“Perhaps not, Monsieur.”
“She’ll be back,” David said.
“Yes, Monsieur.”
“We will take good care of her.”
“Yes, Monsieur.” She began to cry a little as she turned the omelette and David put his arm around her and kissed her. “Go and talk to Madame,” she said, “and let me set the table. Aurol and the boy are at Napoule, mixing belote and politics.”
“I’ll set it,” Marita said. “Open the wine, David, please. Don’t you think we should have a bottle of the Lanson?”
He closed the door of the ice chest and holding the cold bottle untwisted the seal and loosened the wire and then carefully moved the cork between his thumb and first finger feeling the pinch of metal cap against his thumb and the long cold rounded promise of the bottle. He brought the cork out gently and poured three glasses full. Madame stood back from the stove with her glass and they all raised their glasses. David did not know what to drink to so he said the first words that came which were, “A nous et a la liberte.”
They all drank and then Madame served the omelette and they all drank again without making a toast.
“Eat, David, please,” Marita said.
“All right,” he said and drank some of the wine and ate some of the omelette slowly.
“Just eat a little,” Marita said. “It will be good for you.”
Madame looked at Marita and shook her head. “Nothing is helped by your not eating,” Madame told him.
“Sure,” said David and ate slowly and carefully and drank the champagne that was born new each time he poured a glass.
“Where did she leave the car?” he asked.
“At the station,” Madame said. “The boy rode down with her. He brought back the key. It’s in your room.
‘Was the wagon-lit crowded?”
“No. He put her aboard. There were very few passengers. She will have a place.”
“It’s not a bad train,” David said.
“Eat some chicken,” Madame said, “and drink some more wine. Op en another bottle. Your women are thirsty too.”
“I’m not thirsty,” Marita said.
“Yes, you are,” Madame said. “Drink up now and take a bottle with you. I know this one. It’s good for him to drink good wine.”
“I don’t want to drink too much, chbie,” David said to Madame. “Because tomorrow is a bad day and I’d rather not feel bad too.”
“You won’t. I know you. Just eat now to please me.
She excused herself in a few minutes and was gone for a quarter of an hour. David ate all of his chicken and the salad finally and after she had come back they all had a glass of wine together and then David and Marita said good night to Madame who was very formal now and went out onto the terrace and looked at the night. They were both in a hurry and David was carrying the opened bottle of wine in an ice bucket. He put it down on the stove and took Marita in his arms and kissed her. They held each other close and said nothing and then David picked up the bucket and they walked to Marita’s room.
Her bed had been made up now for two people and David put the ice bucket down on the floor and said, “Madame.”
“Yes,” Marita said. “Naturally.”
They lay together with the night clear and cool outside and the small breeze from the sea and Marita said, “I love you, David, and it’s so sure now.
Sure, David thought. Sure. Nothing is sure.
“All the time before now,” Marita said, “before I could sleep all night with you I’ve thought and thought you wouldn’t like the sort of wife who couldn’t sleep.”
“What sort of wife are you?”
“You’ll see. A happy one now.
Then he felt it was a long time before he went to sleep but really it was not and when he woke at the first gray light he saw Marita in the bed beside him and was happy until he remembered what had happened. He was very careful not to wake her but when she stirred he kissed her before he stepped out of bed. She smiled and said, “Good morning, David,” and he said, “Go back to sleep my dearest love.”