“Yes, I shall.” Diana picked up the schedule of publicity events and studied it. She had several questions and was considering which to bring up first when Robert suddenly became agitated and stood. He crossed over to the window overlooking the garden and stoodrigidly.
Diana was startled and she stood and went over to where he was standing and put her hand on his back. “Robert, what?” She was surprised to find that he was trembling. “Is something troublingyou?”
He suddenly whipped around to face her and grabbed her by the shoulders. “Diana… Diana, what can I say? I try… I try to hold back and stop myself. But Icannot.”
“Robert, you are hurting me,” she said, as she tried pulling away from hisgrasp.
He let her go but was still agitated. His face was registering extremeagitation.
“Diana… I have such deep feelings for you, but I am wracked with pain and guiltand…”
Then he took hold of her again and passionately kissed her. At first, Diana’s body went rigid as her mind rebelled against the action. But then she relaxed as she felt a surge of emotion sweep through her whole body. She knew it was wrong, but it felt so right. That sent a surge of panic through her, but she could not resist the kiss and totally surrendered into Robert’sarms.
Then they heard the front door open. Diana thought it could only be her mother or Adam, who had become accustomed to entering the house now without knockingfirst.
“Robert,” she said almost involuntarily as she pulled away and crossed toward the sitting-roomdoor.
“Diana? Diana? Are you downstairs or in your room?” Adam’s voice rang out from theentryway.
“In here,” Diana called as she flung open thedoor.
Adam appeared but seemed surprised to see Robert standing at the gardenwindow.
“Oh, you have company…” he said tentatively, but then said boisterously, “I have finished it. I have completely finished my dissertation. Now all I need is to have it approved by myfaculty.”
Diana embraced him but found she was still shaking from the kiss. “Oh, Adam, that is such splendid news. I am so proud ofyou.”
Robert suddenly rushed to the chair where he had been sitting. He grabbed his hat and a folder of papers. He turned to them and said in an agitated voice. “Congratulations. However, I must leave urgently.” He turned to Diana. “I will stop by another time to continue our conversation about the book. Good-day to youboth.”
And heleft.
Adam babbled on about the dissertation and what it meant, and how they could now focus completely on the wedding and planning the honeymoon, but Diana barely heard a word of what he was saying. It was all she could do to keep from bursting into tears… or laughter. She was not sure what she was feeling. Except that it was all about Robert. And as Adam was so self-absorbed with his accomplishment, he seemed not to notice the inner turmoil that had overtakenDiana.
Finally, she calmed herself enough to congratulate Adam once again and usher him out of the house insisting she needed to start dinner and she would see him tomorrow when they could celebrateproperly.
“Perhaps I might take you out to tea tomorrow afternoon,” Dianasuggested.
“Oh, no,” Adam admonished. “We need something much more commanding than that. What about we go to theCambridge Hotelfor the roast beef? They do it sowell.”
“If that is what you would like, then that sounds lovely. And it will be my treat in honor of your great accomplishment,” Diana said as she gently ushered him out thedoor.
Adam smiled broadly. “Brilliant. I shall call for you atsix.”
* * *
Diana continuedto be confused about Robert’s kiss, and her response to it. She not only blamed Robert for the impropriety but she equally blamedherself.
She desperately wanted to talk to someone about this but knew she could not bare her tender feelings to Geoffrey and Miriam’s examination, as they would be too flippant andcaustic.
She considered talking to her mother, but she already knew exactly what she would say. Her mother was incapable of considering nuance or extenuating circumstances. Everything was either very black orwhite.
But her father, on the other hand, was less quick to judge. He was used to considering more complexsituations.
Mother always went to open up the gallery first thing after she finished her breakfast, while father tended to linger over the newspaper, have a second cup of tea, and dawdle over whatever he had to eat for breakfast thatmorning.
Diana held back until her motherleft.
“Father, I need your advice about a personal matter,” shesaid.
