Chapter 10
"WELL," SAID WILLIAM ALEXANDRE, "If it's what you want, then I guess it'll have to be all right with me. It's awfully sudden, of course, and it came as a surprise. But sometimes these things work out for the best, and I certainly hope this one does." He paused to relight his pipe, drawing through it slowly and creating a cloud of gray smoke above him. Then, suddenly, looking at Earl Dreggs, he asked, "What did you say your business was?"
"Well, I'm working in a bookstore at present," Earl said, knowing that Alexandre remembered this fact from the first two times he had asked the same question.
"Yes. I don't suppose that there is much chance for advancement in that line of work?" "No, sir, I don't suppose so."
"Well," said Alexandre, "if it's what you want." He turned his gaze to Christine.
"Yes," she said, "It's what I want."
Alexandre settled back in his chair, puffing on the pipe. Earl Dreggs, sitting opposite him, thought I don't like this man. I wish that we had left early this morning, before he returned. I can't talk with people like this. To talk to him I would either have to be dishonest or very confident in my own way of life, and I am neither. I am also too respectful to gain much respect in return.
He thought, I wish that for just this hour I were Sebastian Wolff. Sebastian would convince this man that he owned the world, that they are talking on an equal plane. But I am not Sebastian Wolff, and I must do what I can, and say what I really think. And it will do me no good with Mr. William Alexandre.
Christine excused herself and left the room to speak to her mother. Dreggs and Alexandre faced each other, alone in the room, now, and neither was sure what to say. The older man kept his mouth clamped on the pipe stem, while he searched for words, and Dreggs felt a little reassured. He though this man is nervous too, just as I am, he is using that pipe as a mask. He is used to dealing with people, and can put up a better front than I can. But inside he is as bad.
"Dreggs," said Christine's father, "Now that we are alone ... I'd like a few man to man words."
"Of course."
"I want Chris to have whatever she wants. To be frank, I don't think that this marriage is advisable. But I have never interfered in her life, and I shan't start now."
"However," he continued, "You obviously won't be able to support her the way I have been doing. I can correct that, and I intend to. But I'm not sure how. I know Chris has a great deal of pride, she gets it from me. And she most-likely won't want to have me support you after you are married. Perhaps you have that kind of pride too, I don't know." He paused, apparently waiting for Earl to say whether or not he had pride.
Earl wondered, what would Sebastian say? Would he say, I don't want your money? Or would he say, pride, hell, I want all I can get, for Chris and for myself? Either way would work for Sebastian, either way he would get money, and make Alexandre feel grateful that he accepted it, as well. But it wasn't right for Dreggs.
He said, "Sir, I want Christine to be happy. Whether or not that depends on your aid, will be up to her."
"She will refuse it, I'm afraid. She has pride."
And I don't, is that it, Earl thought? He wanted to say it aloud, but instead he waited. He told himself, I don't want his money, I don't care if I ever get a penny. I love Chris, that's enough. Wolff would have married her for the money, and gotten it, and also gained this man's respect. I don't want it; and I have gained only his contempt. Why should things always work out this way?
Alexandre asked, softly, "Christine isn't pregnant, is she?"
"No," Earl said.
"That's good," Alexandre said, with an air which implied, I still may be able to talk her out of this foolish move, as long as she doesn't have to get married. He said, "I don't suppose that you would agree to wait for a few months before going ahead with your plans?"
"I would wait if Chris wanted. I don't believe that she wants to wait, sir. You could ask her."
"I was hoping that you would try to convince her of the advisability of a short postponement."
"No, I won't do that." Earl felt a little better, having made a direct statement, a direct refusal. Why shouldn't he, he didn't want a thing from Alexandre. There was no reason that he should bow to the man, other than that he was Christine's father. And Christine herself didn't show him any respect.
"If I asked her to wait, she would marry you all the sooner, to prove her independence. I know my daughter, that is how she would react. That is why I had hoped that you..."
"No, I won't."
"Very well. There is little that I can do. I will be able to find you a better position than you now have, however. I have diverse interests here in Boston. If you decide to live here after the wedding, I will be happy to give you a decent job with a living wage."
"I would appreciate that, providing we decide to live here. I think it was quite definite that we were to live in New York for a while."
"I see. Another of Christine's decisions, I imagine. I hope you will learn to be the head of your family, eventually."
"Mr. Alexandre ... if I have let Christine make all the decisions so far, it is only because I love her and want her to be happy. The same as you seem to. And I'm not at all sure that living here and being obligated to you would be the best move for her, let alone the thing she would want to do. Not at first, anyway."
"You will, at least, have the wedding here?"
"I haven't discussed that with Christine."
"I, myself, don't care. But for her mother's sake..."
"We'll see," Earl said. His tone implied that the conversation was over. He turned toward the kitchen, took a cigarette from his pack and lit it. Mr. Alexandre watched him, deciding that Dreggs was not going to be as easy to control as first appearances led him to believe. And perhaps he would not be a poor son-in-law.
