Chapter 11 Chapter Eleven Night at the Palme d'Or Hotel

Molly rearranged some of the cutlery on the dining room table again, took out the "extra knife", straightened the fork, turned the glass; With no one around, she walked to the end of the terrace and stood by the railing. After a while, another night was about to begin. Talking, laughing, drinking and having fun, everyone is carefree, which is what she has always yearned for in the past, but she still likes it very much until a few days ago.Today, however, even Tim seems anxious.Perhaps it was natural for him to feel a little anxious.It is very important for them to succeed in this venture.Because he invested all his savings in this restaurant.

But, Molly thought, that wasn't what Tim was really worried about.it's me?But I really don't understand, said Molly to herself, why he should bother about me.But he was really worried about her.This, she thought, was by no means a problem.He asked her what to say, glancing at her nervously from time to time.But why?Molly couldn't figure it out. "I've been very cautious," she tried to sort things out in her mind.In fact, she herself could not explain why.She can't remember how it started.I didn't even dare to say what was going on.Somehow, she began to be afraid of people.She doesn't know why.What can they do to her?

What to do with her again? She nodded, and when a hand touched her arm suddenly, her head nodded even more violently.Turning sharply, she found Greg Dyson standing in front of her with a surprised and apologetic expression. "I'm so sorry. Did I scare you, little girl?" Molly resented being called "little girl.""I didn't hear you approaching, Mr. Dyson, and I was taken aback," she said hastily but cheerfully. "Mr. Dyson? Why are we so reserved tonight. Aren't we family here? Edward, me and Lucky, Evelyn, you, Tim, and Esther Walders and Raifel Old man, aren't we all one family?"

"He's had too much to drink," thought Molly, still smiling at him cheerfully. "Well, sometimes I'm a bit more serious as a matron," she said with mock lightness: "Tim and I both think it's more polite not to call someone by their first name lightly." "Oh. We needn't be so restrained. How about, my lovely Molly, have a drink with me?" "Wait a minute," said Molly, "I've got something to do." "Don't run away." He put his arms around her. "You're lovely, Molly. I hope Tim knows how to enjoy his blessings."

"Oh, I won't let him forget that," said Molly cheerfully. "I'm going to have a crush on you, you know, I can't help it"—he squinted at her—"of course I won't let my wife hear it." "Did you go out and play this afternoon?" "No. To tell you the truth, I get bored sometimes. It's always birds and butterflies. How about we go to a picnic someday?" "Look again," Molly said with a smile all over her face, "That's a good idea." With a chuckle, she broke free from him and went back to the bar. "Hey, Molly," Tim said, "what's the rush? Who's that guy talking to you outside?"

She poked her head and looked outside. "Greg Dyson." "What is he going to do?" "Want to eat my tofu," said Molly. "Bastard!" Tim said. "Leave him alone," said Molly, "I'll make him look good." Just as Tim was about to answer the call, he saw Fernando and went over to give him instructions loudly.Molly walked through the kitchen, out the kitchen door, and down the path to the beach. Greg Dyson cursed softly, then slowly walked towards his cabin.Just when he was about to arrive, he suddenly heard someone talking to him behind the shadow of a bush.In the twilight, he thought for a moment that it was a ghost standing there.After a while, he laughed out loud.Although the figure looked like a faceless ghost, it was because although the man's clothes were snow-white, his face was pitch black.Victoria came out from behind the bushes to the path.

"Mr Dyson, please wait." "What's the matter?" Surprised and embarrassed himself, he deliberately put on an impatient tone. "I'm bringing this to you, sir." She held out her hand, which contained a bottle of pills. "It's yours, isn't it? Isn't it?" "Oh, my tranquilizer. Yes, of course mine. Where did you find it?" "I found it where I was left. In the gentleman's house." "What do you mean—in that gentleman's house?" "The dead gentleman," she said gloomily, "I don't think he'll die."

"Why not?" Dyson asked. Victoria just stood there staring at him. "I still don't know what you're talking about. Do you mean you found the bottle of pills in the cabin of Young Branch in Balgrave?" "Exactly. When the doctor and the Jamestown folks left, he told us to take everything out of his bathroom. Toothpaste, beard lotion and all— And this bottle of pills. " "Then why didn't you throw it away?" "Because it's yours. You can't find it. Remember? You asked me?" "Yes—er, yes—I asked. I thought I'd misplaced it."

"No, you did not misplace it. Someone took it from your room and put it in Major Balgrave's room." "How do you know?" he asked gruffly. "Of course I did. I saw it." She smiled at him with a sudden grin of white teeth. "Someone did put it in the dead gentleman's room. Now I'll return it to you." "Oh, wait. What do you mean? What do you see—who?" But she hurried back into the dark bushes.Greg seemed to want to chase after him, but stopped again.He stood and touched his chin for a long time. "What's the matter, Greg? What the hell?" asked Mrs. Dyson, who had just come down the path from their cabin.

"For a moment, I really thought I had run into a ghost." "Who was talking to you just now?" "That nigger woman who cleaned our room. It's Victoria, isn't it?" "What is she doing? Trying to trick you?" "Don't talk nonsense, Lucky. There's something weird going on in that woman's head." "What weird idea?" "You remember when I couldn't find my bottle of tranquilizer?" "That's what you said." "What do you mean 'I said so'?" "Oh, really, do you have to argue with me about everything?"

