Louise’s smile he should be remembering, Louise’s pretty face he should dream of. There was no reason he should think of Carolyn.
Dwight rose and began to pace the floor, trying to diagnose the cause of his errant thoughts. It had to be because Carolyn was here, and Louise was thousands of miles away. Pure proximity. Nothing else.
Dwight smiled in satisfaction. He was a good diagnostician. Now that he’d identified the cause of the problem, he knew how to cure it. Think of Louise, he admonished himself. She was the woman he was going to marry.
Dwight stared out the window, thankful that his room did not face the courtyard. He could see trees from here, and although they did not look like the trees at home, they were preferable to the sight of a muddy courtyard. Of course, he hadn’t noticed the mud when he had been with Carolyn. It was only later when he had tried to clean his boots that he had realized he’d stood in inch-deep mud for close to half an hour.
Think of Louise. She wouldn’t have stood in the mud. Louise was far too sensible for that. The truth was, that practicality was one of the things that had attracted Dwight. He had met Louise at one of the few social events he’d attended while he was a resident. She was beautiful and charming, but—more than that—he had realized she would be the perfect wife. The daughter of a doctor, Louise understood the demands of a physician’s life. Just as important, she was a careful planner like Dwight himself. Spontaneity was not a word in her vocabulary, any more than it was in his.
Louise had developed a blueprint for her life, and that blueprint included marrying the right man, having three children, a home with a garden, and a cocker spaniel. She had already chosen the names for their children—three boys’ and three girls’ names, so they’d be prepared—and had begun looking for the perfect lot for their home. She had also started visiting dog breeders. “You can’t start too early,” she had told Dwight.
He, unfortunately, had not started early enough if he was going to finish his letter tonight. Dwight picked up the pen and began to write. Dear Louise. But though he told himself he needed to write, his mind refused to concentrate on the letter. Instead, he remembered the day they had become engaged. It had been Christmas, for Louise had said she had always dreamed of a Christmas engagement and a Midsummer Night’s wedding. How her face had lit with pleasure when he had slipped the diamond ring onto her finger! It was silly to think that she’d been happier about the ring itself than about the prospect of marrying him. It was simply that the ring was new and she was the first of her friends to become engaged. That was the only reason Louise had spent the day visiting friends, showing off the diamond, while he’d remained at home celebrating the holiday with her family.
Dwight pushed that thought aside and began to write. He would tell Louise about the break in the rain and the hope of a Christmas truce. Those were safe topics. He would definitely not tell Louise about Carolyn and their discussion of engagements.
Dwight laid the pen on the desk and leaned back again, thinking. There was something mysterious about Carolyn’s engagement. Or was there? Perhaps it was simply that it was different. It was clear that Carolyn’s engagement bore little resemblance to his and that her agreement to marry Ed had been impulsive. And yet, who was to say that that was wrong? She loved Ed. She had said that. And he … Dwight frowned. He loved Louise; of course he did.
Carolyn poured herself a cup of tea and settled back in the one comfortable chair that the room boasted. The letter from Ed that had arrived that morning was on the table next to her, waiting to be read. But first she wanted to unwind, to put the day’s events behind her.
Why had she gotten herself into such a predicament, discussing engagements? It wasn’t as if she could blame anyone
Dwight rose and began to pace the floor, trying to diagnose the cause of his errant thoughts. It had to be because Carolyn was here, and Louise was thousands of miles away. Pure proximity. Nothing else.
Dwight smiled in satisfaction. He was a good diagnostician. Now that he’d identified the cause of the problem, he knew how to cure it. Think of Louise, he admonished himself. She was the woman he was going to marry.
Dwight stared out the window, thankful that his room did not face the courtyard. He could see trees from here, and although they did not look like the trees at home, they were preferable to the sight of a muddy courtyard. Of course, he hadn’t noticed the mud when he had been with Carolyn. It was only later when he had tried to clean his boots that he had realized he’d stood in inch-deep mud for close to half an hour.
Think of Louise. She wouldn’t have stood in the mud. Louise was far too sensible for that. The truth was, that practicality was one of the things that had attracted Dwight. He had met Louise at one of the few social events he’d attended while he was a resident. She was beautiful and charming, but—more than that—he had realized she would be the perfect wife. The daughter of a doctor, Louise understood the demands of a physician’s life. Just as important, she was a careful planner like Dwight himself. Spontaneity was not a word in her vocabulary, any more than it was in his.
Louise had developed a blueprint for her life, and that blueprint included marrying the right man, having three children, a home with a garden, and a cocker spaniel. She had already chosen the names for their children—three boys’ and three girls’ names, so they’d be prepared—and had begun looking for the perfect lot for their home. She had also started visiting dog breeders. “You can’t start too early,” she had told Dwight.
He, unfortunately, had not started early enough if he was going to finish his letter tonight. Dwight picked up the pen and began to write. Dear Louise. But though he told himself he needed to write, his mind refused to concentrate on the letter. Instead, he remembered the day they had become engaged. It had been Christmas, for Louise had said she had always dreamed of a Christmas engagement and a Midsummer Night’s wedding. How her face had lit with pleasure when he had slipped the diamond ring onto her finger! It was silly to think that she’d been happier about the ring itself than about the prospect of marrying him. It was simply that the ring was new and she was the first of her friends to become engaged. That was the only reason Louise had spent the day visiting friends, showing off the diamond, while he’d remained at home celebrating the holiday with her family.
Dwight pushed that thought aside and began to write. He would tell Louise about the break in the rain and the hope of a Christmas truce. Those were safe topics. He would definitely not tell Louise about Carolyn and their discussion of engagements.
Dwight laid the pen on the desk and leaned back again, thinking. There was something mysterious about Carolyn’s engagement. Or was there? Perhaps it was simply that it was different. It was clear that Carolyn’s engagement bore little resemblance to his and that her agreement to marry Ed had been impulsive. And yet, who was to say that that was wrong? She loved Ed. She had said that. And he … Dwight frowned. He loved Louise; of course he did.
Carolyn poured herself a cup of tea and settled back in the one comfortable chair that the room boasted. The letter from Ed that had arrived that morning was on the table next to her, waiting to be read. But first she wanted to unwind, to put the day’s events behind her.
Why had she gotten herself into such a predicament, discussing engagements? It wasn’t as if she could blame anyone
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