Appointment in Samarra Read Online Free PDF

middle of the room. But Caroline was not in the room, so he did not stop. He went back to the dining-room and pushed open the swinging door to the butler s pantry. Just some orange juice and coffee, Mary, please, he said. The orange juice is on the table, Mr. English, she said. He drank it. It had ice, glorious ice, in it. Mary brought in the coffee and when she had gone he inhaled the steam of it. It was as good as drinking it. He drank some of it black, without sugar, first. He put one lump of sugar in it and drank some more. He put some cream in it and lit a cigarette. I d be all right if I could stay here, he thought. If I could just stay here for the rest of my life and never see another soul. Except Caroline. I d have to have Caroline.
    He finished his coffee, took a sip of ice water, and left the dining-room. He was standing in front of the table, with its pile of gifts, when he heard someone stamping on the porch, and almost immediately the door opened and it was Caroline. Hello, she said. Hello, he said. Merry Christmas.
    Yeah, she said. I m sorry, he said. Where ve you been?
    Took some things to the Harley kids, she said. She hung up her camel s hair coat in the closet under the stairs. Bubbie said to wish you a Merry Christmas and he told me to ask you if you wanted to ride on his new Flexie. I told him I didn t think you would, this morning. She sat down and began to unbuckle her arctics. She had beautiful legs that not even the heavy woolen plaid stockings could distort. Look, she said. I m looking, he said. Don t be funny, she said, and pulled her skirt down. I want you to listen. This is what I want to say: I think you d better take that bracelet back to Caldwell s.
    Why? Don t you like it?
    I like it all right. It s one of the most beautiful things I ve ever seen, but you can t afford it. I know how much it cost.
    So what? he said. Well, just this. I think we ll probably need every cent we can save from now on.
    Why?
    She lit a cigarette. Well, you fixed it last night. No point in going into why you threw that drink at Harry, but I just want to tell you this much, you ve made an enemy for life.
    Oh, no. Naturally he s sore, but I ll be able to fix it. I can handle that.
    That s what you think. I ll tell you something. Have you any idea how news travels in this town? Maybe you think you have, but listen to me. I just came from the Harleys , the only people I ve seen except Mary since last night, and almost the first thing Herbert Harley said when I got in the house was, Well, I m glad somebody put Harry Reilly in his place at last. Of course I tried to laugh it off as if it were just a joke between you and Harry, but do you realize what that means, Herbert Harley s knowing about it so soon? It means the story s got all over town already. Somebody must have told the Harleys over the phone, because I know Herbert hasn t had his car out. There aren t any tracks in their driveway.
    Well, what of it?
    What of it? You stand there and ask me what of it? Don t you realize what that means, or are you still drunk? It just means that the whole town knows what you did, and when Harry realizes that, he ll do anything short of murder to get even with you. And I don t have to tell you that he won t have to commit murder to get even with you. She stood up and smoothed her skirt. So I think you d better take the bracelet back to Caldwell s.
    But I want you to have it. I paid for it.
    They ll take it back. They know you.
    I can afford it, he said. No, you can t, she said. Besides, I don t want it.
    You mean you don t want to take it from me?
    She hesitated a moment, and bit her lip and nodded. Yes. I guess that s what I mean.
    He went to her and put his hands on her arms. She did not move except to turn her head away from him. What s the matter? he said. Reilly doesn t mean anything to you, for God s sake, does he?
    No. Not a thing. But you d never believe that.
    Oh, ridiculous, he said. I never thought you were having an affair