the notebook-恋恋笔记本(英文版)-第4部分

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ed　at　the　motion；　and　Allie　was　glad　for　the　distraction。

“Is　he　yours？”　she　asked。

Noah　nodded；　feeling　the　tightness　in　his　stomach。　“Actually　it’s　a　she。　Clementine’s　her　name。　But　yeah；　she’s　all　mine。”　They　both　watched　as　Clem　stretched；　then　wandered　towards　the　sounds。　Allie’s　eyes　widened　just　a　bit　when　she　saw　her　limp　away。

“What　happened　to　her　leg？”　she　asked；　stalling　for　time。

“Hit　by　a　car　a　few　months　back。　Doc　Harrison；　the　vet；　called　me　to　see　if　I　wanted　her　because　her　owner　didn’t　any　more。　After　I　saw　what　had　happened；　I　guess　I　just　couldn’t　let　her　be　put　down。〃

“You　were　always　nice　like　that；”　she　said；　trying　to　relax。　She　looked　past　him　towards　the　house。　“You　did　a　wonderful　job　restoring　it。　It　looks　perfect；　just　like　I　knew　it　would　some　day。”

He　turned　his　head　in　the　same　direction　as　hers　while　he　wondered　about　the　small　talk　and　what　she　was　holding　back。

“Thanks；　that’s　nice　of　you。　It　was　quite　a　project；　though。　I　don’t　know　if　I　would　do　it　again。”

“Of　course　you　would；”　she　said。　She　knew　exactly　how　he　felt　about　this　place。　But　then　she　knew　how　he　felt　about　everything—　or　at　least　she　had　a　long　time　ago。

And　with　that　she　realized　they　were　strangers　now。　Fourteen　years　apart　was　a　long　time。　Too　long。

“What　is　it；　Allie？”　He　turned　to　her；　but　she　continued　to　stare　at　the　house。

“I’m　being　rather　silly；　aren’t　I？”　she　asked；　trying　to　smile。

“What　do　you　mean？”

“This　whole　thing。　Showing　up　out　of　the　blue；　not　knowing　what　I　want　to　say。　You　must　think　I’m　crazy。”

“You’re　not　crazy；”　he　said　gently。　He　reached　for　her　hand；　and　she　let　him　hold　it　as　they　stood　next　to　one　another。　He　went　on：

“Even　though　I　don’t　know　why；　I　can　see　this　is　hard　for　you。　Why　don’t　we　go　for　a　walk？”

“Like　we　used　to？”

“Why　not？　I　think　we　both　could　use　one。”

She　hesitated　and　looked　to　his　front　door。　“Do　you　need　to　tell　anyone？”

He　shook　his　head。　“There’s　no　one　to　tell。　It’s　just　me　and　Clem。”

Even　though　she　had　asked；　she　had　suspected　there　wouldn’t　be　anyone　else；　and　inside　she　didn’t　know　how　to　feel　about　that。　But　it　did　make　what　she　wanted　to　say　a　little　harder。　It　would　have　been　easier　if　there　was　someone　else。

They　started　towards　the　river　and　turned　onto　a　path　near　the　bank。　She　let　go　of　his　hand　and　walked　on　with　just　enough　distance　between　them　so　that　they　couldn’t　accidentally　touch。

He　looked　at　her。　She　was　still　pretty；　with　thick　hair　and　soft　eyes；　and　she　moved　so　gracefully　that　it　seemed　as　though　she　were　gliding。　He’d　seen　beautiful　women　before；　women　who　caught　his　eye；　but　to　his　mind　they　usually　lacked　the　traits　he　found　most　desirable。　Traits　like　intelligence；　confidence；　strength　of　spirit；　passion；　traits　that　inspired　others　to　greatness；　traits　he　aspired　to　himself。

Allie　had　those　traits；　he　knew；　and　as　they　walked　now　he　sensed　them　once　again　lingering　beneath　the　surface。　“A　living　poem”　had　always　been　the　words　that　came　to　mind　when　he　tried　to　describe　her　to　others。

