“Far from indifferent to you,” Mr. Blankenship said, finishing it for her.
Suddenly the next part came to her, but only the one sentence. “We live, as I hope you know, Mr. Worthing, in an age of ideals…” Her voice fell away.
His smile widened slightly. “We certainly do.”
“I can’t remember the rest.”
“Been a while?”
“Nine or ten years, I guess. How long for you?”
He laughed lightly. It was a nice sound. “Quite a bit longer. But it’s a favorite. Named the cat Algernon.” He looked down at the cat, who’d plopped down next to his left foot and was now cleaning its face with a paw. Then he looked up again. “You rehearsing for an audition?”
“No. I’m just…killing time. It’s just for fun.”
“Ah.”
“I’m Melanie Co—Kolander,” she said, catching herself just in time. This fellow was a Hollywood man—even way out here—if he was a screenwriter. She’d promised Carson she would be careful. “I’m…I’m housesitting for the Gilberts while they’re in Egypt.”
“Kolander,” he said, thoughtfully. “Ah, yes. Yes. I see.” He nodded. “Don’t worry, Miss Cole. I won’t give you any trouble. You have nothing to fear from me.”
Fear prickled all over her body. “You know who I am?”
“I recognize you and your given name from the newspaper and the magazines my sister-in-law likes. But I assure you, you have noreason to be afraid. I have no desire to make things more difficult for you.”
“No one is supposed to know I am here,” she said breathily, almost as if to just herself.
“There is no one I wish to tell, I assure you. And I will make sure June knows this, too, Miss Cole.”
“June?”
“My sister-in-law. She lives here, too. The name’s Elwood Blankenship.”
“Nice to meet you, Mr. Blankenship.”
“Please. Elwood will do.”
“And I insist you call me Melanie.”
“A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Melanie. I would get up and walk over there to the fence and introduce myself proper if I could, but I can’t. I’m sorry.”
“Why can’t you? Are you hurt? Is that why you don’t leave your house?”
His eyebrows lifted a fraction. “Touché. I guess you know who I am, too.”
“Not really. Mr. Gilbert said you never leave your house. I don’t think he told us why.”
Elwood was quiet for a moment. “Yes, I guess in a way I am hurt. For a while I could still make it out to the backyard to tend my roses, but even that is starting to be difficult.” He nodded toward an oval of rosebushes across the patio from him. There had to be a dozen different varieties and shades, all in bloom.
“They’re very pretty,” she said.
“They are, aren’t they?” He exhaled heavily. “They are very special to me. I have missed caring for them.”
Melanie was incredulous. She’d heard of people being reclusive, but not someone being powerless, though physically capable, tostep out their back door. “You don’t even go into your own backyard?”
“Not very often. Sometimes at night when there is no moon.”
A few seconds of silence hung between Melanie and her neighbor.
