• Choose a category
• All
• Classic-Fiction

After that we had to talk with a lot of people who wanted answers to questions we hadn’t figured out how to answer yet, and I had to droop and pretend to feel poorly so they would let us go. And later . . . He was out cold the moment his head hit the pillow. That’s what you get for being thoughtful.

I changed position, trying to make as little noise as possible. His head was turned away; I could see only one side of his face and the curve of his cheek. I had always admired those cheekbones, but this one was too tightly shaped, and although his mouth was relaxed and his breathing even, a chill of superstitious terror ran through me when I saw how drawn his face was even in sleep.

The one visible eye opened. It held an expression of mild interest.

‘‘Oh, you’re awake,’ I said brightly.

‘I am now. You were breathing on me.’

‘Sorry.’

‘Are you? I’m not.’ He turned over and gathered me in.

‘The doctor said – ’

‘The subject was not mentioned. I carefully refrained from bringing it up.’

His lips moved from my temple to my ear and were heading south when I said, ‘I don’t think this is such a good idea. You look awful and you’re too thin and – ’

His lips touched mine and I threw caution to the winds and kissed him back so hard he let out a grunt.

‘I knew you didn’t mean it,’ he said complacently. ‘The men of my family are notoriously irresistible to women. Well, not my father; by all accounts, particularly those of my mother, he was a dull stick in every way. But Grandad was quite a lad in his time, and my great-grandfather has become something of a – ’

‘I don’t want to hear about your great-grandfather. I love you. Did I mention that?’

‘I wouldn’t object to hearing it again.’ But he held me off, and he was no longer smiling. ‘It took long enough to wring it out of you. What were you afraid of?’

There were too many answers to that question, some obvious, some not. He had to know most of them.

I tried to pass it off. ‘You know me. Independent, bull-headed – ’

‘And afflicted with bad dreams.’

‘Oh, God. Did I . . .’ I had. It was coming back to me. ‘I’m sorry.’

‘That’s all right. You stopped crying and babbling when I got hold of you. Was it the old nightmare?’

‘Yes. Uh – no. Not that one.’

‘I thought not. You went on like Lady Macbeth.’

‘Blood and . . . roses.’ I remembered now. So that was why I hadn’t woken completely. ‘How embarrassing. My subconscious isn’t awfully original.’

His mouth relaxed. ‘I am willing to overlook a few minor flaws in a woman who is so talented in other areas.’

‘Are you sure you feel up to . . . Damn it, don’t laugh! That wasn’t intentional.’

‘I shoutd hope not. Trite and vulgar.’

I was only conscious of the movements of his hands and lips until he started violently and lifted his head. ‘Oh, Christ! Isn’t that – ’

It could only be. Schmidt was humming like a drunken bumblebee. I didn’t recognize the tune. Nobody could have recognized the tune.

‘It’s all right,’ I murmured tenderly. ‘I locked the door.’

‘I can’t.’ He sounded like a nervous virgin. ‘Not with Schmidt out there. I haven’t fully recovered from the time he broke the door down just when I – ’

‘He was labouring under a slight misapprehension.’ I drew his head back to my breast. ‘He won’t break this door down. He’s very romantic’

‘Then he’ll be listening at the keyhole,’ John mumbled. ‘I’ve become very fond of the little imp but I draw the line at providing him with vicarious entertainment.’

‘Try to rise above it,’ I suggested.

‘That was deliberate. Well, perhaps with a little of the proper sort of encouragement . . .’

‘How’s this?’

‘A step in the right direction, certainly. Do go on.’

‘More precious than jewels, more precious than gold,’ I murmured. ‘John, if you don’t stop laughing, Schmidt will think we’re telling jokes and want to come in.’

I figured we could count on half an hour. It didn’t seem that long, but it was actually forty minutes later when Schmidt raised his voice to a level that could not be ignored, even by me. Trust Schmidt to select an