Chapter 12 Section 1

Thomas Lloyd saw Mary Odin waiting for him on the platform as soon as he got off the train. He had only vague memories of her, and seeing her now, he was a little surprised to find himself delighted in her health. She called him by his first name. "Nice to meet you, Thomas. It's been so many years." "Thank you for picking me up. I hope it won't be too intrusive." "Not at all, on the contrary, you'd be especially welcome. Is that your porter? Tell him to come this way. My car is at the end." The suitcases were loaded onto the "Ford".Mary drove and Roydie sat beside her.Thomas noticed that she was a good driver, with dexterous hands and feet, careful avoidance of cars, and good judgment of distance and direction.

Saldington is seven miles from Saltpool.As soon as they left the city and hit the main road, Mary Odin resumed the subject of his visit. "Really, Thomas, it's kind of careless of you to come here just now. Things are a little tricky—and a stranger—or rather, an outsider—is just what we need." "What's the trouble?" His demeanor was as nonchalant as ever—almost lazy.He asked the question in a tone that seemed out of politeness, not because he really wanted to know.This attitude worked especially well for Mary Odin.She would love to talk to someone--but she'd rather talk to someone who isn't very interested.

she says: "Er—we're in a bit of a sticky situation. Audrey's here, maybe you know?" She paused, and Thomas Lloyd nodded. "Nevill and his wife are here." Thomas Lloyd's eyebrows went up.After a minute or two he said: "It's kind of embarrassing—or something?" "It's kind of embarrassing. It's all Neville's bad idea." She paused.Roedy said nothing, but she seemed aware of his disbelief, and she repeated flatly: "It was Neville's idea." "why?" She takes her hands off the steering wheel. "Oh, what modernity! Let's all be sensible friends. That's the idea. But, you know, I don't think it's going to work."

"Maybe it won't work," he said. "What about the new lady?" "Kay? Pretty, of course. Really pretty, and quite young." "Neville liked her very much?" "Oh, yes. Of course they've only been married for a year and a half." Thomas Lloyd turned slowly to look at her.There was a slight smile on the corner of his mouth.Mary said hastily: "I don't mean anything else." "Come on, Mary, I think you have." "Well, they can't help but feel like they have very little in common. Like, their friends—" She paused.

Roy Dee asked: "He met her at Rivera, didn't he? I don't know. Only what my mother wrote to me." "Yes, they met in Cannis first. Neville was smitten with her - though I think he's been smitten with other girls before - harmlessly. I still think if it wasn't for the stalking, it was It'll be all right. He likes Audrey, you know?" Thomas nodded. Mary continued: "I don't think he wants to break up the marriage--I'm sure he doesn't. But the girl is obsessed with him, and she's hell-bent on getting him. She's not going to stop until he leaves his wife--a man in that situation How can it be? Of course, it flatters him,"

"She fell deeply in love with him?" "I suppose so." Mary's tone was a little suspicious.She blushed when she met his inquiring gaze. "You must think I'm up to no good! There's a young man around her all the time--good-looking, like a boy--an old friend of hers--sometimes I can't help wondering if she's in love with Neville Something to do with him being very rich and distinguished. I guess the girl doesn't have a dime." She paused, a little embarrassed.Thomas Lloyd only let out a "huh-huh", as if he was thinking about something.

"However," said Mary, "perhaps it's just me being delusional! The girl was indeed very attractive--perhaps that's what aroused my old maid's suspicions." Roy Dee looked at her thoughtfully, but his "poker" face made it difficult to guess his inner reaction.After a minute or two he said: "What is the exact problem at the moment?" "You know, I really don't know at all! That's why it's so weird. Of course we talked it over with Audrey first - and she didn't seem to object to meeting Kay - she's got a nice face, she's always been a class Charming, there's no one else like her. Of course, Audrey has always been right with people and things. Her attitude towards them both is perfect. You know, she is very reserved, and it is impossible to know what she is really thinking. Something or something—though, honestly, I don't believe she cares."

"She has no reason to care," Tomas Rloyd said.He added later: "After all, it was three years ago." "Do people like Audrey forget? She likes Neville very much." Thomas Lloyd changed his sitting position. "She is only thirty-two years old, and she still has great days ahead." "Oh, I know that. But she's having a hard time. She's had a really bad breakdown, you know." "I know. Mother wrote and told me." "In a way," said Mary, "I think it was good for your mother to have Audrey to look after. It would soften her sorrow—the sorrow caused by your brother's death. We all felt that sad."

"Well. Poor Adrian. Always driving too fast." There was a silence.Mary put one hand out of the car window to signal that she was going to turn downhill on the road to Yanpu. Not long afterward, as they descended the narrow, winding hill, she said: "Thomas—you know Audrey well?" "It's fine. I haven't seen her much in the past ten years." "Well, but you have known her since you were a child, she is like your sister to Adrian?" He nodded. "Is she—does she have any physical or mental imbalances? Oh, I don't quite mean that. But I have a feeling that there seems to be something wrong with her now. She is so isolated and peaceful that it is uncomfortable." Normal—sometimes I wonder if there's something lurking beneath that calm demeanor of hers. From time to time I get the feeling that she's harboring some very strong feelings. I don't quite know what those feelings are! But I It does feel like she's out of order. There must be something! It worries me. I really feel that there's an air in the room that affects everyone's mood. We're all nervous and restless. But I don't know What. And sometimes, Thomas, it scares me."