"I'm sorry," Greg said, "what's wrong, everyone is so secretive." He spread his hand holding the medicine bottle and said, "The woman gave it back to me." "Did she steal it?" "No, she—I think she found it somewhere." "Okay, so what? What's so mysterious about it?" "Oh, nothing," Greg said, "just pissed me off." "What's the matter, Greg, what's the matter? Come on, let's have a glass of wine first, and then go to dinner." Molly came to the beach.She pulled out a basket canvas chair, a battered, unused chair.She sat in and stared at the sea for a while, then suddenly buried her head in her hands and cried out.She wept uncontrollably for a while.Then she heard the sound of someone moving beside her, and she looked up sharply, but Mrs. Hillingdon was looking down at her. "Hello, Evelyn, I didn't hear you coming. I - I'm so sorry. " "What's up, kid," Evelyn said, "Is something wrong?" She pulled a chair forward and sat down. "Tell me about it." "Nothing's wrong," said Molly, "nothing is wrong." "Why not. You're sitting here crying for no reason. Can't you tell me? Are you—you're having trouble with Tim?" "Oh, no." "That's good. You two always look happy." "There's nothing better than you couple," Molly said. "Tim and I always think: how nice it is that you and Edward are still so happy after all these years of marriage!" "Oh, this one," Evelyn said.Her voice was raspy, but Molly didn't notice. "Humans quarrel all the time," she said. "There are big fights. Even if two people love each other very much, they still quarrel, and they don't care if anyone else is there." "Somebody likes that tune," Evelyn said, "it's all right." "But I think it's pretty scary," said Molly. "But you and Edward—" "Well, it's no use, Molly, I can't keep you thinking like that. Edward and I—" She paused before saying, "If you want to know the truth, in private, we two and three I haven't said a word in years." "What?" Molly said, her eyes wide open, in astonishment, "I—I can't believe it." "Oh, both of us, we're putting on a good show," Evelyn said. "Neither of us wants to argue in public, and besides, there's nothing to argue about." "But how did it get here?" Molly asked. "Not the same old reason." "What do you mean the old reason? There is also—" "By the way, another woman broke in, and I don't think it's hard for you to guess who that woman is." "You mean Mrs. Dyson—lucky?" Evelyn nodded. "I know they both flirt a lot," said Molly, "but I always thought it was just—" "Just high spirits?" Evelyn said. "Nothing behind it?" "But why—" Molly ended, and she tried again: "But you didn't—well, I mean—well, I guess I shouldn't have asked." "Just ask," said Evelyn, "I'm tired of not saying a word, of being a well-bred, happy wife. Edward's got lucky. He's stupid enough to come here." Shidi told me. I thought, let him feel at ease. Be honest and sincere. He didn’t expect that I would not feel much comfortable knowing that.” "Is he leaving you?" Evelyn shook her head. "We have two kids, you know," she said, "we love them both. They go to school in England. We don't want to tear the family apart. And, of course, Lucky doesn't want a divorce, Gray. Greg was very rich. His first wife left him a lot of money. So we agreed to let the river flow - which means that Edward and Lucky can happily do their dirty work, and Greg can be painful. Just pretend not to know, and Edward and I are just good friends." Her tone was full of hurt and resentment. "How could you—how could you bear it?" "You can get used to everything. Sometimes, though—" "How?" said Molly. "Sometimes I really want to kill that woman." The excitement hidden in her tone startled Molly. "Let's stop talking about me," Evelyn said. "Let's talk about you. I want to know what's wrong with you." Molly was silent for a while before she said, "It's just——I just feel that something is wrong with me." "Something wrong? What does that mean?" Molly shook her head worryingly. "I'm so scared," she said, "I'm so scared." "What are you afraid of?" "Scared of everything," said Molly, "and more and more afraid of noises in the bushes, or footsteps, or things people were talking about. I always felt as if someone was watching me, watching me, and hating me. I always thought that someone must hate me." "Poor child," Evelyn said in shock and surprise, "how long have you been feeling this way?" "I don't know either. Slowly--bit by bit, and other things." "What kind of situation?" "There have been many occasions," said Molly slowly, "I can't tell why, and I can't remember." "You mean you're in a daze, your mind is empty?" "Perhaps. It seems that sometimes—say, at five o'clock—I don't remember anything at half past one or two o'clock." "Oh, but maybe you fell asleep, or dozed off." "No," said Molly, "not at all. Because at the end of the day, I know I'm not taking a nap. I'm in a different place. Sometimes I'm wearing different clothes; people talk; but remember not doing these things." Evelyn looked shocked. "But Molly, dear boy, if that's the case, you ought to see the doctor." "I don't want to see a doctor! I don't. I never want to go." Evelyn looked down into her face, and took the girl's hand. "Your frights may be nothing, Molly. Some nervous breakdowns are not very serious, you know. You'll be relieved when you see a doctor." "Maybe not. Maybe he'll say there's something really wrong with me." "What's wrong with you?" "Because—" Molly hesitated to speak. "No reason, I suppose." "Your family can't—do you have family, mother or sisters here to look after you?" "I didn't get along with my mother. It didn't work out. I have sisters too, and they're married. But I think if I ask them, they'll come. But I don't want them. I don't want anyone but Tim. , I don’t want anyone.” "Does Tim know about this? Did you tell him?" "No," Molly said, "but he's worried about me, and he's watching out for me. Like he was trying to give me a hand or cover me. " "If that's the case, that means I need cover, doesn't it?" "I suppose it's all in your imagination, but I think you'd better see a doctor." "That old doctor Graham? What good is he?" "There are other doctors on the island." "I'm nothing, really," said Molly, "I'll just--not think too much about it. I guess, as you say, it's all in my imagination. Oh, God, it's all like that It's getting late, I should be serving customers in the restaurant now. I—I have to go back." She gave Evelyn Shillingden a hard, almost rude look, and ran away.Wen Fulin watched her from behind.