"Well," said Alexandre, "We'll wait and see how things turn out, who knows?"
Driving back to New York that evening Christine sat close to Earl, her head resting on his shoulder. He kept his eyes on the road, and both hands on the wheel. It was snowing, the ground was white, and the road was slippery. Earl drove slowly, not really because of the snow, but because he didn't want to get to New York where Christine had belonged to Wolff, where he had to return Ellen's car, and explain to her that it was over between them.
They had agreed to be married in Boston, in two weeks. That was the longest that Christine would wait, and her parents had to settle for it.
But they were to live in New York afterwards. Dreggs was glad of this. He had decided that he did not want any money from Chris' father, and did not want his help in finding a job. Not at first.
Chris asked, "You don't mind waiting two weeks? And being married there?"
"No, not as long as I spend the two weeks with you."
"You're sure you won't be sick of me by then?" "Very sure."
"We could get married right away and never go back."
"We've told them we would."
"I know," she said, "I don't care. I hate to wait. Sebastian still has my money, though. I wonder if we ever see him or the money again? We could use the money."
"It's worth it not to have him around. I don't want you to ever see him again," Earl said.
"Are you jealous?"
"Very jealous. You were his girl first, Chris. And I've learned never to underestimate Sebastian."
"You don't have to worry. I love you more than I ever did him. I don't think that I loved him at all, as far as that goes. I was just overwhelmed by him,"' Christine said. She wanted to believe this, herself, and almost did. But she still thought of Wolff with a tingle which Dreggs had never created in her. She resolved to ignore the feeling, to put Wolff out of her mind; and in case she ever saw him again, to hate him or at least dislike him for what he had done, and what she had done as a result.
"I hope so," Earl said.
When they reached New York, Earl drove to Christine's first. Sebastian's clothes and personal things were there, and they made Dreggs feel sad, almost as if he didn't belong.
"Pack these things, will you, Chris?" he said. "I don't want them here. I'll put them out in the hall."
"Why don't we just throw them in the closet? There's no need of letting them get stolen, that won't do anyone any good. And he does have my eight hundred dollars, which I'd like to get in return for his things."
"Do whatever you want with them, I don't care. Just so they are out of sight. I've got to take Ellen's car back, which is a job that I don't look forward to."
He left and drove to Ellen's. It was quite late when he knocked on the door, but she opened it immediately.
"Oh, Earl. I'm so glad to see you. I thought maybe you'd had an accident or something."
Earl entered. The table was cluttered with coffee cups and cigarette buts, and he put the car keys on one corner. Ellen was waiting to be kissed, and he did so, lightly, on the forehead.
"What's the matter?" she asked.
"Ellie ... you're a very nice person," he told her.
"What is it?"
Earl turned away, lit a cigarette, wondered, how do I tell her, so it will be easier on her. If only she weren't so nice, if I could find some reason to make her think it was her fault. It wouldn't be so hard an her if she thought the break-up was her doing, it least it would save her pride. But she has never done anything wrong to me, and probably not to anyone in the world, so I'll tell her the truth because there's no way to lie.
"Ellie," he began, "I hate to tell you this. But I won't be around any more. A lot happened over the last couple of days. The details aren't important, but ... I'm in love with Christine Alexandre and we're going to be married in two weeks."
She looked startled for a moment, and then very calm. She said, "What's all the fuss? I never staked a claim on you, and I never thought that we had anything serious. Don't worry about me. I don't love you, you're just a nice guy with whom I had some fun. Now it's over, all right. Want some coffee before you go?"
"Yes, I'd like a cup," Earl said. He thought what a sweetheart she is, trying to make me think that I haven't hurt her. I would marry her if I didn't love Chris so much. Without Chris I would marry her. Hell, without Chris, now that I've had her I wouldn't care what I did.
He sat at the table, and Ellen cleared a space. She went to the kitchen, returned with the coffee pot and filled two cups. They sat in silence, for a few minutes, and then Ellen said, "Wasn't she Sebastian's girl? Yes, of course. There must have been some turnover in Boston." She managed a laugh at the end.
"Yes, I guess there was. It was a strange scene, Ellie. I'd rather not talk about it."
"Sure," she said.
"Where is Sebastian?" asked Ginny. She had entered the room, from her bedroom. Apparently she had been sleeping, she still had on a nightgown, very transparent. Her lovely body was visible beneath, and Earl could not help but look through the material. Ginny didn't mind, didn't even seem to notice. She repeated her question, walking across the room. "Where is Sebastian?"
"Still in Boston, as far as I know," Dreggs told her.
"And you stole his girl from him? That's funny. I can't imagine that happening. Was he surprised? Or did he just laugh? I bet that he just laughed and found another."
