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[I] threw open the door to find Rob sitÂting on the low stool in front of my bookÂcase, surÂroundÂed by cardÂboard boxÂes. He was sealÂing the last one up with tape and string. There were eight boxÂes - eight boxÂes of my books bound up and ready for the baseÂment!
"He looked up and said, 'HelÂlo, darÂling. Don't mind the mess, the careÂtakÂer said he'd help me carÂry these down to the baseÂment.' He nodÂded toÂwards my bookÂshelves and said, 'Don't they look wonÂderÂful?'
"Well, there were no words! I was too apÂpalled to speak. SidÂney, evÂery sinÂgle shelf - where my books had stood - was filled with athÂletÂic troÂphies: silÂver cups, gold cups, blue rosettes, red ribÂbons. There were awards for evÂery game that could posÂsiÂbly be played with a woodÂen obÂject: crickÂet bats, squash racÂquets, tenÂnis racÂquets, oars, golf clubs, ping-​pong bats, bows and arÂrows, snookÂer cues, lacrosse sticks, hockÂey sticks and poÂlo malÂlets. There were statÂues for evÂeryÂthing a man could jump over, eiÂther by himÂself or on a horse. Next came the framed cerÂtificates - for shootÂing the most birds on such and such a date, for First Place in runÂning races, for Last Man StandÂing in some filthy tug of war against ScotÂland.
"All I could do was scream, 'How dare you! What have you DONE?! Put my books back!'
"Well, that's how it startÂed. EvenÂtuÂalÂly, I said someÂthing to the efÂfect that I could nevÂer marÂry a man whose idea of bliss was to strike out at litÂtle balls and litÂtle birds. Rob counÂtered with reÂmarks about damned blueÂstockÂings and shrews. And it all deÂgenÂerÂatÂed from there - the onÂly thought we probÂably had in comÂmon was, What the hell have we talked about for the last four months? What, inÂdeed? He huffed and puffed and snortÂed and left. And I unÂpacked my books.
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