Part 9 (1/2)

”You seem surprised.”

I played with the remains of my fish, my appet.i.te gone. ”Well, yes. After all, he's not like us. He's a Jew.”

”He's no longer practicing, he says. I'm merely showing him my appreciation, nothing more. There are already plenty of doctors at the club. He'll fit in nicely. And perhaps he can use it to expand his practice.”

”How thoughtful you are to suggest it,” I said.

William's dark brows came together in a frown. ”Are you telling me I shouldn't be grateful to him for restoring my wife to me?”

I could not answer. Restore seemed such a finished word, and despite my improvement these last days, I did not feel finished, hardly so. It did disturb me that William intended to form a friends.h.i.+p with my doctor, though I could not think of a reason why. After all, I had first met Seth at a supper, and it was clear he already moved in our circle of friends. It would be foolish not to expect to see him publicly.

”I've been hoping you might come with me to McKim's office tomorrow morning,” William said. ”He's finished the plans for the new house.”

Our discussion about Seth was over. I forced myself to take a forkful of fish and put aside my dismay over the doctor. ”Oh? So soon?”

”I'd like you to see them.”

”I'm sure anything you've agreed to is fine.”

”You're going to live there as well,” William pointed out. ”And I'd like you to see the plans before you go to Goupil's. You should know what we need before you begin choosing things.”

I gave him a weak smile. ”Yes, of course.”

”Then it's settled. We're to be there tomorrow at ten.”

I did not argue. I feigned the excitement I wanted so badly to feel. I would do this for William, for myself. After all, I did feel better.

The next morning I met my husband in the foyer, dressed and ready. It did not take long to arrive at McKim's office, despite a cloud of snow that fell in a light and constant fog. We were met in the anteroom by an earnest young man who showed us into Charles McKim's office.

Charles was there already, seated at a huge maple desk, surrounded by rolls of paper. One wall was completely lined with bookshelves; the others held framed photographs of houses he'd apparently designed, though the electric lamp on his desk shone upon the gla.s.s at an angle, making the pictures hard to see.

He rose when we entered, extending a hand to William, giving me a warm smile. William and I sat in two silk-covered chairs.

”I've brought Lucy to give her final approval,” William told him with a conspiratorial smile.

”I'm certain you'll be pleased, Mrs. Carelton,” Charles said. He reached for a seemingly unmarked roll among a set of other rolls and spread it out over his desk, using paperweights to hold the corners. William rose and went to look over his shoulder, gesturing for me to join him. I did, but the drawing was impossible for me to decipher. It was only rows of lines, parallel and perpendicular, a semicircle here, words written in tiny letters.

”Look here,” William said, pointing to a square on the paper. ”This is the foyer. We'll have steps leading up to the front, all of cut limestone.” His finger traced down a set of lines. ”Do you see? They curve on either side down to the sidewalk. There are pillars here and here, and the porch roof is a terrace that leads out from the ballroom.” His fingers moved over the plans so rapidly I could barely follow his motions; his voice was excited. ”Do you see, Lucy? The entrance hall will be huge, with marble pillars reaching up three stories to a stained-gla.s.s dome. Mostly in rose, I think, so there will be a perpetual sunset over the floors below. Or sunrise, I suppose, depending on the light.”

I began to see the plans as a house. It was simple to decipher now that I knew what I was examining.

”Yes,” I said. ”It's quite lovely.”

”Do you think so?” William's face was more animated than I'd seen it for some time, and for a moment I felt a terrible jealousy that this house should command his affections when I could not.

”From the outside, it looks like a very large row house,” I said.

Charles McKim nodded. ”Yes. William planned it that way. He thought you would be more comfortable in familiar surroundings. But the inside is quite spectacular. Nothing like a row house at all.”

”It will be beautiful,” I said, stepping back from the plans.

William grasped my arm, bringing me gently back. ”You must see this, Lucy,” he said softly. ”I've planned it all for you. Look, here is your suite. You'll have a sitting room that can be closed off from the bedroom by a set of doors. Do you see? There will be a window here-”

”A window?” I frowned. ”Only one? It's quite small.”

”Yes. Heating is more efficient that way,” McKim said.

”We don't care about the cost of heating,” I told him. ”The window must be bigger. Where are the rest of them?”

I saw the way McKim glanced at William, but I did not retreat. I said insistently, ”Show me where the windows are.”

”In every room, of course,” McKim said. ”Here and here.”

”There aren't enough. Really, William, there aren't enough. You know how I love windows.”

”But Lucy-”

”There must be more,” I said.

”But darling-”

”You said you wanted me to look at the plans,” I said. I had wanted so badly to care about this house, and now I found myself caring too much. ”You wanted my approval. It's a lovely house, William, truly it is, but the windows, there simply must be more.”

”I can change the plans slightly without compromising the entire design,” McKim said reluctantly.

”Then you must.”

William looked at McKim. ”Could you give us a moment, Charles?”

”Certainly.” McKim stepped from his office, closing the door discreetly. When he was gone, William turned me to face him, holding my arms so I couldn't back away.

”Lucy, you must calm yourself.”

”I'm quite calm.”

He shook his head. ”This thing about the windows-”

”You said I should have the house the way I liked it,” I said. ”You said I should approve of it.”

”Yes, but not at the expense of everything Charles and I have worked for,” he said. ”I've done nothing but keep your interests in mind during this entire process. Charles and I have had several meetings.”

”You never included me.”

He gave me a chastising look. ”Come, Lucy, you weren't the least bit interested until today.”

”But now I am interested. And I want windows.”

”Think of how cold such large rooms will be. The windows will only make it worse unless the drapes are quite heavy, and you don't like curtains.”

”No,” I said uncertainly. ”I don't.”