The sum of all fears - Tom Clancy [319]
"Hi, honey."
"Hello, Jack," Cathy said, her eyes fixed on her target. "Do you know Bob and Libby?"
"Hi." Ryan shook hands with both, catching looks from them that he could only guess at. Mrs Holtzman seemed about to explode, but then she took a breath and controlled herself.
"You're the lucky guy who married this woman?" Libby asked. That comment made Elliot turn away first from the confrontation.
"Actually she's the one who married me, I think," Jack said, after a further moment's confusion.
"If you'll excuse me." Elliot said, departing from the battlefield as gracefully as she could. Cathy took Jack's arm and steered him towards the corner with the piano.
"What in the hell was that all about?" Libby Holtzman asked her husband. She thought she knew most of it already. Her successful struggle not to laugh aloud had nearly strangled her.
"What it's about, my dear, is that I broke an ethical rule. And you know something?"
"You did the right thing," Libby announced. The Marx Brothers? "Three-way corner." Liz Elliot, the Queen Radical WASP. My God."
"Jack, I have a terrible headache, I mean, a really terrible one," Cathy whispered to her husband.
"That bad?"
She nodded. "Can we get out of here before I get nauseous?"
"Cathy, you don't just walk out of these things " Jack pointed out.
"Sure you do."
"What were you and Liz talking about?"
"I don't think I like her very much."
"You're not the only one. Okay." Jack headed for the door with Cathy on his arm. The Army captain at the stairs was very understanding. Five minutes later, they were outside. Jack helped his wife into the car and headed back up the drive towards Pennsylvania.
"Go straight," Cathy said.
"But-"
"Go straight, Jack." It was her surgeon's voice. The one that told people what to do. Ryan pulled past Lafayette Park. "Now left."
"Where are we supposed to be going?"
"Now turn right - and left into the driveway."
"But-"
"Jack, please?" Cathy said softly.
The doorman of the Hay Adams Hotel helped Caroline from the car. Jack handed the keys to the parking attendant, then followed his wife in. He watched the concierge hand her a key, then she breezed off to the elevators. He followed her onto and off the elevator, and from there to a corner suite.
"What gives, Cathy?"
"Jack, there's been too much work, too much kids, and not enough us. Tonight, my darling, there is time for us." She wrapped her arms around his neck, and there was nothing for her husband to do but kiss her. She put the key in his hand. "Now get the door open before we scare somebody."
"But what about -"
"Jack, shut up. Please." she added.
"Yes, dear." Ryan led his wife into the room.
Cathy was gratified to see that her instructions had been carried out as perfectly as the staff of this most excellent of hotels could arrange. A light dinner was set on the table, along with a chilled bottle of Moet. She draped her coat on the sofa in confidence that everything else was as it should be.
"Could you pour the champagne? I'll be back in a moment. You might want to take your coat off and relax," she said over her shoulder on the way into the bedroom.
"Sure," Jack said to himself. He didn't know what was going on, or what Cathy had in mind, but he didn't really care all that much either. After dropping his dinner jacket atop his wife's mink, he peeled the foil off the champagne, then twisted off the wire, and gently worked the cork free. He poured two glasses, and set the bottle back in the silver bucket. He decided to trust the wine untasted, then walked to look out the window at the White House. Jack didn't hear her come back into the room. He