Cancel All Our Vows by John D. MacDonald Read Free Book Online Page B

merely made it more complicated. More improbable, and, strangely, more inevitable.
    In some half-understood way, she knew that she and Fletcher Wyant sat with two strangers—two remarkably unimportant strangers.



Chapter Four
    Fletcher was quite aware of how Laura Corban, after her brief flash of life, retreated into an odd passivity during the next two rounds of drinks. Ellis talked about its being a vacation for them with the kids off at the Cape for the summer.
    “Healthiest place in the world for them,” he said proudly.
    The last of the sun was gone and the long June twilight stretched across the fairway. The dogged players were trickling in, adding up the scores, bickering about the bets as they headed for the locker rooms.
    The women excused themselves and went off. Ellis hitched his chair closer to Fletcher and said, “Look, old man, I hope you won’t think I’m sounding disloyal to Laura if I tell you something I think you ought to understand.”
    “Go right ahead,” Fletcher said, hoping his pained embarrassment didn’t show.
    “Well … she is odd in a lot of ways. Reads a lot. Likes to be alone. Gets a lot of weird ideas. And she doesn’t mind saying them right out Really, underneath, she’s damn grateful that you put us up for membership here.” He laughed a bit too jovially. “I’m always trying to soothe the feelings that Laura goes around ruffling up. Odd girl. Just don’t pay too much attention to her notions, old man.”
    “I think she’s a charming woman,” Fletcher said, a little too coldly.
    Ellis Corban’s eyebrows slid up and froze in position. “Eh! Oh … well, that’s fine. That’s wonderful. Good God, it wasn’t like this over at Tuplan and Hauser. MaybeI didn’t give you the whole story on why I wasn’t happy there. I know we men don’t like to admit it, but the little woman has a lot of influence on how well you get along in a firm. I mean there’s a lot of little ways she can help. Well, I’m not saying this against Laura, you understand, because she’s one in a million, but she just doesn’t seem to be interested in doing those little things. She says they bore her. She says it’s all a lot of nonsense, and they hire me, not her. But the really progressive firms feel that they’re hiring the wife as well. Hiring a partnership, you might say. The beginning of the end at Tuplan and Hauser was when I finally got Laura to go to a party of just company people. I never should have risked it. She monopolized the dinner conversation. Lot of damn lies about her background. Kept talking through her nose. Do you know, Fletch, she actually convinced those people that she has two brothers with pinheads who travel with a side show. Got her home and she rolled around on the floor, just yelping with laughter. The next day in the office I could actually feel the tension. If I’d been a different sort of man I’d have thrashed her within an inch of her life when I got her home. But … I suppose I shouldn’t sound as if I were complaining. She doesn’t do that sort of thing anywhere near as much as she used to a few years ago. She’s a lot quieter now. But I just thought you ought to know, and ought to tell Jane, that Laura makes absolutely no effort to … to be liked.”
    “It’s refreshing, Ellis, in a way.”
    “Well, of course, you’re looking at it from a different angle. Jane is a big help to you, I know. She tries, you see. But understand, I’m not talking Laura down. I wouldn’t trade her for anything in the world. She keeps life pretty … interesting.” Corban dabbed at his forehead with his handkerchief and smiled a bit wanly in the fading light.
    When Laura and Jane came back Fletcher was pleased to see them talking and smiling at each other, and he was glad to see Jane pause by one table and introduce Laura to old friends.
    As Laura sat down she smiled sweetly at Ellis and said, “Get your apologies all made, dear?”
    “What does he have to