sidneysheldon.astrangerinthemirror-第25章

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me　banks　and　a　large　insurance　pany。　
　〃Can't　you　just　tell　her　no；　David？〃　David　sighed。　〃You　don't　know　my　mother。〃　
　Josephine　had　met　David's　mother。　She　was　a　tiny　woman。　It　seemed　impossible　that　David　had　e　out　of　that　stick　figure　who　had　borne　three　children。　She　had　been　very　ill　during　and　after　each　pregnancy　and　had　had　a　heart　attack　following　the　third　delivery。　Over　the　years　she　repeatedly　described　her　suffering　to　her　children；　who　grew　up　with　the　belief　that　their　mother　had　deliberately　risked　death　in　order　to　give　each　of　them　life。　It　gave　her　a　powerful　hold　on　her　family；　which　she　wielded　unsparingly。　
　〃I　want　to　live　my　own　life；〃　David　told　Josephine；　〃but　I　can't　do　anything　to　hurt　Mother。　The　truth　is　　Doc　Young　doesn't　think　she's　going　to　be　with　us　much　longer。〃　
　One　evening；　Josephine　told　David　about　her　dreams　of　going　to　Hollywood　and　being　a　star。　He　looked　at　her　and　said；　quietly；　
　〃I　won't　let　you　go。〃　
　She　could　feel　her　heart　beating　wildly。　Each　time　they　were　together；　the　feeling　of　intimacy　between　them　grew　stronger。　Josephine's　background　did　not　mean　a　damn　to　David。　He　did　not　have　an　ounce　of　snobbery　in　him。　It　made　the　incident　at　the　drive…in　one　night　that　much　more　shocking。　
　It　was　closing　time；　and　David　was　parked　in　his　car；　waiting　for　her。　Josephine　was　in　the　small　kitchen　with　Paco；　hurriedly　putting　away　the　last　of　the　trays。　
　〃Heavy　date；　huh？〃　Paco　said。　Josephine　smiled。　
　〃How　did　you　know？〃　
　〃Because　you　look　like　Chreestmas。　Your　pretty　face　ees　all　lit　up。　You　tell　heem　for　me　he's　one　lucky　hombre！〃　Josephine　smiled　and　said；　
　〃I　will。〃　On　an　impulse；　she　leaned　over　and　gave　Paco　a　kiss　on　the　cheek。　An　instant　later；　she　heard　the　roar　of　a　car　engine　and　then　the　scream　of　rubber。　She　turned　in　time　to　see　David's　white　convertible　smash　the　fender　of　another　car　and　race　away　from　the　drive…in。　She　stood　there；　unbelievingly；　watching　the　tail　lights　disappear　into　the　night。　
　At　three　o'clock　in　the　morning；　as　Josephine　lay　tossing　in　bed；　she　heard　a　car　pull　up　outside　her　bedroom。　She　hurried　to　the　window　and　looked　out。　David　was　sitting　behind　the　wheel。　He　was　very　drunk。　Quickly；　Josephine　put　on　a　robe　over　her　nightgown　and　went　outside。
　〃Get　in；〃'　David　manded。　
　Josephine　opened　die　car　door　and　slid　in　beside　him。　There　was　a　long；　heavy　silence。　When　David　finally　spoke；　his　voice　was　thick；　but　it　was　more　than　the　whiskey　he　had　drunk。　There　was　a　rage　in　him；　a　savage　fury　that　propelled　the　words　out　of　him　like　small　explosions。　
　〃I　don't　own　you；〃　David　said。　〃You're　free　to　do　exactly　as　you　please。　But　as　long　as　you　go　out　with　me；　I　expect　you　not　to　kiss　any　god　damned　Mexicans。　Y'understand？〃　
　She　looked　at　him；　helplessly；　then　said；　
　〃When　I　kissed　Paco；　it　was　because　…　he　said　something　that　made　me　happy。　He's　my　friend。〃　
　〃David　took　a　deep　breath；　trying　to　control　the　emotions　that　were　burning　inside　him。　
　〃I'm　going　to　tell　you　something　I've　never　told　to　a　living　soul。〃　
　Josephine　sat　there　waiting；　wondering　what　was　ing　next。　
　〃I　have　an　older　sister；〃　David　said。　〃Beth。　I　…　I　adore　her。〃　Josephine　had　a　vague　recollection　of　Beth；　a　blonde；　fair…skinned　beauty；　whom　Josephine　used　to　see　when　she　went　over　to　play　with　Mary　Lou。　Josephine　had　been　eight　when　Beth　passed　away。　David　must　have　been　about　fifteen。　
　〃I　remember　when　Beth　died；〃　Josephine　said。　David's　next　words　were　a　shock。　
　〃Beth　is　alive。〃　She　stared　at　him。　〃But；　I　…　everyone　thought　…〃
　〃She's　in　an　insane　asylum。〃　He　turned　to　face　her；　his　fice　dead。　〃She　was　raped　by　one　of　our　Mexican　gardeners；　Beth's　bedroom　was　across　the　hall　from　mine。　I　heard　her　screams　and　I　raced　into　her　room。　He　had　ripped　off　her　nightgown　and　he　was　on　top　of　her　and　〃　His　voice　broke　with　the　memory。　〃I　struggled　with　him　until　my　mother　ran　in　and　called　the　police。　They　finally　arrived　and　took　the　man　to　jail。　He　mitted　suidde　in　his　cell　that　night。　But　Beth　had　lost　her　mind。　She'll　never　leave　that　place。　Never。　I　can't　tell　you　how　much　I　love　her；　Josie。　I　miss　her　so　damned　much。　Every　since　that　night；　I　　I　　I　can't　　stand　〃　
