《rekindled(英文版)》第72章

shoulder；　he　let　himself　out。
Over。　Well；　it　certainly　was　that。　Anne"s　heart　might　have　grieved　for
what　had　been　lost　that　day；　but　her　mind　simply　shut　down。　Exhausted
and　in　need　of　escape；　she　dozed　off　within　minutes　right　there　on　the
sofa。　The　harsh　peal　of　the　phone　brought　her　awake　with　a　jolt。
It　was　her　mother；　filled　with　concern。　〃Ted　just　called　and　explained
what　happened。　Are　you　all　right？〃
〃Yes。　I"m　fine。〃
〃You　don"t　sound　it。〃
〃I　was　sleeping。　I"m　worn　out。〃
〃Would　you　like　me　to　run　over　and　take　you　out　。。。　for　a　late　lunch；
perhaps？〃
Anne　shot　a　startled　look　at　her　watch。　It　was　nearly　two…thirty。　Lunch
had　fallen　by　the　wayside；　along　with　her　appetite。　The　thought　of　food
turned　her　stomach。
〃Anne？〃
〃Yes；　Mother。　No；　thanks。　I　don"t　feel　like　eating。〃
〃Was　the　deposition　that　bad？〃
It　couldn"t　have　been　worse；　she　thought。　〃It　was　。。。 difficult。〃
〃Are　you　sure　there"s　nothing　I　can　do？〃
〃I"m　sure。〃　She　forced　a　smile　into　her　voice；　for　her　mother"s　sake；
but　it　vanished　the　instant　the　words　were　out。
The　older　woman　sighed。　〃All　right。　I"ll　call　you　later。　Get　some　rest。〃
〃I　will。　And　thanks　for　calling；　Mom。〃
〃You"re　wele；　darling。　Bye…bye。〃
She　hung　up　the　phone　thinking　that；　more　than　anything；　she　needed　a
shoulder　to　cry　on；　but　the　tears　refused　to　e。　For　a　time；　she
wandered　aimlessly　from　room　to　room；　window　to　window。　Eventually　she
changed　into　jeans　and　an　oversized　shirt　and；　barefoot；　returned　to　the
living　room。　She　felt　every　bit　the　hollow　shell　she　must　have　looked。
The　view　from　the　window　held　nothing　for　her。　Nor　did　a　glance　at　the
day"s　mail。　Unable　to　muster　energy；　she　stretched　out　on　the　sofa。
One　hour　passed；　then　another；　and　the　enormity　of　the　day"s　happenings
sank　in。　Mitch　had　deceived　her。　Oh；　it　might　have　started　innocently
enough　in　September；　but　in　time　she　had　mentioned　the　crash；　even　its
date；　and　the　uping　trial。　He　might　have　spoken　up　then。　He　might
have　spoken　up　last　night。
She　held　her　stomach　tightly。　If　only　she　could　cry。　If　only　she　could
scream。　Instead　she　felt　drained；　heartbroken；　half　whole。
The　telephone　rang　again。　She　tried　to　ignore　it　under　a　layer　of
pillows。　When　it　kept　up；　she　realized　that　if　it　was　her　mother　again
and　she　didn"t　answer；　the　woman　would　be　on　at　her　door　in　no　time
flat。
With　an　effort；　she　dragged　herself　from　the　sofa　and　went　to　the　wall
phone　in　the　kitchen。　〃Hello？〃
〃Anne？〃　His　voice　was　deep　and；　in　spite　of　everything；　dear。
Stunned；　she　quietly　hung　up　the　phone。　Wobbly　legs　took　her　back　to　the
sofa。　She　doubled　over　there；　hugged　her　knees　to　her　chest；　and　waited
for　him　to　call　again。　In　a　matter　of　seconds；　the　phone　began　to　ring。
She　let　it　ring　and　ring　and　ring。　She　rocked　back　and　forth；　suffering
with　the　sound。　She　tried　covering　her　ears　with　her　hands；　but　the
ringing　seemed　to　grow　louder　and　louder；　more　and　more　harsh；　crueler
and　crueler。
At　last；　it　ceased。　Only　then　did　she　break　down　and　weep。
