第20部分(第6/7 頁)

ed　in　excitement；　reaching　for　the

telltale　envelope。　Ross　only　raised　it　much　higher；　out　of　reach。　〃I

have　ways。〃　He　laughed。　〃You　haven't　seen　it；　have　you？〃

〃You　know　I　haven't！　It　only　opened　last　week；　and　you've　known　every

one　of　my　ings　and　goings　since　then。〃

He　smiled　smugly　and　changed　the　subject；　but　Chloe　easily　acclimated

herself　to　a　Sunday　return　to　Rhode　Island。　When　he　announced　that　he

had　work　to　do　at　the　office　on　Saturday　morning；　she　binged　on　Fifth

Avenue；　treating　herself　to　a　new　dress；　shoes；　and　a　purse。　Again；

though；　there　was　that　dark　tugging　at　the　back　of　her　mind。　The　outfit

was　for　New　Orleans。　If　she　went；　she　wanted　her　parents　to　be　proud。　If

she　went。

Saturday　afternoon　was　something　else。　Had　she　planned　a　few　hours　in

the　city；　they　couldn't　have　been　as　exciting　as　the　ones　Ross　planned。

From　museum　to　park　to　ice　cream　parlor　and　back；　it　was　a　dream　time。

He　was　intellectually　stimulating　and　wonderfully　adventurous；

even…tempered　to　a　fault。

He　appeared　to　be　surviving　abstinence　with　no　problem　but　a　tic　in　his

jaw。　She　noticed　it　when　they　were　the　closest…standing　side　by　side

before　a　Calder　mobile　at　the　Guggenheim；　walking　hip　to　hip　through　the

squeeze　of　the　crowd　at　Rockefeller　Center；　sitting　knee　to　knee　at　a

small　table　in　a　quiet　restaurant。

At　least；　she　wanted　to　think　the　tic　was　from　that。　She　wanted　to　think

he　was　feeling　the　strain；　because　she　certainly　was。　His　hands…off

policy　made　working　easier；　but　it　did　nothing　for　the　desire　she　felt。

It　grew　through　all　of　Saturday；　all　of　Saturday　evening；　all　of

Saturday　night。