“How　long　have　you　been　back　here？”　she　asked　as　the　path　gave　way　to　a　small　grass　hill。

“Since　last　December。　I　worked　up　north　for　a　while；　then　spent　the　last　three　years　in　Europe。”

She　looked　at　him　with　questions　in　her　eyes。　“The　war？”

He　nodded　and　she　went　on。

“I　thought　you　might　be　there。　I’m　glad　you　made　it　out　okay。”

“Me　too；”　he　said。

“Are　you　glad　to　be　back　Home？”

“Yeah。　My　roots　are　here。　This　is　where　I’m　supposed　to　be。”　He　paused。　“But　what　about　you？”　He　asked　the　question　softly；　suspecting　the　worst。

It　was　a　long　moment　before　she　answered。　“I’m　engaged。”

He　looked　down　when　she　said　it；　suddenly　feeling　just　a　bit　weaker。　So　that　was　it。　That’s　what　she　needed　to　tell　him。

“Congratulations；”　he　finally　said；　wondering　how　convincing　he　sounded。　“When’s　the　big　day？”

“Three　weeks。　Lon　wanted　a　November　wedding。”

“Lon？”

“Lon　Hammond　Junior。　My　fiancé”

He　nodded。　The　Hammonds　were　one　of　the　most　powerful　and　influential　families　in　the　state。　Cotton　money。　Unlike　that　of　his　own　father；　the　death　of　Lon　Hammond　Senior　had　made　the　front　page　of　the　newspaper。

“I’ve　heard　of　them。　His　father　built　quite　a　Business。　Did　Lon　take　over　for　him？”

She　shook　her　head。　“No；　he’s　a　lawyer。　He　has　his　own　practice。”

“With　his　name；　he　must　be　busy。”

“He　is。　He　works　a　lot。”

He　thought　he　heard　something　in　her　tone；　and　the　next　question　came　automatically。　“Does　he　treat　you　well？”

She　didn’t　answer　right　away；　as　if　she　were　considering　the　question　for　the　first　time。　Then：　“Yes。　He’s　a　good　man；　Noah。　You’d　like　him。”

Her　voice　was　distant　when　she　answered；　or　at　least　he　thought　it　was。　Noah　wondered　if　it　was　just　his　mind　playing　tricks　on　him。

“How’s　your　daddy　doing？”　she　asked。

Noah　took　a　couple　of　steps　before　answering。　“He　passed　on　earlier　this　year；　right　after　I　got　back。”

“I’m　sorry；”　she　said　softly。

He　nodded；　and　they　walked　on　in　silence。

They　reached　the　top　of　the　hill　and　stopped。　The　oak　tree　was　in　the　distance；　with　the　sun　glowing　orange　behind　it。　Allie　could　feel　his　eyes　on　her　as　she　stared　in　that　direction。

“A　lot　of　memories　there；　Allie。”

She　smiled。　“I　know。　I　saw　it　when　I　came　in。　Do　you　remember　the　day　we　spent　there？”

“Yes；”　he　answered；　volunteering　no　more。

“Do　you　ever　think　about　it？”

〃Sometimes；”　he　said。　“Usually　when　I’m　working　out　this　way。

It　sits　on　my　property　now。”

〃You　bought　it？”

I　just　couldn’t　bear　to　see　it　turned　into　kitchen　cabis。”

She　laughed　under　her　breath；　feeling　strangely　pleased　about　that。　“Do　you　still　read　poetry？

He　nodded。　“Yeah。　I　never　stopped。　I　guess　it’s　in　my　blood。”

“Do　you　know；　you’re　the　only　poet　I’ve　ever　met。”

“I’m　no　poet。　I　read；　but　I　can’t　write　a　verse。　I’ve　tried。”

“You’re　still　a　poet；　Noah　Taylor　Calhoun。”　Her　voice　softened。

“I　still　think　about　it　a　lot。　It　was　the　first　time　anyone　ever　read　poetry　to　me。　In　fact；　it’s　the　only　time。”

