voice intruded on her thoughts.
"As you've been honest with me, I think it only fair if I tell you I've been having doubts of my own about us."
Curious now, Anne had to ask, "Is there someone else, Andrew?"
He glanced away, then back again, a small, dry smile on his lips.
"Well, yes and no. I'm attracted to someone. I’m not sure if the attraction is mutual. I think it is, but I'm not sure. If you don't mind, that's all I have to say on it."
"No, of course I don't mind." Anne slipped his ring off her finger and handed it to him, adding, "Your private life is none of my business."
He looked rueful a moment as his fingers closed over the cluster of diamonds then he shook his head once.
"No hard feelings, Anne?"
"No, Andrew, no hard feelings. I think we can be glad we realized our mistake now. It would have been much worse later. I will miss you though."
"I'm going to Philadelphia, Anne," he laughed softly. "Not the end of the world. If you need anything," he grinned, "like free legal advice, call me. Oh, by the way, I will still expect an invitation to Troy and Todd's graduation party."
"You'll have it." Leaning to him, she kissed him lightly on the cheek.
"Good luck, Andrew, with the new firm and—everything."
As luck would have it, Jud was the first to notice the lack of adornment on Anne's finger, and then it would have to be when they were all at the dinner table on Sunday, while Mrs. Davis was serving the soup.
"Your hand appears strangely naked, Anne," he drawled. "You haven't misplaced your engagement ring, have you?"
All eyes, including Mrs. Davis's, swung to Anne's hand. Pink-cheeked, hating him, she snapped, "No, I haven't misplaced it; I gave it back,"
"Anne!"
Her mother's shocked voice had Anne wishing she hadn't avoided everyone all day on the pretext of having things to do in her room. She had known she should go to her mother with some sort of explanation, but she had shied away from it. Now she was sorry she hadn't.
Anne drew a deep calming breath before saying quietly, "It's all right, Mother. I—I—Andrew and I—well, we've decided to call it off."
"But why? Anne, I don't understand." Margaret's voice held a plaintive note. "I don't understand you anymore. You're changing. Everything's changing." She sent a bitter glance at Jud, who received it with a look of total unconcern, before she went on, her voice rising an octave. "I seldom see you anymore." She glanced from Troy to Todd. "I seldom see you two anymore. I feel like a stranger in my own home. And now this." Her voice rising even more, she turned again to Jud. "You, you said you would not disrupt this house, yet, since you came home, there's been nothing but disruption."
"Mrs. Davis, I think you'd better wait a few minutes before serving the rest of the meal. I'll call you when we're ready to resume eating." Jud's flat tone dropped into the silence that had gripped the room after Margaret's outburst.
"Yes, sir."
He waited until the door swished closed behind the housekeeper, then turned eyes as hard as flint to Margaret,
"Actually, Margaret, what I said was I had no wish to disrupt the normal routine of this house. I'm sorry if Troy and Todd's absence upsets you, but, as that is how it has to be, you may as well get used to it."
"Now look here, Jud, you—" Todd began.
"Don't interrupt," Jud snapped. "I never said there wouldn't be any changes. The old man indulged you, I won't. I haven't the time or the inclination. Margaret, you have no cause for complaint. In the last month I've paid bills for you to the tune of three thousand dollars."
Anne's eyes flew to her mother. What in the world had she bought? Her silent question was answered defensively by Margaret.
"I needed some new spring clothes, darker colors. I'm still in mourning for your father."
"I don't think the question of need applies here." Jud's tone was dry. "But that's beside the point. The point being, I have not questioned these expenditures. As stated, the
"As you've been honest with me, I think it only fair if I tell you I've been having doubts of my own about us."
Curious now, Anne had to ask, "Is there someone else, Andrew?"
He glanced away, then back again, a small, dry smile on his lips.
"Well, yes and no. I'm attracted to someone. I’m not sure if the attraction is mutual. I think it is, but I'm not sure. If you don't mind, that's all I have to say on it."
"No, of course I don't mind." Anne slipped his ring off her finger and handed it to him, adding, "Your private life is none of my business."
He looked rueful a moment as his fingers closed over the cluster of diamonds then he shook his head once.
"No hard feelings, Anne?"
"No, Andrew, no hard feelings. I think we can be glad we realized our mistake now. It would have been much worse later. I will miss you though."
"I'm going to Philadelphia, Anne," he laughed softly. "Not the end of the world. If you need anything," he grinned, "like free legal advice, call me. Oh, by the way, I will still expect an invitation to Troy and Todd's graduation party."
"You'll have it." Leaning to him, she kissed him lightly on the cheek.
"Good luck, Andrew, with the new firm and—everything."
As luck would have it, Jud was the first to notice the lack of adornment on Anne's finger, and then it would have to be when they were all at the dinner table on Sunday, while Mrs. Davis was serving the soup.
"Your hand appears strangely naked, Anne," he drawled. "You haven't misplaced your engagement ring, have you?"
All eyes, including Mrs. Davis's, swung to Anne's hand. Pink-cheeked, hating him, she snapped, "No, I haven't misplaced it; I gave it back,"
"Anne!"
Her mother's shocked voice had Anne wishing she hadn't avoided everyone all day on the pretext of having things to do in her room. She had known she should go to her mother with some sort of explanation, but she had shied away from it. Now she was sorry she hadn't.
Anne drew a deep calming breath before saying quietly, "It's all right, Mother. I—I—Andrew and I—well, we've decided to call it off."
"But why? Anne, I don't understand." Margaret's voice held a plaintive note. "I don't understand you anymore. You're changing. Everything's changing." She sent a bitter glance at Jud, who received it with a look of total unconcern, before she went on, her voice rising an octave. "I seldom see you anymore." She glanced from Troy to Todd. "I seldom see you two anymore. I feel like a stranger in my own home. And now this." Her voice rising even more, she turned again to Jud. "You, you said you would not disrupt this house, yet, since you came home, there's been nothing but disruption."
"Mrs. Davis, I think you'd better wait a few minutes before serving the rest of the meal. I'll call you when we're ready to resume eating." Jud's flat tone dropped into the silence that had gripped the room after Margaret's outburst.
"Yes, sir."
He waited until the door swished closed behind the housekeeper, then turned eyes as hard as flint to Margaret,
"Actually, Margaret, what I said was I had no wish to disrupt the normal routine of this house. I'm sorry if Troy and Todd's absence upsets you, but, as that is how it has to be, you may as well get used to it."
"Now look here, Jud, you—" Todd began.
"Don't interrupt," Jud snapped. "I never said there wouldn't be any changes. The old man indulged you, I won't. I haven't the time or the inclination. Margaret, you have no cause for complaint. In the last month I've paid bills for you to the tune of three thousand dollars."
Anne's eyes flew to her mother. What in the world had she bought? Her silent question was answered defensively by Margaret.
"I needed some new spring clothes, darker colors. I'm still in mourning for your father."
"I don't think the question of need applies here." Jud's tone was dry. "But that's beside the point. The point being, I have not questioned these expenditures. As stated, the
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