88 wivsbehavingbadly

" sure ." if he was surprised at my change of mood , he was not going to remark on it ," but there is something ..."
the sound of doorbell shot through the house . nathan started visibly ." this is what i should have mentioned ."
i stiffened but said coolly enough ." you'd better go and answer the door then . hope it hasn't woken the boys ."
"but ..." nathna was alight with an excitement and dread that i could not palce . then he shrugged ." okay ."
he went onto the hall , and i heard voices , then the front door closing .
nathan led the visitor into the sitting room . and i woiped my hands , tucked my hair behind my ears , and went to see who it was . nathan whipped around at my entrance and there was curious smile hovering at the corners of his mouth ." look who's herre ."
but a sixth sense had already told me .
rose .
this was the encounter that provided material for any latenight demons , any restless dreams , for the chill of a dawn catechism when i asked myself what i had done . my first impulse was to laugh : for it was ridiculous that rose should be standing here . then my knees drained of strength .
"rose ," i held the back of a chair for support .
"hallo , minty ." she held out a hand ." you are looking well ."
she was dressed simply but expensively , in jeans and a tweed jacket nipped in at the waist , and slimmer than she appeared on television . she was tan and her hair was glorious : long , highlighted , and silky . barely recognizable was the woman i had first encountered in the office , dressed in a gray skirt and  black jumper that bagged in all the wrong places .