Her　ment　made　both　of　them　drift　back　and　remember　as　they　slowly　circled　back　to　the　house；　following　a　new　path　that　passed　near　the　dock。

As　the　sun　dropped　a　little　lower　and　the　sky　turned　orange；　he　asked：　〃So；　how　long　are　you　staying？”

“I　don’t　know。　Not　long。　Maybe　until　tomorrow　or　the　next　day。”

〃Is　your　flanc6　here　on　Business？”　She　shook　her　head。　“No；　he’s　still　in　Raleigh。”

Noah　raised　his　eyebrows。　“Does　he　know　you’re　here？”

She　shook　her　head　again　and　answered　slowly。　“No。　I　told　him　I　was　looking　for　antiques。　He　wouldn’t　understand　my　ing　here。”

Noah　was　a　little　surprised。　It　was　one　thing　to　e　and　visit；　but　it　was　an　entirely　different　matter　to　hide　the　truth　from　her　fiancé。

The　gravel　crunched　beneath　their　feet　as　they　walked。　He　asked：　“Allie；　do　you　love　him？”

She　answered　automatically。　“Yes；　I　love　him。”

The　words　hurt。　But　again　he　thought　he　heard　something　in　her　tone；　as　if　she　were　saying　it　to　convince　herself。　He　stopped　and　gently　took　her　shoulders　in　his　hands；　making　her　face　him。　The　fading　sunlight　reflected　in　her　eyes　as　he　spoke。

“If　you’re　happy；　Allie；　and　you　love　him。　I　won’t　try　to　stop　you　from　going　back　to　him。　But　if　there’s　a　part　of　you　that　isn’t　sure；　then　don’t　do　it。　This　isn’t　the　kind　of　thing　you　go　into　halfway。”

Her　ansaking　the　right　decision。　Noah。”

He　stared　for　a　second；　wondering　if　he　believed　her。　Then　he　nodded　and　they　began　to　walk　again。　He　said：　I’m　not　making　this　easy　for　you；　am　I。？”

She　smiled　a　little。　〃It’s　okay。　I　really　can’t　blame　you。”

〃I’m　sorry　anyway。〃

〃Don’t　be。　There’s　no　reason　to　be　sorry。　I’m　the　one　who　should　be　apologizing。　Maybe　I　should　have　written。”

He　shook　his　head。　〃I’m　glad　you　came。　It’s　good　to　see　you　again。　You　were　the　best　friend　I　ever　had；　Allie。　I’d　still　like　to　be　friends；　even　if　you　are　engaged；　and　even　if　it　is　just　for　a　couple　of　days。　How　about　we　just　kind　of　get　to　know　each　other　again？”

She　thought　about　it；　and　decided　that　since　he　knew　about　her　engagement；　it　would　probably　be　all　right。　Or　at　least　not　wrong。

She　smiled　slightly　and　nodded。　〃I’d　like　that。”

〃Good。　How　about　dinner？　I　know　a　place　that　serves　the　best　crab　in　town。”

〃Sounds　great。　Where？”

〃My　house。　I’ve　had　the　traps　out　all　week；　and　I　saw　that　I　had　some　good　ones　caged　a　couple　of　days　ago。　Do　you　mind？”

〃No；　that　sounds　fine。”

He　smiled　and　pointed　over　his　shoulder　with　his　thumb。

〃Great。　They’re　at　the　dock。　I’ll　just　be　a　couple　of　minutes。”

Allie　watched　him　walk　away　and　noticed　the　tension　she’d　felt　when　telling　him　about　her　engagement　beginning　to　fade。　Closing　her　eyes；　she　ran　her　hands　through　her　hair　and　let　the　breeze　fan　her　cheek。　She　took　a　deep　breath　and　held　it　for　a　moment；　feeling　the　muscles　in　her　shoulders　relax　as　she　exhaled。　Finally；　opening　her　eyes；　she　stared　at　the　beauty　that　surrounded　her。　She　always　loved　evenings　like　this；　when　the　faint　aroma　of　autumn　leaves　rode　on　soft　southern　winds。　She　loved　the　trees　and　the　sounds　they　made。　Listening　to　them　helped　her　relax　even　more。　After　a　moment；　she　turned　towards　the　dock　and　looked　at　Noah。

