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The Gate House :: Demille Nelson
Страница: 463 из 490There are not many perfect hours such as this, especially on a day that had begun so badly, which made this moment all the more extraordinary.
Of course, in every Garden of Eden, there is at least one serpent lurking in the flowers, and we actually had two. The first had a name, and it was Anthony Bellarosa. We knew he was here, and we were avoiding him, and we even avoided speaking of him – at least for now.
The second serpent had no name, and it had recently slithered into the garden. But if I had to give it a name, I’d call it Doubt.
So, to kill this, before it killed us, I said to Susan, “What we did was an act of love.”
She didn’t reply, so I continued, “I never doubted your love, and I know that your heart was breaking.”
Again no reply, so I concluded, “And if we had to do it over again, we would do the same thing.”
She sat there for a long time, then said, “You didn’t even want to take his money. And I… I feel so venal, so compromised-”
“No. Remember why we did what we did. It wasn’t for us.” It was to screw William and Peter. And, of course, to see that Edward and Carolyn got their fair share of the family fortune.
“John, that might be true for you, but I’m not sure about me.”
“Don’t doubt your motives. Your father created an impossible dilemma.”
“I know… but, God, I felt that I was selling myself and betraying you, and giving up our love for-”
“Susan, I don’t feel that way, so neither should you.”
“All right… you’re a very loving and wise man.”
“I am. Have another beer.”
She forced a smile, then said, “I hope this never comes back to haunt us.”
I pointed out, “If we could work through what happened ten years ago, then this is nothing.”
“I love you.”
“That’s why we’re here.” I asked, “Where is the pizza guy?”
“I don’t know. I’ve never ordered a pizza in my life.”
“Well, we’ll fix that in the next twenty years.”
We sat and talked about London, and Paris, with maybe a side trip to the Loire Valley, as we’d done many years ago.
Susan’s portable phone rang, and it was the guard at the gate announcing the pizza man.
I got up, went through the house, and waited for him outside the front door. But as I stood there, I realized that it was moments like this, when you are least expecting it, that your world could suddenly explode – as it had for Salvatore D’Alessio.
I saw a small van coming up the driveway.
Of course, in every Garden of Eden, there is at least one serpent lurking in the flowers, and we actually had two. The first had a name, and it was Anthony Bellarosa. We knew he was here, and we were avoiding him, and we even avoided speaking of him – at least for now.
The second serpent had no name, and it had recently slithered into the garden. But if I had to give it a name, I’d call it Doubt.
So, to kill this, before it killed us, I said to Susan, “What we did was an act of love.”
She didn’t reply, so I continued, “I never doubted your love, and I know that your heart was breaking.”
Again no reply, so I concluded, “And if we had to do it over again, we would do the same thing.”
She sat there for a long time, then said, “You didn’t even want to take his money. And I… I feel so venal, so compromised-”
“No. Remember why we did what we did. It wasn’t for us.” It was to screw William and Peter. And, of course, to see that Edward and Carolyn got their fair share of the family fortune.
“John, that might be true for you, but I’m not sure about me.”
“Don’t doubt your motives. Your father created an impossible dilemma.”
“I know… but, God, I felt that I was selling myself and betraying you, and giving up our love for-”
“Susan, I don’t feel that way, so neither should you.”
“All right… you’re a very loving and wise man.”
“I am. Have another beer.”
She forced a smile, then said, “I hope this never comes back to haunt us.”
I pointed out, “If we could work through what happened ten years ago, then this is nothing.”
“I love you.”
“That’s why we’re here.” I asked, “Where is the pizza guy?”
“I don’t know. I’ve never ordered a pizza in my life.”
“Well, we’ll fix that in the next twenty years.”
We sat and talked about London, and Paris, with maybe a side trip to the Loire Valley, as we’d done many years ago.
Susan’s portable phone rang, and it was the guard at the gate announcing the pizza man.
I got up, went through the house, and waited for him outside the front door. But as I stood there, I realized that it was moments like this, when you are least expecting it, that your world could suddenly explode – as it had for Salvatore D’Alessio.
I saw a small van coming up the driveway.