Earl said, "I didn't steal her from him. They had already split up, and he was gone."
"So you got his leftovers?"
"I suppose. Let's not talk about that," he said.
Ginny sat across the table, leaned toward him. Dreggs was very conscious of her breasts, straining under the flimsy nightgown. Ginny said, "Don't feel bad, Earl, I've been treated worse than you ever have, by Sebastian Wolff. I hate him so much I can taste it."
"You have every right," he said.
"But I need him, Earl. Will he be back?"
Dreggs shrugged. He said, "His gear is at Christine's. He most-likely will come after it."
"You'd better be there when he does," Ginny told him. "You're not a woman, you don't know. But if you want to keep Christine, you'd better keep Wolff away from her."
"I trust her," Earl said.
"Sure. But when you were staying here with me, you believed that I hated Wolff, didn't you? And I did, as much as I hate him now. But then he came around and I gave him everything that he wanted, and more, hating him all the while."
Dreggs looked into his cup. Ginny paused, continued, "Christine may love you, Earl, but don't be a fool. like you were when you gave him my address. He'll ruin everything for you, and for your girl. like he has for me. If only he were dead, God how I wish he were dead. But while he's alive, my life is ruined, I'll wait for him and hope for him, and I'll do anything to get him."
Ellen was nervously looking at her fingers. She had nothing to say here. She felt like an outsider among these people whose lives had been so affected by Sebastian Wolff.
Dreggs said, "If I had to live constantly in dread of Wolff, I'd have one hell of a life with Christine, wouldn't I? I can't spend the rest of my life waiting at home to make sure Sebastian doesn't show up. I'll just have to trust Christine, and I do. That's the only way."
"But not the only thing," Ginny said.
"Oh?"
"You could kill him."
Dreggs looked very carefully at her. She was not joking, and she was not pretending to joke. He said, "I wish the hell somebody would, Ginny. I couldn't."
"Then," Ginny said, "You haven't been really hurt yet."
"No, I suppose not."
Ginny got up and returned to her room. Earl watched her move sensually, from habit. He believed that she wanted no one but Wolff. He also thought that she would be capable of killing.
Ellen said softly, "She really loves him."
Dreggs nodded.
"Do you suppose, now that he is no longer with Christine, that he might come back to Ginny?"
"I don't know."
"It would be so good for her."
"No," said Earl, shaking his head, "No, Sebastian has never been good for anyone. He would just ruin he more than he has already."
Ellen nodded. Dreggs finished his coffee, stood up; he said, "I've got to go. I probably won't see you again. You're a very nice girl, and I hone things work out better for you than they have for many people. For Ginny. For everyone who knows Wolff."
"Yes. I hope things gc right for you too," she said.
Earl kissed, her on the forehead once more, and left. Ellen went to the phone and called long distance to Tom. She had not spoken to him since the night that he had bought Sebastian. He had written several times, and called once, but Ellen had not answered the letters and refused the call. Now she called him, and waited.
"Hello," he said.
"Hello, Tom," Ellen said. "How are you?"
"Ellie? Where are you?"
"At my apartment. In New York."
"Why haven't you written? And why didn't you talk when I called? What's been going on down there, anyway?"
Ellen sighed. She put the telephone down very gently in its cradle, breaking the connection. Then she lit a cigarette.
"Hell," she said.
Earl walked back to Christine's. She had gathered all of Wolff's belongings, and they were not in sight. Earl brought in his suitcase, and she opened it and hung his clothes in the closet, put his shaving equipment in the bathroom, his toothbrush beside the sink.
"I don't have much," Earl said.
"You have all that I want," Christine told him.
"I hope so."
She came and sat next to him, curling her legs up and resting her head on his shoulder. She said, "We can be so happy together. If only people will leave us alone. If my father doesn't interfere in our lives..."
"Or Sebastian."
"Sebastian can't interfere, Darling. The only part he played in either of our lives was to bring us together. He doesn't even exist for us any longer, because we have no need of him."
"I don't want to ever see him again," Earl said. "The hell with the money. It's not worth seeing him. I know that if he showed up, something would happen. I can feel it."
Christine said, "It's women are supposed to have the intuition, not men. And I don't feel a thing about him, I know nothing would happen to us. Nothing can ever come between us now."
"I've seen him screw up too many lives already," Dreggs told her. "I guess I'm being stupid about it, but I'm afraid of Sebastian. He can ruin more happiness than any man alive."
"I can see that. But not us, he can't hurt us. Not ever, what we have is beyond even Sebastian to destroy."
Earl stroked her hair, held her. He believed her. He knew that there was nothing to fear from Wolff, he knew that Christine loved him and would be true to him. It made him very happy. He thought, I will never want any woman but Christine, as long as I live.
And he though:. , I wish we were married already. But we are together, and that is what counts. That we are together and that we are alone and that we are in love.