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.He wondered if she’d heard about his death…or his return.“That’s best left between the two of you,” said Jane.“She’s met someone else, hasn’t she?”Jane made a face.“You know when Rosemary was little,” she said, “we used to play a game.I’d say ‘blue’ and she’d say…The grown-up version is, I’d say ‘blue’ and you’d say, ‘Moon.’ ‘War’…”Philip answered immediately, “…Crime.”Jane nodded.“‘Blue’…‘violet.’ But whenever anyone else would play,” she explained, “and they would say ‘yellow’ we would both say ‘sun’ or ‘chicken’, depending on our mood.But Rosemary and I always said the same thing usually at the same time.”She was trying to explain to him that she had switched sides, that it was one thing when they were playing in this, but now that it seemed real, her loyalty was to Rosemary.“You haven’t answered my question,” said Philip.“I’m glad you’re back,” she said.And then very formally added, “Can I get you another drink?”Philip nodded, acknowledging the new rules between them.Teddy found him in the office a few hours later with a half-empty bottle of Jack Daniel’s and a half-full glass.The mood at the docks was hushed, subdued.An American carrier on its way to Britain had been hit the week before by German U-boats, less than a quarter of the crew had survived, and the ship had sunk, smashed and broken, in a mass of flames.It had been transporting civilian supplies, food, medicine, or as Teddy put it, “All this for potatoes and rubbing alcohol.” And all ocean crossings had been delayed until passenger and cargo ships could be accompanied by military escort.Fleets of warships had been dispatched from England, France, and the United States.The seas were deserted except for the battalions and the German U-boats lurking under water just off the European shore.Philip and Teddy had given their workers the week off but, not knowing what else to do with themselves, they showed up each morning, anyway, with bag lunches and dominoes and small children in tow and collected at the edge of the wharf idling away the afternoon, staring at the empty seas, as if their presence could somehow effect a speedier deployment.Philip pulled another glass off the shelf for Teddy.“Join me,” he said.Teddy grabbed the glass that Philip had set out for him.“All right, I’ll have one.” He poured himself a drink.He sat down across from Philip at the desk.“We weren’t better off without you, you know.”“Weren’t you?” Philip asked him.“The business was fine.Rosemary lives in her own world.She’s always fine.And if she’s not, she rearranges the furniture.” He took another sip of his drink.“You expect it’s all going to wait for you,” he said, “and it’s all gone on without you.” He hesitated.“Maybe it’s me that’s changed.”Outside the window, one of the men began to play a mouth harp and the melody echoed, the waves breaking behind it almost like a bass-line.An ocean liner anchored out to sea, sat empty except for a three-man crew, as if it were a ghost hotel, swaying slightly on the flat, black waves and creaking on its moorings.Jane convinced herself it was out of concern for Rosemary that she would finally tell her what she knew, true friendship, as it were, that Rosemary ought to know the facts, so that she could protect herself and do what she had to to hold on to Philip.Jane couldn’t bear the thought that Philip had returned and Rosemary was at risk of losing him again.She stopped and bought Rose flowers, a small arrangement of irises and bluebells that looked slightly patriotic.She found her in her bedroom, wearing a volunteer nurse’s uniform, just sitting down to tea.Jane held the bouquet out to her.“I brought you flowers.”Rosemary grabbed a small purple vase and disappeared for a moment to fill it with water.“They’re beautiful,” she said as she came out of the bathroom.“A little touch of spring.” She set them on a table on the far side of the room, then sat down and poured herself a cup of tea.“How are you?” asked Jane.“Excellent,” said Rosemary.“I feel like life has righted itself again.”“How’s Philip?”“Distant.God knows what he went through.They say it’s normal.I don’t care.” She jumped up and began to slip off her uniform and button herself into a more stylish but comfortable dress.“He’s home now and nothing else matters.”“I thought maybe we should have a party,” she said.“Not big.A dinner party.Tomorrow night.Spontaneous.” She sounded a little wistful.“The way we used to.Can you come?”“Of course I can come,” Jane answered.And then added, with a bit of an edge.“How are you, Jane? Did you have a nice day?” She hadn’t meant to say it.It just slipped out.But Rosemary was so one-sided in the way she saw things, often missed what was going on around her, needed so badly to be shaken up [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]