Part 16 (1/2)
She dragged and shoved and pulled until she got him under the covers. ”He won't get you, Jack,” she whispered. ”You'd fight for me if I were in trouble. And I'll fight for you.”
In the morning, Laura got up, moving softly as a bird on the sand, and left him to himself in the bedroom, still noisily and miserably asleep with a fullblown, brutal hangover brewing under his closed eyes.
She had to make it up to him, redeem herself. And she could only think of one thing. So before noon she called Terry and asked him to dinner.
”Sounds great,” he said in innocent surprise and pleasure. ”I was counting on mooching from you,” he admitted, laughing.
When Jack woke up she told him what she had done. She waited until he had had four cups of coffee and eight aspirins and some forced warm milk and raw egg. He said nothing but ”No. No!” to whatever she was trying to get into him. He sat in the kitchen with his head in his hands, and Laura began to fear he was still a little drunk. She had thrown out the rest of the whiskey.
”Where's the bottle?” he asked her finally, around the middle of the afternoon.
”Gone. I tossed it.” He nodded painfully, resigned.
”Jack,” she said softly. ”Terry's coming to dinner.”
He lifted his throbbing head to gape at her. ”Are you trying to kill me, Mother? Or just drive me nuts?” he said.
”I'm going to save you. Save us,” she said pa.s.sionately. ”We're at the crossroads, Jack. This is the first real crisis we've had. We can't just fall apart. We have too much to save, too much worth saving. We have love, too, and I'm not going to let him hurt you any more.”
Somehow in the strength she found to fight Jack's battle was the strength to fight her own. The downright shock and humiliation of finding that her two ex-lovers were romancing might have thrown her into a fullblown depression. But now she hadn't time. It was Jack's turn. She loved him, she was absolutely sure of that. She was not absolutely sure she loved Tris any more. Nor was she sure now that she didn't love Beebo. Jack was her security, her chosen life; he deserved her loyalty.
But to her chagrin, her n.o.ble speech had very little effect on him. He got out of his chair with much agonised effort, making a face, and headed for the coat closet.
”Where are you going?” she asked anxiously, running after him.
”For a bottle.”
”Oh, Jack, no!”
He turned to face her, sliding awkwardly into his coat sleeves. ”Do you want me to go through this sober?”
”Darling, you don't even have to look at him! You can lock yourself in the John and sing hymns if you want to. I just want to talk to him.”
”About the weather?”
”I'll get him out of here, I swear I will!”
”How? With a can opener? TNT?” He was moving toward the door as he spoke with Laura clinging to his arm and trying to hold him back.
”Darling, trust me!” she begged. She was not at all sure that she could get Terry out again, once he got in, but she had to make Jack calm down. She was frantic to stop him.
”Trust you?” He turned and looked at her uncertainly, his hand on the front door k.n.o.b, and gave a little snort. ”That doesn't work. I tried it.”
”Oh, you d.a.m.n, fatuous idiot!” she cried in exasperation, dropping his arm to stamp to the middle of the room and face him from there as if from a podium. ”I open one G.o.ddam letterout of love and anxietyto spare you pain. And the thing backfires. Do you have to crucify yourself? I said I was sorry and I am. I'm sorry. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!” she yelled.
”Were you born that way?” he snapped.
”Shut up and listen!” she cried. ”Jack, let me make it up to you, let me try. You have no right to call yourself my husband if you won't give me a chance, and I'm telling you right now, Jack Mann, if you won't I'll walk out of this house and your life forever.” She paused, flushed and trembling, for breath, while Jack stared at her, surprised, half-convinced, and himself trembling slightly from the hangover.
Finally he went to the arm of the nearest chair and sat down and said, ”All right, Wife. Read him the riot act while I sing hymns in the bathroom, if you think it'll do any good.”
”Oh, Jack.” She ran to him, all pity and tenderness, and kissed his frowning face. He put his head back and ignored her.
Terry arrived at seven, half an hour late, with a huge bouquet of roses for Laura. ”For Mrs. Mann,” he said, bowing, and then gave her a quick embrace. ”You look great, honey.”
”Thanks,” she said with reserve. ”I'll put them in water.”
”Where's Jack? Oh, there you are.” Terry made a running jump to the couch where Jack was lying in state, wearing his hangover like a royal robe.
Jack let out all his breath in a wail of anguish when Terry hit him.
”Where did you get the flowers?” Laura asked, coming back in with them arranged in a tall vase.
”Nick's. On the corner. I had to charge 'em to you, Laura. I hope you don't mind.” He smiled charmingly. ”Your credit's much better than mine around here.”
Jack laughed softly. ”You haven't changed a bit, have you?” he said to Terry.
Laura sat down and looked at Terry's bright young face, smiling happily around a mouthful of salted pecans, and wondered if her little trick would work. It had to. But it might not. She felt a little sick, seeing Jack so miserable.
”No drinks?” Terry said, suddenly conscious of the lack of alcohol.
”Milk,” Laura offered.
”Milk punch?” he asked.
”Just bare milk,” Jack drawled.
”What's the matter with you?” Terry said and laughed at him. ”Have a nut.” And he popped one in Jack's half open mouth. ”You aren't on the wagon, are you?”
”I was,” Jack said. ”Till last night.”
”No kidding. G.o.d. Amazing. Since when?”
”Since we got married last August. A little before.”
”Laura, how'd you do it?” He grinned at her.
”I didn't have to,” she said. ”The day you walked out of his life all the good things walked in.”
”Including you?” Terry asked.
”Including me,” she shot back.
”Oh.” He smiled ruefully. ”I wasn't that bad, was I?” he asked Jack. He seemed to think it was comfortably funny, like everything else connected with Jack. ”Did I drive you to drink, honey?” he said.
”Only on the bad days,” Jack said. ”Unfortunately, there weren't any good days.”
Terry laughed and stuck another nut in Jack's mouth.