sky.
In front of them was the breakwater that divided the inlet from the ocean, and
a long sandy beach. That was all.
Amy
turned to look at Lit. The older woman was very pale, but she said nothing.
Beside her Maureen sniffed and pressed a handkerchief to her running nose.
Warren stared straight ahead, refusing to acknowledge the desolation. Luke
finally broke the silence. "Where's the house supposed to be, Uncle
Warren?"
"To
the left. One hundred twenty Montgomery Street." It sounded absurd. Where
were the other one hundred and nineteen? Amy swallowed a giggle.
They
drove along a dirt road. Finally they saw a cluster of obviously new houses and
a few weather-beaten shacks. There was a crude grid of streets, apparently laid
out by someone with more faith than realism. One bore a signpost that said
Montgomery, and they followed it to three finished houses and a
half-constructed fourth.
Number
one-twenty was on a corner of sorts, close to the beach and the ocean. It was a
sizable two-story house built of white stucco with a red tile roof. There was a
screened entry porch. The door leading to it was locked, but Warren produced a
set of keys. He stood aside for his sister to enter.
"I'm
going out back to see the yard," Warren said when they were all huddled
together in the cold and silent foyer.
Lil
stared after him. Amy took her hand and tugged her toward the stairway.
"Come, Aunt Lit, let's start at the top and work our way down." They
left Luke to cope with Maureen, who was still sniffling loudly.
There
were four bedrooms and two baths. Amy remarked on the nice size of the rooms
and the pleasant views. Lil said nothing. She followed the girl around on stiff
wooden legs.
"Here's
the maid's quarters," Amy said. They were in a rear suite comprising two
rooms and a bath. "You know, I think Maureen will be impressed with this.
After all she only has one room in the apartment." The rooms were small,
and the view was only of the neighboring house. Still, the fact of two separate
rooms was likely to strike Maureen as luxury. "I think we'd better get her
up here to see this right away," Amy said. "It may stop her
moaning."
"It's
so empty, so far from everything," Lil whispered. "I couldn't live
here. Warren just has to see that."
Amy
studied the pale, crumpled face. Then she made a hasty decision. "Listen,
Aunt Lil, he's afraid to tell you himself, but Warren's already bought the
house."
"No!
He couldn't do that. Not without my agreement. We've always done these things
together. Why when we bought the apartment ..."
"He's
desperate for a garden, you know that. And this place was offered at a price he
could afford."
"No,"
Lil said again. But with less conviction.
"It's
true, Luke told me." She took the older woman's hands in hers.
"Warren means to live here alone if you won't join him. That would be a
shame, Aunt Lil. You'd both be so lonely."
"Alone?
Without me?"
"I
think so, yes. But I'm sure he'd much prefer it if you'd live here with
him."
Lil
walked to the window and stood looking at the wall of the next house. Finally
she turned back to Amy. Slowly a change came over her features. She had been
ghostly pale; now she flushed. The thin lips trembled for a moment, then set in
a half smile. It was forced, but firmly held in place. "Of course if
Warren's made up his mind ... These other houses are sure to be sold soon. And
more will probably be built." She turned and hurried out of the maid's suite
to a large bedroom with a superb view of the sea. "This could be my room.
I could paint it pale blue. What do you think, Amy? Is blue too cold a
color?"
"I
think it's a lovely choice for a summer house."
Lil
nodded and looked at her watch. "Goodness! It's after one. We'd better
have our picnic lunch."
All
the while she nibbled roast chicken and picked at potato salad Amy thought
about the lessons of the morning. Getting what you want is largely
In front of them was the breakwater that divided the inlet from the ocean, and
a long sandy beach. That was all.
Amy
turned to look at Lit. The older woman was very pale, but she said nothing.
Beside her Maureen sniffed and pressed a handkerchief to her running nose.
Warren stared straight ahead, refusing to acknowledge the desolation. Luke
finally broke the silence. "Where's the house supposed to be, Uncle
Warren?"
"To
the left. One hundred twenty Montgomery Street." It sounded absurd. Where
were the other one hundred and nineteen? Amy swallowed a giggle.
They
drove along a dirt road. Finally they saw a cluster of obviously new houses and
a few weather-beaten shacks. There was a crude grid of streets, apparently laid
out by someone with more faith than realism. One bore a signpost that said
Montgomery, and they followed it to three finished houses and a
half-constructed fourth.
Number
one-twenty was on a corner of sorts, close to the beach and the ocean. It was a
sizable two-story house built of white stucco with a red tile roof. There was a
screened entry porch. The door leading to it was locked, but Warren produced a
set of keys. He stood aside for his sister to enter.
"I'm
going out back to see the yard," Warren said when they were all huddled
together in the cold and silent foyer.
Lil
stared after him. Amy took her hand and tugged her toward the stairway.
"Come, Aunt Lit, let's start at the top and work our way down." They
left Luke to cope with Maureen, who was still sniffling loudly.
There
were four bedrooms and two baths. Amy remarked on the nice size of the rooms
and the pleasant views. Lil said nothing. She followed the girl around on stiff
wooden legs.
"Here's
the maid's quarters," Amy said. They were in a rear suite comprising two
rooms and a bath. "You know, I think Maureen will be impressed with this.
After all she only has one room in the apartment." The rooms were small,
and the view was only of the neighboring house. Still, the fact of two separate
rooms was likely to strike Maureen as luxury. "I think we'd better get her
up here to see this right away," Amy said. "It may stop her
moaning."
"It's
so empty, so far from everything," Lil whispered. "I couldn't live
here. Warren just has to see that."
Amy
studied the pale, crumpled face. Then she made a hasty decision. "Listen,
Aunt Lil, he's afraid to tell you himself, but Warren's already bought the
house."
"No!
He couldn't do that. Not without my agreement. We've always done these things
together. Why when we bought the apartment ..."
"He's
desperate for a garden, you know that. And this place was offered at a price he
could afford."
"No,"
Lil said again. But with less conviction.
"It's
true, Luke told me." She took the older woman's hands in hers.
"Warren means to live here alone if you won't join him. That would be a
shame, Aunt Lil. You'd both be so lonely."
"Alone?
Without me?"
"I
think so, yes. But I'm sure he'd much prefer it if you'd live here with
him."
Lil
walked to the window and stood looking at the wall of the next house. Finally
she turned back to Amy. Slowly a change came over her features. She had been
ghostly pale; now she flushed. The thin lips trembled for a moment, then set in
a half smile. It was forced, but firmly held in place. "Of course if
Warren's made up his mind ... These other houses are sure to be sold soon. And
more will probably be built." She turned and hurried out of the maid's suite
to a large bedroom with a superb view of the sea. "This could be my room.
I could paint it pale blue. What do you think, Amy? Is blue too cold a
color?"
"I
think it's a lovely choice for a summer house."
Lil
nodded and looked at her watch. "Goodness! It's after one. We'd better
have our picnic lunch."
All
the while she nibbled roast chicken and picked at potato salad Amy thought
about the lessons of the morning. Getting what you want is largely
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