God；　he　looked　good。　Even　after　all　this　time。

She　watched　him　as　he　reached　for　a　rope　that　hung　in　the　water。　He　began　to　pull　it；　and　despite　the　darkening　sky　she　saw　the　muscles　in　his　arm　flex　as　he　lifted　the　cage　from　the　water。　He　let　it　hang　over　the　river　for　a　moment　and　shook　it；　letting　most　of　the　water　escape。　After　setting　the　trap　on　the　dock；　he　opened　it　and　began　to　remove　the　crabs　one　by　one；　placing　them　into　a　bucket。

She　looked　around　and　realized　she　had　forgotten　how　fresh　and　beautiful　everything　seemed　here。　Over　her　shoulder；　as　she　walked　over　to　join　Noah；　she　saw　he　had　left　a　couple　of　lights　on　in　the　house。　It　seemed　to　be　the　only　house　around。　At　least　the　only　one　with　electricity。

She　stepped　on　the　dock　and　it　creaked　under　her　foot。　The　sound　reminded　her　of　a　rusty　squeezebox。　Noah　glanced　up；　then　went　back　to　checking　the　crabs；　making　sure　they　were　the　right　size。　She　walked　to　the　rocker　that　sat　on　the　dock　and　touched　it；　running　her　hand　along　the　back。　She　could　picture　him　sitting　in　it；　Fishing；　thinking；　reading。　It　was　old　and　weather…beaten；　rough…feeling。　She　wondered　how　much　time　he　spent　here　alone；　and　about　his　thoughts　at　times　like　those。

A　pulsion　had　driven　her　here；　and　for　the　first　time　in　three　weeks　the　feeling　was　gone。　She’d　needed　Noah　to　know　about　her　engagement；　to　understand；　to　accept　it—she　was　sure　of　that　now。　While　thinking　of　him；　she　was　reminded　of　something　they　shared　the　summer　they　were　together。　With　head　down；　she　paced　around　slowly　until　she　found　it—the　carving。　Noah　loves　Allie；　in　a　heart。　Carved　into　the　dock　a　few　days　before　she’d　left。

A　breeze　broke　the　stillness　and　chilled　her；　making　her　cross　her　arms。　She　stood　that　way；　alternately　looking　down　at　the　caning　and　then　towards　the　river；　until　she　heard　him　reach　her　side。　She　could　feel　his　closeness；　his　warmth。

“It’s　so　peaceful　here；”　she　said；　her　voice　dreamlike。

“I　know。　I　e　down　here　a　lot　now　just　to　be　close　to　the　water。　It　makes　me　feel　good。　e　on；　let’s　go。　The　mosquitoes　are　getting　vicious；　and　I’m　starved。”

THE　SKY　had　turned　black　and　they　started　towards　the　house。　In　the　silence　Allie’s　mind　wandered　and　she　felt　a　little　light…headed。　She　wondered　what　he　was　thinking　about　her　being　here　and　wasn’t　exactly　sure　if　she　knew　herself。　When　they　reached　the　house　a　couple　of　minutes　later；　Clem　greeted　them　on　the　back　porch。

Noah　set　the　bucket　by　the　door；　then　led　the　way　inside　to　the　kitchen。　It　was　on　the　right；　large　and　smelling　of　new　wood。　The　cabis　had　been　done　in　oak；　like　the　floor；　and　the　windows　were　large　and　faced　east；　allowing　the　light　from　the　morning　sun。　It　was　a　tasteful　restoration；　not　overdone　as　was　so　often　the　case　when　Homes　like　this　were　rebuilt。

