Chapter 10: Any Scene

Hester had added two guests to Sunday dinner, a retired judge and his wife, and she had added Selene.

I saw the place cards before I sat down.

Selene's was on the left of Desmond's chair, and mine was across the table, next to the judge.

Hester had arranged them herself.

"Katja, dear, you're here," she said. "You're looking well."

"I slept," I said.

It was almost true.

Desmond stood behind his chair and looked at the cards.

He had not said a word to his mother in two days.

I had been waiting to see what he would do with that, and now I watched him walk around the table, lift my place card, and set it beside his own.

Then he picked up Selene's card and put it at the far end, next to the salt.

The judge's wife stopped talking.

"Desmond," Hester said lightly. "What are you doing?"

"Sitting with my wife."

"Of course, darling. But Selene's feeling very fragile this week."

"Then she'll be comfortable at the other end," he said. "Away from the draft."

Selene's smile flickered.

She looked down, and then she walked the length of the table and sat where he had put her.

Nobody said anything.

I sat down in the chair he pulled out.

He took the seat beside me and put his hand on the back of my chair, not touching me.

The soup was cream of asparagus, and no one ate it.

"I understand you work in children's books, Mrs. Carrow," the judge's wife said at last, brightly.

"Illustration. I draw the covers."

"How fascinating. And you and Desmond have been married..."

"Five years, with a gap."

"A gap!" She laughed. "How modern."

"We took some time," I said. "It made us pay attention."

Under the table, something touched my knee.

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