they stood side by side, joined as much by the similarity of their reactions to the view as by their clasped hands. And they did not let go of each other when at last they retraced their steps to the car.
Chapter Five
With each mile they covered now the terrain became more rugged, the descent from the pass more abrupt. Preferring a picnic at one of the wooden tables by the river to a meal taken indoors, they stopped at the 'carryout' window of a fast-food cafe in Afton to buy provisions for lunch.
It was noticeably cooler now that they were farther north. There was a crystalline quality about the air and the barest hint of a breeze whispered through the stately ranks of the pines, inviting the bronzy-orange leaves of the willows to dance and fly away with it.
Because she'd eaten so little at breakfast, Julie was ravenous and the fish and chips tasted like ambrosia —with the addition of malt vinegar, better than ambrosia, she qualified as she greedily ate every crumb of her portion.
They'd finished their food and were almost through with their drinks when, without warning, Garth announced, "Daniel Leeds is married."
Julie darted a look at his face. It was a model of inscrutability. Her eyes skidded away from him and she pretended an interest she no longer felt in the river rushing by their picnic spot.
"Is that supposed to be of some significance to me?" she asked.
"You damned well know the answer to that!" Garth exclaimed harshly.
"Why are you telling me now? Yesterday you refused to discuss it even though I wanted to. Today, because it happens to suit
you
, you resurrect the subject."
"I didn't bring it up out of choice, I assure you," he replied. "It simply seemed to me that you should be informed of the fact before you actually see him."
Steeling herself to look directly at him, she persisted, "But why tell me now—at this moment? Why didn't you tell me yesterday?"
"I only learned about it last night when I called Leeds to let him know I'd located you and that we're on our way to see him." With exaggerated patience, Garth explained, "I've only spoken to him once. That was shortly after you disappeared and our conversation was confined to my notifying him that you might be coming to Jackson Hole. A few days later he telephoned to let me know you hadn't turned up. He asked to be kept posted and I saw that he was, but I didn't speak to him personally—not on that occasion and not since then. I asked my administrative assistant to take on that dubious privilege and he handled all the subsequent communications with Leeds as well."
Garth paused to drink the last few swallows of his beer. He studied the empty can meditatively as he scraped designs over the trademark with his thumbnail.
"When I called last night, Mrs. Leeds answered." He shook his head disgustedly and crushed the beer can. "She sounds a good deal older than her husband," he remarked caustically.
"How do you know she was his wife?" she argued, taking his criticism of the Leedses as a personal insult. "Maybe she's his housekeeper. Maybe she's a friend or a relative."
Garth's mouth hardened to a cynical line. "Sorry, Julie, but she was speaking in such a low tone of voice, I could barely hear her and when I suggested we might have a bad connection she told me it was because she'd answered the call on the extension in their bedroom. And she said—and I'm quoting her verbatim—'Dan's in bed. He's been so worried about Julie that he's hardly slept in the past few weeks, so I'd rather not disturb him.' To top it all off, she invited us to stay with them. Even
you
will have to admit, the only thing all of that could possibly add up to is 'wife'!"
Julie's reaction to this indictment was a disdainful silence.
"Well?" Garth prompted when she offered no opinion.
"You've convinced me," she conceded.
"And?"
"And nothing. Zero. Zilch! It makes no difference to me because I don't remember Daniel Leeds. And even if I did, he could have
ten
wives for all
Chapter Five
With each mile they covered now the terrain became more rugged, the descent from the pass more abrupt. Preferring a picnic at one of the wooden tables by the river to a meal taken indoors, they stopped at the 'carryout' window of a fast-food cafe in Afton to buy provisions for lunch.
It was noticeably cooler now that they were farther north. There was a crystalline quality about the air and the barest hint of a breeze whispered through the stately ranks of the pines, inviting the bronzy-orange leaves of the willows to dance and fly away with it.
Because she'd eaten so little at breakfast, Julie was ravenous and the fish and chips tasted like ambrosia —with the addition of malt vinegar, better than ambrosia, she qualified as she greedily ate every crumb of her portion.
They'd finished their food and were almost through with their drinks when, without warning, Garth announced, "Daniel Leeds is married."
Julie darted a look at his face. It was a model of inscrutability. Her eyes skidded away from him and she pretended an interest she no longer felt in the river rushing by their picnic spot.
"Is that supposed to be of some significance to me?" she asked.
"You damned well know the answer to that!" Garth exclaimed harshly.
"Why are you telling me now? Yesterday you refused to discuss it even though I wanted to. Today, because it happens to suit
you
, you resurrect the subject."
"I didn't bring it up out of choice, I assure you," he replied. "It simply seemed to me that you should be informed of the fact before you actually see him."
Steeling herself to look directly at him, she persisted, "But why tell me now—at this moment? Why didn't you tell me yesterday?"
"I only learned about it last night when I called Leeds to let him know I'd located you and that we're on our way to see him." With exaggerated patience, Garth explained, "I've only spoken to him once. That was shortly after you disappeared and our conversation was confined to my notifying him that you might be coming to Jackson Hole. A few days later he telephoned to let me know you hadn't turned up. He asked to be kept posted and I saw that he was, but I didn't speak to him personally—not on that occasion and not since then. I asked my administrative assistant to take on that dubious privilege and he handled all the subsequent communications with Leeds as well."
Garth paused to drink the last few swallows of his beer. He studied the empty can meditatively as he scraped designs over the trademark with his thumbnail.
"When I called last night, Mrs. Leeds answered." He shook his head disgustedly and crushed the beer can. "She sounds a good deal older than her husband," he remarked caustically.
"How do you know she was his wife?" she argued, taking his criticism of the Leedses as a personal insult. "Maybe she's his housekeeper. Maybe she's a friend or a relative."
Garth's mouth hardened to a cynical line. "Sorry, Julie, but she was speaking in such a low tone of voice, I could barely hear her and when I suggested we might have a bad connection she told me it was because she'd answered the call on the extension in their bedroom. And she said—and I'm quoting her verbatim—'Dan's in bed. He's been so worried about Julie that he's hardly slept in the past few weeks, so I'd rather not disturb him.' To top it all off, she invited us to stay with them. Even
you
will have to admit, the only thing all of that could possibly add up to is 'wife'!"
Julie's reaction to this indictment was a disdainful silence.
"Well?" Garth prompted when she offered no opinion.
"You've convinced me," she conceded.
"And?"
"And nothing. Zero. Zilch! It makes no difference to me because I don't remember Daniel Leeds. And even if I did, he could have
ten
wives for all
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