One Night Only (170 page)

Rut
h
fel
t
th
e
roo
m
spi
n
aroun
d
he
r
.
I
t
wa
s
ho
t
and
clamm
y
an
d
i
t
smelle
d
lik
e
deat
h
an
d
sh
e
neede
d
t
o
tak
e
her coa
t
of
f
befor
e
sh
e
fainted
.
Sh
e
wa
s
s
o
hot
.
Sh
e
was
humiliate
d
an
d
th
e
peopl
e
aroun
d
he
r
–
fa
r
to
o
man
y
t
o
be
i
n
suc
h
a
smal
l
spac
e
–
whispere
d
unde
r
thei
r
breat
h
and paranoi
a
ros
e
u
p
t
o
Ruth
’
s
throa
t
an
d
bega
n
t
o
chok
e
he
r
.

I
t
wa
s
he
r
brothe
r
,
a
s
always
,
wh
o
cam
e
t
o
he
r
aid
.
He guide
d
he
r
,
b
y
th
e
shoulders
,
ou
t
o
f
th
e
room
,
awa
y
from th
e
corps
e
an
d
he
r
mothe
r
an
d
th
e
stepsiste
r
tha
t
sh
e
had me
t
onl
y
ver
y
briefl
y
a
t
th
e
shodd
y
civi
l
servic
e
o
f
their parents
’
wedding
.
Rut
h
ha
d
lef
t
befor
e
th
e
reception
,
too
upse
t
t
o
sta
y
,
knowin
g
he
r
fathe
r
wa
s
a
t
hom
e
i
n
Cranm
or
e
breakin
g
hi
s
heart
.
Bria
n
le
d
he
r
outsid
e
int
o
th
e
coo
l
air an
d
the
y
sa
t
dow
n
o
n
th
e
bac
k
ste
p
o
f
he
r
mother
’
s
house. “Wh
y
didn
’
t
sh
e
sa
y
something?
”
Rut
h
asked
.
“Why
didn
’
t
sh
e
tel
l
he
r
t
o
b
e
quiet
?
They’r
e
al
l
talkin
g
abou
t
me
no
w
.
I
ca
n
fee
l
it!
”

Bria
n
li
t
u
p
a
cigarett
e
an
d
passe
d
i
t
t
o
hi
s
siste
r
who too
k
a
lon
g
dra
w
.
The
y
use
d
t
o
shar
e
cigarette
s
as teenager
s
and
,
eve
n
thoug
h
sh
e
n
o
longe
r
smoked
,
doing s
o
the
n
wit
h
Bria
n
mad
e
he
r
fee
l
a
t
ease
,
a
s
i
f
sh
e
still
belonge
d
.
.
.
a
s
i
f
th
e
famil
y
bon
d
wa
s
stil
l
there
.

“Sh
e
i
s
heartbroken,
”
sai
d
Brian
.
“Sh
e
ha
s
barely spoke
n
i
n
days
.
Sh
e
reall
y
love
d
him
,
yo
u
kno
w
.
Despite
ho
w
angr
y
w
e
hav
e
bee
n
abou
t
it
,
sh
e
reall
y
di
d
lov
e
him an
d
sh
e
i
s
i
n
dee
p
shock
.
Samanth
a
wa
s
ou
t
o
f
line
,
bu
t
I
suppos
e
w
e
hav
e
t
o
allo
w
fo
r
grie
f
ther
e
too
.
Y
o
u
di
d
the righ
t
thin
g
b
y
comin
g
toda
y
.
Mu
m
migh
t
no
t
realis
e
it no
w
,
bu
t
sh
e
wil
l
appreciat
e
i
t
onc
e
th
e
dus
t
settles.
”

Rut
h
reste
d
he
r
hea
d
o
n
he
r
brother
’
s
shoulde
r
an
d
felt
he
r
bod
y
temperatur
e
simme
r
bac
k
t
o
normal
.
Sh
e
had bee
n
nervou
s
abou
t
th
e
tri
p
an
d
sh
e
di
d
fee
l
hypocritical.
Sh
e
ha
d
neve
r
acknowledge
d
he
r
mother
’
s
second
marriage
,
no
t
afte
r
sh
e
witnesse
d
he
r
fathe
r
drin
k
himself
into
an
earl
y
grav
e
wit
h
heartach
e
at
losin
g
hi
s
famil
y
to
another
man.
Raymon
d
Dillo
n
had
blood
on
hi
s
hands
as
far
a
s
Ruth
coul
d
see
,
and
sh
e
had
neve
r
bee
n
afraid
to
sa
y
it
.

“Wh
y
won
’
t
sh
e
eve
r
forgiv
e
me?
”
sh
e
whispered. “Can
’
t
sh
e
understan
d
wh
y
I
fel
t
th
e
wa
y
I
di
d
abou
t
him? H
e
hate
d
m
e
too
.
H
e
hate
d
m
e
more.
”