CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

Edna woke up the following morning feeling wonderful. Ms Reisz's words kept repeating in her head, "That boy loves you." If only she could believe it. Robert had been a little shy around her the night before. She felt that her love for him was strong enough to break through that. And if Ms Reisz were right, Robert's love for her would also keep him from being shy for very long.

She got up. The servant gave her three letters, which were from Raoul, Alcee, and her husband. They were all good. Raoul sent his love to her, her husband expressed that he'd be back in March and planned to travel with her without any business worries, and Alcee just wrote to say "Good morning". She wrote her son and husband back, but did not bother to send anything to Arobin.

She worked for a while that day on her paintings and did some business with an art dealer. Always in her mind was the hope that Robert would come. However, he did not come. Nor did he come the next day or the following one. Alcee Arobin, however, did come. She felt nothing for him. Her mind was always on Robert. However, Arobin continued to come more and more often. After a while, she no longer felt sad and lonely when she went to bed, nor did she wake up in the mornings hoping that Robert would visit her. She made no attempt to see him at his home or office. She did not want to make her feelings too obvious.

One day, Edna found a garden, which had the best coffee and fried chicken in the city. It was a quiet little area that few people knew about, especially wealthier people, who would have considered it too simple. Edna liked to have dinner there sometimes and she would take a book to read and relax under the tall trees that stood overlooking the tables.

One day, as she was enjoying a meal, Robert walked in through the garden gate.

"It seems like I can only meet you unexpectedly," Edna said.

"How did you find this place?" Robert asked, clearly feeling uncomfortable.

"Why don't you help me to eat this meal? It's always too much for me to finish on my own," Edna said, trying to be as cold as he had been to her before. However, looking at him there next to her, all of her coldness melted away.

"Are you avoiding me, Robert?" she asked.

"Why do you bring so much emotion to this relationship? I won't bother to give you an excuse for not seeing you. Just assume that I've tried several times, but never found you home."

"It seems that you don't think about my feelings at all. I suppose that a woman shouldn't say such things to a man, but it's become my habit to be more open with people."

"I don't know what you want from me. It's like you want me to show you where I've been hurt just so that you can look at it and nothing more."

"Eat, Robert. The food's getting cold."

They talked a bit more and then finished their dinner. Then Robert accompanied her back to her house. He went in with her and relaxed in a chair while she washed her hands and face. He seemed to be lost in thought when she came back to the living room.

She approached him and quietly asked if he was tired. Then she gave him a soft kiss on his lips. Her touch sent a strong feeling through Robert's entire body. He took hold of her and pulled her down onto the chair with him. He held her there.

"I've been trying not to love you ever since we separated last summer," Robert admitted, "I tried to get away from you, but you were all that I could think about while I was away. And it hurt me to think about how impossible it was to have you, because you are married."

He then gave her another gentle kiss.

"I got the crazy idea in my head that your husband might somehow give you up to me so that we could then marry one another," he went on, "That kind of thing has happened to other people before. I came back fully intending to pursue you."

"But you avoided me!"

"Yes. Because I realized how wrong it would've been for me to do that. Even if you wanted me to, it still would've been wrong."

"I belong to no one now. If he were to agree to give me up, I would just laugh at both you and him."

Robert sat up suddenly. "I don't understand."

Then Celestine entered the room with a message from one of Madame Ratignolle's servants. It seemed that Adèle was ill and wanted Edna to come and be with her for a short time. She told the servant to tell Adèle that she would come right away. When Celestine left the room, Robert took Edna back into his arms and kissed her passionately.

"You are the only person I love," Edna said, "I'm awake now. I understand myself now. We can love each other freely now. Nothing else is important."

"Please, stay. Don't leave me now," begged Robert.

"I'll be back soon. Just wait for me here."

(end of section)