With sudden force, Hyacinth was affected by Gerald's relative lack of emotion now that his children were departing from his house. Yes, as he had said, he would miss them, he hoped they would like their new school, he would keep in regular touch with them; but with all of that, he seemed to feel nothing that compared with her agony when the situation was reversed. But had Arnie not remarked that they were no fun for Gerald anymore? Yes, that's it, she thought. He has grown vaguely tired of being constantly with them, just as he grew tired of me. The very model of a man, he is.
“One more thing,” she said briskly, for at the other door, Tessie had come partially into view, wide-eyed, dying of curiosity and suddenly very respectful of “that crazy woman.” “One more thing. I want you to know that I do not intend to poison the children's minds against you in any way. I have never done it, and that's because of their welfare, their mental health, not yours. Also, I want you to know that you may see them whenever it is convenient for me, assuming that it is also their wish, and I'm sure it will be because they love you, and should love you. Oh, and the last thing! Good Lord, I almost forgot the dog. Will one of you please get Charlie for me?”
“One second, Hyacinth. First let me take these things to the car.”
“Thank you, but no. Tessie and I can manage them. It will be less awkward that way, given the circumstances. My husband is out there in the car, you see.”
“How was it?” Will asked.
“Not as bad as I thought it would be. It was really more pathetic than anything else.”
“Francine thinks you had a lot of spunk to go by yourself, or to see him at all. We were talking about it last night. She was afraid he'd be nasty and that there'd be a bad scene.”
“It was just the opposite, not that I would have minded either way. He even suggested that maybe he and I could get together again. Can you believe it?”
“After the story of your friend Arnie, I guess I could believe anything.”
“The tragedy of Arnie, you mean.”
“A tragedy and a mystery. Nobody's ever explained and probably never will explain what makes a Gerald, an Arnie, or—or any of us.”
“Francine can't get over how wrong she was about Arnie, even hoping I would marry him. She isn't used to making such a huge mistake, having been so right about Gerald.”
“Francine's a character.” Will chuckled. “She told me she's given up the fortune-teller business.”
“Did she tell you she's leaving on a cruise to South America with her new man? I haven't said anything yet, but I'm surprising her with all the clothes for it, a Libretti wardrobe.”
Will corrected her. “The Hyacinth line. Yes, she told me about the cruise. She also had the nerve to tell me that she hopes you'll be pregnant by the time she gets home.”
“She still has a good sense of humor, I see.”
“No, no, she was serious. She was in earnest. And I am, too, in case I haven't already mentioned it.”
Deep, endless blue lay between the beach and the horizon, on which three sails were moving westward toward the afternoon sun. And there, running on the wet sand with their backs to the sun, were the children, Hyacinth's own.
“Look, darling,” Will said. “They've been waiting for us.”
She was filled with the most wonderful lightness, so that she had to cry out.
“I feel as if I could fly!”
He looked down at her. His eyes, those humorous, kind, honest eyes that missed nothing, understood her completely. They smiled, and his arm went around her.
“We'll both fly,” he said.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Belva Plain lives in northern New Jersey. She is the author of Evergreen, Random Winds, Eden Burning, Crescent City, The Golden Cup, Tapestry, Blessings, Harvest, Treasures, Whispers, Daybreak, The Carousel, Promises, Secrecy, Homecoming, Legacy of Silence, Fortune's Hand, After the Fire, Looking Back, Her Father's House, and The Sight of the Stars.
Be sure to look for…
THE SIGHT OF THE STARS
The unforgettable new novel from
the New York Times bestselling
BELVA PLAIN
author of Fortune's Hand and Evergreen
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This novel is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Quotation on pages 177–178 from “I Think Continually of Those Who Were Truly Great” from Selected Poems by Stephen Spender. Copyright © 1934 and renewed 1962 by Stephen Spender.
Author Photo © by Jan Press
Copyright © 2000 by Bar-Nan Creations, Inc.
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eISBN: 978-0-307-48121-4
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Belva Plain, After the Fire
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