"Scares you?" His slow, suspicious tone made her smile a little nervously.She cheers up... "Sounds absurd—but that's exactly what I was saying—it's good for us all to have you here—to lighten the mood. Ah, here we are." Their car slid through the last bend. "Gull Cape" sits on a rocky plateau overlooking the river.There are steep cliffs on both sides.The garden and tennis court are located on the left wing of the house.The garage - a later addition - is just down the road, on the right wing of the house. Mary says: "I'll come when I pull the car into the garage. Hurstoll will call you."

The old servant Hastor greeted Thomas happily as if seeing an old friend. "Nice to see you, Mr. Roydy, after so many years. The lady will be glad to see you too. You sleep in the East Wing, sir. I think you can go into the garden, where everyone is, unless you want to to the room." Thomas shook his head.He crossed the living room to the window that opened onto the courtyard balcony.He stood there watching for a while, but no one noticed him. The only figures on the balcony were two women.One sits on the corner of the back fence looking out over the river.The other was looking at her. The first was Audrey—the other, he knew, must be Kay Schunk.Kay had no idea that someone was watching her.The expression on her face was unmistakable.Thomas Lloyd may not have been a very observant man about women, but he could also tell that Kay Schunji had a strong dislike for Audrey. As for Audrey, she was staring at the river in a daze, as if she didn't know that the other woman was there, or she was deliberately indifferent. Thomas Lloyd had not seen Audrey Schunk for more than seven years.Now he was studying her carefully.Has she changed?If so, how? It's changed, he thought.She became thinner and paler, and the overall look gave people a more light and delicate feeling-but there were other changes that he couldn't tell.It was as if she was restraining herself every moment, on the alert—always paying close attention to what was happening around her.He thought, she is like a person who hides a deep secret, but what secret is hidden?He knew something about what had happened to her over the past few years.He was prepared to face her sadness and sense of loss—but that wasn't the case.She is like a child holding a treasure tightly in her hand, always paying attention to keeping the secret in her hand. Then his eyes moved to another woman--now the girl of "Mrs. Neville Schunk."It was beautiful, and Mary Odin was right.And it made him imagine a dangerous woman.He thought: If she had a knife in her hand, I wouldn't feel at ease letting her get close to Audrey... But why would she hate Neville's ex-wife?All that has become a thing of the past.Audrey has nothing to do with them now. There was the sound of footsteps on the balcony, Neville coming from the corner.He looked warm and held a pictorial in his hand. "It's a pictorial," he said, "and there's no other—" Then two things happened exactly at the same time. Kay said, "Oh, okay, here it is." Audrey held out her hand almost absent-mindedly, without looking back. Neville froze between the two women, a slightly embarrassed look on his face.Before he could speak, Kay said, raising his voice hysterically: "I will. Give me! Give me, Neville!" Audrey Schunji turned her head, was taken aback, withdrew her outstretched hand, and whispered in a slightly confused voice: "Oh, sorry. I thought you were talking to me, Neville." Thomas Lloyd saw Neville Schunji's neck flushed, and quickly moved forward three steps, and handed the pictorial to Audrey. She hesitated, showing an awkward attitude, and said: "Oh, but—" Kay pushed back the chair heavily, stood up, turned and walked towards the window of the living room.Roydy had no time to avoid it, and she bumped into him. She cringed in terror; he apologized to her, she looked at him, and then he understood why she hadn't seen him, and her eyes filled with tears—tears of anger, he thought. "Hello," she said, "who are you? Oh! By the way, from Malaya!" "Yes," said Thomas, "I came back from Malaya." "I wish I were in Malaya," Kay said, "anywhere but here! I hate this mean house! I hate everyone here!" Such passionate scenes never ceased to amaze Thomas.He watched Kay carefully while whispering nervously: "Ah-hmm." "If they're not careful," Kay said, "I'm going to kill someone! Either Neville or that white-faced cat out there!" She walked past him quickly, walked out, and closed the door with a "bang". Thomas Lloyd stood there dumbfounded.He didn't quite know what he was going to do when he went down, but he was glad that young Mrs. Shi Chunji was gone, and he stood looking at the door that she had slammed shut.Like a tigress, the new Mrs. Schunk. Then the window and door were dark, and Neville Schunji's body stopped in front of the French door.His breathing is a little fast. He greeted Thomas vaguely. "Oh—uh—hey, Rloyd, didn't know you were here. By the way, did you see my wife?" "She passed here about a minute ago," said another. Neville went out through the drawing-room door; his expression was troubled. Thomas Lloyd walked slowly through the open window.He walks lightly.Audrey didn't turn her head until he was within a few yards of her. Then he saw the big eyes widen and her mouth open.She slid down the back fence and held out her hands to meet him. "Oh, Thomas," she said, "thomas dear! How glad you are to have come." Just when he was holding her small white hand and bowing his head to kiss her, Mary Odin came to the French door, saw the two people on the balcony, stopped, watched them for a while, and then slowly Turning around, he walked back into the house.