The Chocolatier's Wife (57 page)

“I
don’t
want
our
marriage
to
be
hell
.
”
H
e
gave
her
a
pointed
look,
under which she blushed.

“You don’t
have
to.”
Her hand
was gentle on
his arm.

“I
know. But
I
do
want
to.”
He
was
stooped
over,
the
easier
to
search, so
he
was
low
enough
for
her
to
lean
over
and
place
her
head,
just
so,
in
the crook
of his neck.

“Than
k
you,
”
sh
e
sai
d
softly
.
H
e
coul
d
fee
l
he
r
breathin
g
i
n
hi
s
scent
,
an
d
a
n
od
d
sens
e
o
f
longin
g
stirre
d
insid
e
him
.
No
t
odd
.
Desir
e
wa
s
no
t
odd
,
no
r
foreign
.
Becaus
e
he’
d
neve
r
indulge
d
i
t
didn’
t
mea
n
h
e
didn’
t
fee
l
it
,
an
d
keenly
.
Sh
e
shivered
,
an
d
h
e
realize
d
tha
t
he
,
too
,
wa
s
quit
e
cold
,
an
d
woul
d
lik
e
nothin
g
mor
e
righ
t
no
w
tha
n
t
o
b
e
bac
k
i
n
th
e
shop
,
curle
d
u
p
i
n
thei
r
bed
.
Mayb
e
sh
e
woul
d
tel
l
hi
m
storie
s
i
n
tha
t
sof
t
voic
e
o
f
her
s
an
d
h
e
coul
d
preten
d
tha
t
everythin
g
wa
s
goin
g
t
o
b
e
well.

H
e
place
d
a
han
d
o
n
he
r
bac
k
,
strokin
g
he
r
gentl
y
once
.
“Yo
u
ar
e
cold
.
Yo
u
shoul
d
g
o
in
;
th
e
win
d
i
s
crue
l
today.
”

“Soon.
”
Sh
e
sa
t
up
.
“Wha
t
ar
e
yo
u
goin
g
t
o
do
,
afte
r
yo
u
f
inis
h
pearl-diving?
”

H
e
too
k
of
f
hi
s
coa
t
an
d
place
d
i
t
aroun
d
her
.
“
I
a
m
no
t
altogethe
r
certain
.
A
t
leas
t
on
e
tas
k
i
s
done.
”
H
e
gesture
d
t
o
th
e
grass
,
relieve
d
t
o
be
f
inishe
d
hunting
.
“
I
a
m
mos
t
sorr
y
abou
t
you
r
dress.
”
H
e
ros
e
an
d
offered
a
hand
,
an
d
the
y
sa
t
togethe
r
o
n
th
e
bench
,
no
t
darin
g
t
o
g
o
in
.
I
t
wa
s
a
miracl
e
the
y
ha
d
bee
n
allowe
d
t
o
b
e
alon
e
thi
s
long.

“I
t
wil
l
pass
.
W
e
d
o
no
t
hav
e
muc
h
time
,
s
o
I
wil
l
no
t
danc
e
aroun
d
th
e
subject
.
You
r
siste
r
wishe
s
m
e
t
o
hel
p
he
r
conceive.”

“Well
,
tha
t
i
s
certainl
y
a
nove
l
idea
,
bu
t
i
f
yo
u
hav
e
th
e
capabilit
y
to ge
t
a
woma
n
wit
h
chil
d
w
e
nee
d
t
o
hav
e a
lon
g
talk.
”

“Don’
t
b
e
cheeky
.
Eve
n
spendin
g
a
n
hou
r
o
n
you
r
knee
s
lookin
g
fo
r
pearl
s
fo
r
me—whic
h
wa
s
quit
e
sweet—doe
s
no
t
entitl
e
yo
u
t
o
be cheeky.
”

“Tw
o
hours,
”
h
e
said
,
bein
g
silly
.
“No
t
tha
t
I
wa
s
reall
y
counting
.
But, t
o
th
e
su
b
ject
:
sh
e
wishe
s
yo
u
t
o
us
e
you
r
magic
?
I
s
tha
t
possible?
”

Sh
e
sighed
.
“
I
d
o
no
t
know
.
I
t
seem
s
tha
t
a
s
lon
g
a
s
ma
n
an
d
woman hav
e
breathed
,
th
e
thing
s
the
y
wan
t
th
e
mos
t
are
,
f
irst
,
lov
e
potions
,
second
,
potion
s
t
o
preven
t
children
,
third
,
potion
s
t
o
gai
n
them
.
‘Ti
s
par
t
o
f
th
e
reaso
n
th
e
Matin
g
Spel
l
wa
s
designed
,
t
o
sto
p
wedloc
k
fro
m
bein
g
th
e
providenc
e
o
f
magic.
”