Page:Angna Enters - Among the Daughters.djvu/182

 "I'll drag you if necessary', you beautiful thing you."

Well what do you know about that, she asked herself, feeling good for the first time in months.

They sat in a dark corner at Piselli's speakeasy. "I thought you were Lyle's girl."

"I'm not anyone's girl."

"That's what you think."

And when he told her that Saturday night they would drive out to Long Island for the week end, an icy shiver slid down her spine. Was love and danger the same feeling and which was which? Being with Carly was exciting, like being afraid and happy the same minute, and safe too, because he decided everything without asking and you wanted him to.

She could not sleep all night but was up early and refreshed.

At the eleven-o'clock class at Master's she worked hard and well.

"That's better," Master said, "but not good enough."

"I know, but I'm going to work harder from now on."

"As long as you don't need me tonight I'll stay home so my cold is gone by Monday. I'm glad you're going to spend the week end on Long Island but be sure and wear a wrap if you go in an open car," Mae said when Lucy left for the theatre on Saturday.

Alone in her dressing room she was made up except for mascara beading of her eyelashes. This always awaited drawing on the opera-length pink stockings so as not to smudge her cheeks in looking down. She pulled on one stocking and stood, smoothing it taut, absorbed in the perfection of its fit, when a possessive rap on the door sent a flood of recognition to every capillary.

Through a champagne dizziness she saw his dark handsome face, heard the lock click, felt herself roughly swept onto the couch and savagely stripped, except for the one pink stocking.

It was wonderful not to have to decide, as with Clem, and be taken without invitation, though she could not help but laugh while Carly was making love because Sam knocked and called "fifteen minutes." She was surprised at how angrily Carly bit her lip because she laughed; she thought Sam's calling "fifteen minutes" made it more fun, and was sorry she had laughed because her lip hurt so that that was all she could feel.

He wanted her so much she tried as hard as she could to do what 170