The　days　that　followed　were　pure　hell　for　Anne。　After　tears；　came
selfrecrimination。　She　had　been　naive；　she　had　been　irresponsible；　she
had　been　wanton。　She　should　never　have　returned　to　the　cabin　after　the
first　week。　She　shouldn"t　even　have　stayed　there　then。
Self…recrimination　gave　way　to　anger；　and　she　railed　on　at　Mitch　for　a
while。　She　didn"t　understand　how　a　person　could　do　what　he　did。　And　he
kept　calling　her！　She　cringed　each　time　the　phone　rang　and　answered　only
to　avoid　visits　from　her　family。　When　it　was　Mitch；　she　hung　up。
Her　seclusion　was　more　total　than　it　had　been　after　Jeff"s　death；
because　no　one；　but　no　one；　knew　about　Mitch　and　her。　If　her　parents
sensed　that　her　reaction　to　the　deposition　was　extreme；　they　attributed
it　to　the　final　pain　of　losing　Jeff。　She　let　them　believe　that；　rather
than　having　to　tell　them　what　a　fool　she"d　been。
She　couldn"t　begin　to　think　of　the　future。　Once　again；　it　was　a
frightening　void。　Each　day　was　a　challenge。　Her　only　hope　was　in　wiping
Mitch　from　her　mind；　and　it　was　easier　here　in　New　York。　They　hadn"t
spent　time　together　here。　There　were　no　memories　of　him　here；　other　than
of　the　deposition；　but；　there；　he　hadn"t　been　the　man　she　loved。
On　occasion　she　thought　of　Vermont。　Spring　would　be　ing　there。　She
would　have　liked　to　see　the　lilacs　bloom　and　smell　their　fragrance。　So
there　was　a　loss　in　this；　too。
He　stopped　calling　after　the　first　few　days；　but；　try　as　she　might；　she
was　never　able　to　push　him　far　from　mind。　Her　father　actually　mentioned
him　one　afternoon。
〃I　received　a　call　from　Mitchell　Anderson　the　other　night。　You　know；　the
head　of　SEAA？〃
Did　she　know　him？　Did　she　know　him！
〃Seems　like　a　nice　fellow。　He　wanted　to　make　sure　you　were　all　right；
since　you　seemed　so　upset　at　the　deposition。〃
〃Wasn"t　that　considerate　of　him；〃　she　snipped　bitterly。　Guilt　feelings。
Good。　Let　him　suffer　〃How　did　he　know　to　call　you？　He　doesn"t　know　my
maiden　name。〃　But；　of　course；　he　could　find　it　out。　He　could　find　out
anything　he　wanted。　Powerful　men　got　what　they　wanted　without　batting　an
eyelash。
〃He　called　Ted　first；〃　her　father　explained。　〃He　hesitated　to　call　you
directly；　for　fear　of　upsetting　you　more。〃
〃Wise　man。〃　Upsetting　me　more。　That　was　cute。
Anthony　Faulke　eyed　her　with　gentle　reproach。　〃It　was　considerate。　After
all；　his　airline"s　been　found　innocent　in　the　matter。　Technically；　it"s
no　concern　of　his　any　longer。〃
Anne　didn"t　care　that　his　airline　was　innocent。　In　her　mind；　Mitch　was
still　a　deceiver。
She　was　angry　with　no　one　to　yell　at；　heartsick　with　no　one　to　hug；　and
if　she　moped　about　for　the　better　part　of　each　day；　the　nights　were　no
better。　She　was　obsessed　by　a　living　nightmare；　waking　and　sleeping。
By　the　middle　of　the　second　week；　she　was　at　the　end　of　her　rope。　So　she
lined　up　several　fast　interpreting　jobs　that　would　get　her　away　from
paper　translations　and　out　into　a　people…oriented　mainstream　again。　And
it　worked。　She　got　a　handle　on　her　emotions。
Then　she　was　thrown　a　setback。　Her　doorbell　rang　one　evening　when　she
wasn"t　expecting　anyone