　She　placed　a　hand　over　his　and　said；　〃I'm　sorry；　David。　I　understand；　I'm　glad　you　told　me。〃　
　In　some　strange　way；　the　incident　served　to　bring　them　even　closer　together。　They　discussed　things　they　had　never　talked　about　before。　David　smiled　when　Josephine　told　him　about　her　mother's　religious　fanaticism。　
　〃I　had　an　uncle　like　that　once；〃　he　said。　〃He　went　off　to　some　monastery　in　Tibet。〃　
　〃I'm　going　to　be　twenty…four　next　month；〃　David　told　Josephine　one　day。　〃It's　an　old　family　tradition　that　the　Kenyon　men　marry　by　the　time　they're　twenty…four；〃　and　her　heart　leaped　within　her。　The　following　evening；　David　had　tickets　for　a　play　at　the　Globe　Theatre。　When　he　came　to　pick　Josephine　up；　he　said；　
　〃Let's　forget　the　play。　We're　going　to　talk　about　our　future。〃　
　The　moment　Josephine　heard　the　words；　she　knew　that　everything　she　had　prayed　for　was　ing　true。　She　could　read　it　in　David's　eyes。　They　were　filled　with　love　and　wanting。　She　said；　
　〃Let's　drive　out　to　Dewey　Lake。〃　She　wanted　it　to　be　the　most　romantic　proposal　ever　made；　so　that　one　day　it　would　bee　a　tale　that　she　would　tell　her　children；　over　and　over。　She　wanted　to　remember　every　moment　of　this　night。　Dewey　Lake　was　a　small　body　of　water　about　forty　miles　outside　of　Odessa。　The　night　was　beautiful　and　star…spangled；　with　a　soft；　waxing　gibbous　moon。　The　stars　danced　on　the　water；　and　the　air　was　filled　with　the　mysterious　sounds　of　a　world；　a　microcosm　of　the　universe；　where　millions　of　unseen　creatures　made　love　and　were　preyed　soon　and　died。　
　Josephine　and　David　sat　in　the　car；　silent；　listening　to　the　sounds　of　the　night。　Josephine　watched　him；　sitting　behind　the　wheel　of　the　car；　his　handsome　face　intense　and　ferious。　She　had　never　loved　him　as　much　as　she　loved　him　at　that　moment。　She　wanted　to　do　something　wonderful　for　him；　to　give　him　something　to　let　him　know　how　much　she　flared　for　him。　And　suddenly　she　knew　what　she　was　going　to　do。　
　〃Let's　go　for　a　swim；　David；〃　she　said。　
　〃We　didn't　bring　bathing　suits。〃　
　'It　doesn't　matter。〃　
　He　turned　to　look　at　her　and　started　to　speak；　but　Josephine　was　out　of　the　car；　running　down　to　the　shore　of　the　lake。　As　she　started　to　undress　she　could　hear　him　moving　behind　her。　She　plunged　into　the　warm　water。　A　moment　after　David　was　beside　her。　
　〃Josie。。。〃　
　She　turned　toward　him；　then　into　him；　her　body　hurting　with　wanting；　hungry　for　him。　They　embraced　in　the　water　and　she　could　feel　the　male　hardness　of　him　pressed　against　her；　and　he　said；　
　〃We　can't。　Josie。〃　
　His　voice　was　choked　with　his　desire　for　her。　She　reached　down　for　him　and　said；　
　〃Yes。　Oh；　yes；　David。〃　
　They　were　back　on　the　shore　and　he　was　on　top　of　her　and　inside　her　and　one　with　her　and　they　were　both　a　part　of　the　stars　and　the　earth　and　the　velvet　night。　They　lay　together　a　long　time；　holding　each　other。　It　ras　not　until　much　later；　after　David　had　dropped　her　off　at　home；　that　Josephine　remembered　that　he　had　not　proposed　to　her。　But　it　no　longer　mattered。　What　they　had　bared　together　was　more　binding　than　any　marriage　ceremony。　He　would　propose　tomorrow。　
　Josephine　slept　until　noon　the　next　day。　She　woke　up　with　a　smile　on　her　face。　The　smile　was　still　there　when　her　mother　came　into　the　bedroom　carrying　a　lovely　old　wedding　dress。　〃Go　down　to　Brubaker's　and　get　me　twelve　yards　of　tulle　right　away。　Mrs。　Topping　just　brought　me　her　wedding　dress。　I　have　to　make　it　over　for　Cissy　by　Saturday。　She　and　David　Kenyon　are　getting　married。〃　
　
　David　Kenyon　had　gone　to　see　his　mother　as　soon　as　he　drove　Josephine　home。　She　was　in　bed；　a　tiny；　frail　woman　who　had　once　been　very　beautiful。　His　mother　opened　her　eyes　when　David　walked　into　her　dimly　lit　bedroom。　She　smiled　when　she　saw　who　it　was。　
　〃Hello；　son。　You're　up　late。〃　
　〃I　was　out　with　Josephine；　Mother。〃　
　She　said　nothing；　just　watching　him　with　her　intelligent　gray　eyes。　
　〃I'm　going　to　marry　her；〃　David　said。　She　shook　her　head　slowly。
　　〃I　can't　let　you　make　a