O'hara's Choice - Leon Uris [104]
“God, that’s a lifetime,” she said under her breath.
“Three months, maybe four. I’d better see your father and Mr. Constable now and tell them.”
“No, Zach, my father will derail your work. Hold on now. Be quiet. Let me think. I’ll hang on. I won’t disturb you. All right, here’s what we do now. I was livid when we ran into each other and I was very angry when we were seated in the booth here. I will leave after you go, and as far as Father and the world . . . and Newport . . . are concerned, I dismissed you in a rage.”
“I don’t like a lie,” he protested.
“We’re going to have to resort to a few. If there is suspicion by Father or Glen about us, I won’t be able to hold the fort till the end of the year.”
“Christ,” he said.
“Now, you hear me,” she said. “You and I are out of business until your report is turned in. Then we will make our time and place.”
Zach’s fist rapped the table over and again in frustration.
“I want to marry you, Amanda.”
“Me, too,” she said. “If my father refuses permission, I’ll be twenty-one next summer and can do as I wish.”
He flushed.
“What?” she asked.
“By next summer I’ll be long gone on sea duty or to a foreign post. I may be gone for a year, even more.”
“I’ll wait. We’ll marry.”
“Yes.”
And then the terms of the plan crushed them! Zach’s mouth went dry. The last time he’d shaken with fear was halfway up a ship’s main mast his father had dared him to climb.
“We may be talking about two years apart.”
Amanda’s face fell.
“When I finish my assignment in Newport, I have thirty days’ leave before I have to report to my new post. Let’s work something out for that time, early January into February.”
“Thirty days! That will keep me alive, Zach!”
“Let’s plan it carefully.”
Now she held his wrists tightly. “Zach, stop, Zach, stop, stop,” she cried. “I tried to talk you into taking me to the Constitution Ball because I was plain selfish. I could have hurt you then, badly. If we run off now, I’ll come through it, but this could ruin your career.”
“If we can’t have each other, even for just a thirty-day furlough, my life is ruined, anyhow.”
“It’s very dangerous for you.”
“Don’t let me go off without loving you.”
“Zach . . . Zach . . .”
“Will you go away with me?”
“Yes, I’ll go away with you. You leave now and then I’ll leave, ‘in anger,’ as I said. I’ll work out a plan for us. Willow Fancy will contact you.”
“Good,” he said, “and if you have to reach me, it would be best to contact me through Major Ben.”
“Are you going to tell him what we’re doing?”
“I’ll tell him exactly what you tell your father. I was dismissed by you in anger.”
“But he’s your commanding officer. It will be hard for you to lie to him.”
“One way or the other, I have to be with you.”
“I’ll find us our plan. I love you. I’ll close my eyes, and when I wake up it will be January.”
Zach stood shakily. Amanda pressed the service buzzer and a waiter opened the curtains.
“Miss Kerr?”
“Leave the curtain open and get Tonyo here this instant.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
In a blink, Tonyo arrived.
“Miss Kerr?”
“Tonyo, see the lieutenant out,” she said in an angry voice, “and when he is off the premises, have my carriage brought to the members’ entrance.”
“May you rot in hell,” Zach said, and followed Tonyo out.
• 31 •
THE BARONESS
That Evening—Lilly’s Villa
Lilly got out of her wet clothing, bathed, yanked a dressing robe off the rod, ordered up a plate from the main house, had a magnum of champagne uncorked, dismissed her maid, and drank heartily between nibbles.
The knock on her door was timid. Lilly arched her back. “Yes?”
“Can I come in?”
“You can go to hell.”
Zach tried the door. It gave. He stepped in like a brave patriot standing before the chopping block.
“I lost it, Lilly. You’ve been kinder to me than anyone in my life. I feel rotten hurting you.”
“Well, Mister I’ll-see-you-now, welcome to the endgame. All trysts end in hell.”
He asked if he could be seated. Lilly was starting to feel tipsy. He inched down opposite her. She held up her champagne flute and was about to toss