As he closed the door behind him he felt no guilt or regret. That would come later, in dreams, on dark winter mornings, sunny afternoons, behind the eyes and inside his stomach, anytime, anyplace. Right now his mind and body were immune. He was free, buoyant and, for a minute or two, happy.
Outside, the late afternoon wind had started blowing in from the sea, cold and wet and timeless. It smelled of the past, flotsam left stranded on the beach at low tide, yet it seemed to promise a future and he felt like breaking into a run, running all the way home.
There was no chance to run. His ancient Buick was waiting at the curb and Howard’s father was sitting in the front seat. Mr. Hyatt looked chilled and his voice had a trace of irritability. “Did you know this seat has a broken spring?”
“Yes.”
“Are you going to have it fixed or repaired?”
“Probably not.”
“I see. You feel the car is too old to merit further attention.”
“Not at all. Mr. Hyatt, did you wait for me out here in order to discuss car seats?”
“Oh, no.”
“What then?”
“I’m worried. Kay had a phone call and she’s crying. Kay doesn’t cry anymore, ever. Someone is coming to the house to see her, someone with bad news, someone she’s afraid of.”
“How do you know this?”
“I was in the upstairs hall when the phone rang in her bedroom and I heard her answer. I don’t approve of eavesdropping but it’s the only way I get information anymore. I heard her say the name Ben. But it can’t be Ben who’s coming. She wouldn’t cry about that. She likes Ben, he’s like a little brother to her. So it can’t be Ben who’s coming, can it?”
“I don’t know.”
“What are you going to do about it, Michael?”
“Nothing.”
“But… but Kay is crying.”
“That’s her privilege.” I’m no longer in the ministering business, old man. I was no good at it anyway. Ask my friend Howard, my wife, Lorna.
The old man’s head had sunk down into the collar of his sweater as if the muscles that held it erect had lost their strength. His face had a bluish tinge and his voice shook. “I regret having bothered you.”
“You didn’t,” Michael said. “I’ll drive you back to the house.”
“No, thank you. I can walk.”
He got out of the car, bracing himself against the wind. His trousers twitched and flapped around his legs, outlining his bony knees and sharp shins.
“Mr. Hyatt.”
“You go along now, Michael.”
“You’re forcing me to think you’re a stubborn old man.”
Mr. Hyatt looked a little startled, then he turned and without another word got back into the car, and sat with his hands folded quietly in his lap.
Michael put the key in the ignition. After a few coughs and wheezes the engine turned over, making the smooth powerful sound of its heyday. Mr. Hyatt listened to it with obvious pleasure, as if he felt the smooth powerful sounds of his own heyday stirring inside him.
“They don’t make cars like this anymore.”
“No, sir.”
“You should really have this seat replaced, Michael.”
“I don’t have time to scout the junkyards.”
“Junkyards? No, no. You must buy a new seat.”
“They don’t make seats like this anymore either, Mr. Hyatt.”
“A pity. The design is good and it’s actually quite comfortable except for the broken spring.”
“I’ll see what I can do about it.”
He stopped the car under the portico at the front door of the main house and the old man got out again.
“It would be nice if you came in and talked to Kay, Michael.”
“Many things would be nice if.” It would be nice if he didn’t have to tell Lorna he was leaving the ministry. It would be nice if she didn’t scream, didn’t remind him what a failure he’d been as a husband, provider, partner, comforter. It would be nice if he could just walk away without saying or hearing anything.
“Kay will be grateful for your interest, Michael,” the old man said. “Very grateful.”
If Kay was grateful she managed to conceal it nicely. She gave Mr. Hyatt a frown that sent him scurrying off down the hall. Then she turned the frown on Michael.
“I’d ask you to come in but I don’t have time to talk right now.”
“I’ll come in anyway if I may. It’s cold out here.”
“It won’t be much warmer in here, I assure you. But all right. I can’t very well turn away a shivering minister, can I?”
“On behalf of my fellow shiverers, thanks.”
He followed her into what Kay called her tea room, a small area between the dining room and the kitchen. There was an ornate silver tea service on the teakwood table but the air smelled of coffee.
Her frown had faded somewhat but her voice was still unfriendly. “Did Howard send you?”
“No.”
“You simply dropped in on the spur of the moment? I’m not buying that.”
“I’m not selling. The reason I’m here is that Mr. Hyatt told me you received a phone call which upset you.”
“Upset me? Do I look upset? I’m not one bloody bit upset. And I wish my father-in-law and Chizzy would stop listening in on conversations that are none of their business.”
“Everything about you is their business, Kay,” Michael said bluntly. “So what happened and who’s coming here?”
Instead of answering immediately she sat down at the teakwood table with the silver tea service in front of her like a shield. This was her place and taking it seemed to restore her poise.
“It was a woman,” she said. “I’ve never met her but I know her name, Quinn, and her position in life.”
“And what’s her position?”
“Horizontal.”
“I see.”
“Rumor has it she’s not a professional, but a very gifted amateur.”
“Mr. Hyatt overheard the name Ben. How does Ben fit into this?”
“Snugly. She’s his current live-in. I don’t know her first name. Ben calls her Quinn and that’s how she identified herself on the phone.”
“Why does she want to see you, Kay?”
“I’m not sure. She sounded, not drunk exactly, but under the influence of something. She insisted on coming here to see me in person.”
“Why?”
“She has something to tell me about Ben.” Kay stared out the window with its view of the lily pond and the marble dolphins that kept the water fresh. “I think it concerns Annamay.”
“Did she actually say so?”
“She hinted at a close connection between them. Too close.”
“She wouldn’t be more explicit?”
“Not over the phone… Annamay and Ben. The two names together always seemed so natural and wholesome. Now there’s this doubt in my mind. I keep thinking of incidents, trying to remember details, wondering if they were as innocent as they appeared.”
“Quinn probably intends you to do just that. So don’t do it. Don’t speculate. Wait until you hear some facts if she has any. She may simply be a troubled woman, jealous of Ben’s friends and trying to alienate them.”
“Not them,” Kay said. “Me. She thinks I’m the Other Woman in her love life.”
“Do you want me to stay with you?”
“No.”
“I’ll be at home. Call me there if you need anything.”
“Thank you, Michael.”
They shook hands formally and briefly. She had regained control of herself and he was pretty sure he wouldn’t be hearing from her.
Chapter Ten
Quinn always moved slowly, partly because it was her nature to take things easy and partly because she was six feet tall and not yet accustomed to a body that seemed to have outgrown her. When she tried to hurry she became clumsy and indecisive. Now, getting ready for her visit to Kay, she applied her makeup very carefully and then washed it all off again because it might give the wrong impression.