eating your dinner."
Laura left the kitchen and walked into the library. She hadn't really been able to look at it carefully this morning because Miss Wentworth had rushed her out so quickly. Now she was amazed at the vast amount of books it contained. She was especially intrigued by a huge collection of family photograph albums that accounted for a good part of the contents of one wall. She took an album from the shelf and sat down in one of the soft leather easychairs by the fireplace.
The first pictures in the album were of a young man and woman, obviously very much in love. The caption under the photograph read "Jonathan and Elizabeth." She looked closely at the man in the picture; he bore a striking resemblance to David, although his hair was lighter and he didn't seem to be quite as tall. Also, Laura could tell by the clothing the couple wore that it had been taken many years before David's birth. The album continued with the history of the two young lovers, recording their engagement and then their marriage. Obviously, she was looking at photographs of her husband's parents.
Then Laura saw a picture of the young woman holding a baby in her arms. She gasped when she saw the caption, that said "Elizabeth and David." She continued looking through the album, following the carefully chronicled growth of her husband into boyhood. His basic facial structure had remained the same, but it had hardened and the gaiety of childhood had become the arrogance of manhood. Laura found it hard to believe that the cheerful boy in the photo had become the same man who was causing her so much unhappiness.
She was startled out of her daydreaming by the sound of the doorbell. She listened as Jeffry answered the door and spoke in soft, conversational tones. Then David came striding swiftly into the library, completely ignoring Laura's presence. He unbuttoned his shirt collar, loosened his tie, tossed his jacket onto the chair and walked across the room to the bar where he poured himself a drink. Drink in hand, he sank down on the sofa opposite Laura and placed his long legs on the ottoman beside it. He took a long sip of his drink and studied her carefully.
"How was your day? Have you adjusted to the horror of being my wife?"
"My day was exhausting, as you well know! Your darling Miss Wentworth dragged me to every store in San. Francisco, in her effort to make me over to suit your taste."
David's piercing eyes swept over Laura in a slow languorous stare. "Judging by your present attire, she's done a laudable job. I must remember to commend her."
"Please be sure to do that. She revels in your praise. I'm sure that a few kind words from you will make her day. In fact, everyone around here seems to worship at your feet. How I would love to tell them the truth about you."
David smiled condescendingly, "And just what would that truth be? What do you know about me that my employees of many years standing don't?"
Laura looked at him piercingly. "I know that you're a vicious man who will stop at nothing to satisfy his whims. You threaten to destroy my whole family if I won't remain a part of this loathsome marriage; you don't love me; you insist I stay with you for reasons I can't understand…"
David looked at her and his eyes darkened with anger. "No, I don't love you… I might have, once… Why else would I have married you? All these years I've been able to escape the clutches of designing females only to be entrapped by the greatest little schemer of them all. I have no intention of letting you walk off with my money so that you can marry Roger or some other poor fool who doesn't know you for what you are, while my hard earned cash pays the bills. No, you will remain my wife until I tire of you and decide what
I
want to do."
Laura was incensed; her eyes blazed as she threw the album to the floor and stalked from the room. She slammed the door of her bedroom and flung herself on the bed. Why was this happening to her? Wasn't there
Laura left the kitchen and walked into the library. She hadn't really been able to look at it carefully this morning because Miss Wentworth had rushed her out so quickly. Now she was amazed at the vast amount of books it contained. She was especially intrigued by a huge collection of family photograph albums that accounted for a good part of the contents of one wall. She took an album from the shelf and sat down in one of the soft leather easychairs by the fireplace.
The first pictures in the album were of a young man and woman, obviously very much in love. The caption under the photograph read "Jonathan and Elizabeth." She looked closely at the man in the picture; he bore a striking resemblance to David, although his hair was lighter and he didn't seem to be quite as tall. Also, Laura could tell by the clothing the couple wore that it had been taken many years before David's birth. The album continued with the history of the two young lovers, recording their engagement and then their marriage. Obviously, she was looking at photographs of her husband's parents.
Then Laura saw a picture of the young woman holding a baby in her arms. She gasped when she saw the caption, that said "Elizabeth and David." She continued looking through the album, following the carefully chronicled growth of her husband into boyhood. His basic facial structure had remained the same, but it had hardened and the gaiety of childhood had become the arrogance of manhood. Laura found it hard to believe that the cheerful boy in the photo had become the same man who was causing her so much unhappiness.
She was startled out of her daydreaming by the sound of the doorbell. She listened as Jeffry answered the door and spoke in soft, conversational tones. Then David came striding swiftly into the library, completely ignoring Laura's presence. He unbuttoned his shirt collar, loosened his tie, tossed his jacket onto the chair and walked across the room to the bar where he poured himself a drink. Drink in hand, he sank down on the sofa opposite Laura and placed his long legs on the ottoman beside it. He took a long sip of his drink and studied her carefully.
"How was your day? Have you adjusted to the horror of being my wife?"
"My day was exhausting, as you well know! Your darling Miss Wentworth dragged me to every store in San. Francisco, in her effort to make me over to suit your taste."
David's piercing eyes swept over Laura in a slow languorous stare. "Judging by your present attire, she's done a laudable job. I must remember to commend her."
"Please be sure to do that. She revels in your praise. I'm sure that a few kind words from you will make her day. In fact, everyone around here seems to worship at your feet. How I would love to tell them the truth about you."
David smiled condescendingly, "And just what would that truth be? What do you know about me that my employees of many years standing don't?"
Laura looked at him piercingly. "I know that you're a vicious man who will stop at nothing to satisfy his whims. You threaten to destroy my whole family if I won't remain a part of this loathsome marriage; you don't love me; you insist I stay with you for reasons I can't understand…"
David looked at her and his eyes darkened with anger. "No, I don't love you… I might have, once… Why else would I have married you? All these years I've been able to escape the clutches of designing females only to be entrapped by the greatest little schemer of them all. I have no intention of letting you walk off with my money so that you can marry Roger or some other poor fool who doesn't know you for what you are, while my hard earned cash pays the bills. No, you will remain my wife until I tire of you and decide what
I
want to do."
Laura was incensed; her eyes blazed as she threw the album to the floor and stalked from the room. She slammed the door of her bedroom and flung herself on the bed. Why was this happening to her? Wasn't there
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