between Beth’s eyes. “What did Emmy tell you, Charlie?”
“She said she thought you wouldn’t see me because of Laura—because you thought Laura had a crush on me. Darling, Laura never did have a crush on me. We’re just friends. Or rather, the children of friends…. Was that the trouble?”
Beth stared helplessly at him, her fingers pressed against her cheeks. He watched her for a moment, feeling that he was losing her again. “Beth, you can’t let Laura come between us. She means nothing to me, except as a family friend. There’s no reason—”
“It’s not Laura’s fault. Don’t blame anything on Laura. She has nothing to do with it.”
Charlie wanted to squeeze the truth out of her, but her worried face warned him it wouldn’t work. She was as stubborn as Emmy had said she was. “All right, darling, I won’t push you any farther,” he said. “On one condition. On one condition, Beth. Look at me.” He pulled her toward him. “That you see me again.” Her eyes dropped. “Beth!” His voice ordered her attention.
“All right,” she whispered unhappily. She couldn’t resist him when she was with him, just as she couldn’t hurt Laura when they were together. “All right, Charlie.”
“Tomorrow?”
“I don’t know.”
“Look, Beth,” he said, suddenly getting disciplinary with her. “I know you’ve got trouble, honey, I