“Do　you　mind　if　I　look　around？”

“No；　go　ahead。　I　did　some　shopping　earlier　and　I　still　have　to　put　the　groceries　away。”

She　toured　the　house　for　the　next　few　minutes；　walking　through　the　rooms；　noticing　how　wonderful　it　looked。　She　came　down　the　stairs；　turned　towards　the　kitchen；　and　saw　his　profile。　For　a　second　he　looked　like　a　young　man　of　seventeen　again；　and　it　made　her　pause　a　split　second　before　going　on。　Damn；　she　thought；　get　a　hold　of　yourself。　Remember　that　you’re　engaged　now。

He　was　standing　by　the　counter；　a　couple　of　cabi　doors　open　wide；　empty　grocery　bags　on　the　floor；　whistling　quietly。

“It’s　unbelievable；　Noah。　How　long　did　the　restoration　take？”

He　looked　up　from　the　last　bag　he　was　unpacking。　“Almost　a　year。〃

“Did　you　do　it　all　yourself？”

He　laughed。　“No。　I　always　thought　I　would　when　I　was　young；　and　I　started　that　way。　But　it　was　just　too　much。　It　would　have　taken　years；　and　so　I　ended　up　hiring　some　people。　。　。　actually　a　lot　of　people。　But　even　with　them　it　was　still　a　lot　of　work；　and　most　of　the　time　I　didn’t　stop　until　past　midnight。”

“Why’d　you　work　so　hard？”

Ghosts；　he　wanted　to　say；　but　didn’t。

“I　don’t　know。　Just　wanted　to　finish；　I　guess。　Do　you　want　anything　to　drink　before　I　start　dinner？”

“What　do　you　have？”

“Not　much；　really。　Beer；　tea；　Coffee。”

“Tea　sounds　good。”

He　gathered　the　grocery　bags　and　put　them　away；　then　walked　to　a　small　room　off　the　kitchen　before　returning　with　a　box　of　tea。　He　pulled　out　a　couple　of　tea　bags　and　put　them　by　the　stove；　then　filled　the　kettle。　After　standing　it　on　the　burner；　he　lit　a　match　and　she　heard　the　sound　of　flames　as　they　came　to　life。

“It’ll　be　just　a　minute；”　he　said；　“this　stove　heats　up　pretty　quick。”

“That’s　fine。”

When　the　kettle　whistled；　he　poured　two　cups　and　handed　one　to　her。　She　smiled　and　took　a　sip。

“I’m　going　to　get　the　crabs　in　to　marinate　for　a　few　minutes　before　I　steam　‘em；”　he　said；　putting　his　cup　on　the　counter。　He　went　to　the　cupboard　and　removed　a　large　pot　with　a　steamer　and　lid。　He　brought　the　pot　to　the　sink；　added　water；　then　carried　it　to　the　stove。

“Can　I　give　you　a　hand　with　something？”

He　answered　over　his　shoulder：　“Sure。　How　about　cutting　up　some　vegetables　to　fry。　There’s　plenty　in　the　icebox；　and　you　can　find　a　bowl　over　there。”

He　motioned　to　the　cabi　near　the　sink；　and　she　took　another　sip　of　tea　before　setting　her　cup　on　the　counter　and　retrieving　the　bowl。　She　carried　it　to　the　icebox　and　found　some　okra；　courgettes；　onions　and　carrots　on　the　bottom　shelf。　Noah　joined　her　in　front　of　the　open　door；　and　she　moved　to　make　room　for　him。　She　could　smell　him　as　he　stood　next　to　her—clean；　familiar；　distinctive—and　felt　his　arm　brush　against　her　as　he　leaned　over　and　reached　inside。　He　removed　a　beer　and　a　bottle　of　hot　sauce；　then　returned　to　the　stove。

Noah　opened　the　beer　and　poured　it　in　the　water；　then　added　the　hot　sauce　and　some　other　seasoning。　After　stirring　the　water　to　make　sure　the　pow