Lovely in Her Bones Read Online Free PDF Page B

clothes that morning—but by ten o’clock he’d look the same as always and beengrossed in the puzzle of an old bone, like a happy bloodhound. Mary Clare smiled to herself. He was a nice man and a good scientist. It seemed a waste to have him cooped up in a classroom teaching general anthro when he could be doing important fieldwork. Someone with Alex’s skill and knowledge should be out there making discoveries all the time, not just on occasional field trips for the undergrads’ benefit. Mary Clare circled the F she had written on the top of a quiz. What a waste! Still, in fairness to Alex, she didn’t think the university job had been his idea. The person who wanted a secure income, faculty prestige, and a fancy house instead of a campsite—that wasn’t Alex. It was
her.
Mary Clare sighed. Best not to speculate on what doesn’t concern you, but it was a pitiful shame just the same.
        Tessa applied the wire whisk to the bowl of eggs with more force than necessary, making a yellow and white maelstrom in the mixing bowl. Tonight was quiche night, since this had been her afternoon for volunteer work at the Crisis Center and she had her aerobics class at seven. Alex would be home soon. From her worktable by the kitchen window she could see the driveway, and she found herself watching for the car with increasing apprehension. It was not dread so much as a last trace of stage fright before the beginning of a performance.
    She had talked about it that afternoon with Ginny at the Crisis Center, and they had decided that she was overreacting. A name on a piece of paper was hardly evidence of adultery, Ginny had pointed out, but she conceded that the situation would bear watching. The important thing was to remain calm and keep the lines of communication open. She told Tessa to remember that although the male libido was an emotional form of pond scum, men did not really want to leave their wives. Infatuations were simply passages in ego gratification; infantile, of course, butwhat else could you expect? She advised Tessa to behave just as usual, only more loving, more attentive, and more understanding. Finally she had given her a photocopied article on “Advanced Degrees as Community Property” and enrolled her in the center’s divorce law seminar. It never hurt to be prepared.
    Tessa was sliding the quiche pan into the oven when she heard the car door slam, ending an imagined series of conversations between her and Alex. (“Of course you’re not having an affair with her, dear. You wrote her name on your notes because you have discovered the missing link and are thinking of naming it after her!”) Should she walk to the front door to meet him, or would that seem too artificial? What should she say?
    She decided to stay where she was for the sake of the psychological advantage (the kitchen was her sphere; besides, she had to get supper out of the way in order to be on time for her class). When Alex came in, she was setting the table.
    “Dinner’s nearly ready,” she told him. “I have to rush off to my class, but if you’ll leave the dishes on the countertop, I’ll do them when I get back.”
    “I always do the dishes on your class night.”
    “It’s all right. I don’t mind doing them later. Want some coffee?” I sound manic, she thought. I sound like a stewardess. Trying to act normal is the most unnatural behavior of all.
    “Coffee would be fine,” said Alex warily. “If it isn’t any trouble.”
    “Not at all.” Tessa began measuring coffee for the percolator. “And how was your day?”
    “Oh, fine. Got an interesting case today.”
    “Alex—” Tessa started to say that she didn’t like to hear about his gruesome cases before dinner, but remembering Ginny’s advice, she amended this to: “That’s nice. Tell me all about it.”
    “I don’t know much about it yet,” Alex admitted.“A group of Indians up in the mountains wants me to do an exploratory dig to help them get tribal