“Go ahead. Take all you want,” he said, and turning walked out and down the hall.
Dane took Valerie by the arm. “Where have you been?” he asked in an aggrieved tone, as if she had been eluding him. “I didn’t see you at the meeting.”
As she saw someone cross the hall she drew quickly back. “Don’t, please, Dane. Someone might come in.” Her tone was sharper than she meant it to be.
“Oh, you are angry with me,” he said pathetically. “Don’t be angry with me.”
It was astonishing what an appeal he could put into his voice. His eyes looked at her softened out of their accustomed brilliancy by a slumbrous cloudiness. She wondered just how conscious he was of her and of the situation.
“I’m not angry, Dane.”
“Yes, you are. I feel it. What is it?” He moved up to her and took her arm again.
She saw the forms of two men in the hall. She thought they were coming towards the kitchen.
“Dane, please, somebody is coming. I cannot stay and talk to you here.” She took up her plate. “I must go. Good-night.”
She hurried out of the kitchen by the back door, half hoping and half fearing that he would follow her. But he did not. Up in her room she tried not to be too serious about it. It was nothing more than she had known, nothing more than she told herself she had to accept with him either as a lover or as a husband. She was determined not to let his weaknesses blind her to the other qualities he possessed.
Finding there was hot water, she soothed herself with a bath, ate her supper, and even without the aid of aspirin fell asleep.
