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Mrs。 Corleone herself opened the door and greeted Kay with a warm embrace that surprised her。 Then she surveyed Kay with an appraising eye。 〃You a beautiful girl；〃 she said flatly。 〃I have stupid sons。〃 She pulled Kay inside the door and led her to the kitchen； where a platter of food was already set out and a pot of coffee perked on the stove。 〃Michael es home pretty soon；〃 she said。 〃You surprise him。〃
They sat down together and the old woman forced Kay to eat； meanwhile asking questions with great curiosity。 She was delighted that Kay was a schoolteacher and that she had e to New York to visit old girl friends and that Kay was only twenty…four years old。 She kept nodding her head as if all the facts accorded with some private specifications in her mind。 Kay was so nervous that she just answered the questions； never saying anything else。
She saw him first through the kitchen window。 A car pulled up in front of the house and the two other men got out。 Then Michael。 He straightened up to talk with one of the other men。 His profile； the left one； was exposed to her view。 It was cracked； indented； like the plastic face of a doll that a child has wantonly kicked。 In a curious way it did not mar his handsomeness in her eyes but moved her to tears。 She saw him put a snow…white handkerchief to his mouth and nee and hold it there for a moment while he turned away to e into the house。
She heard the door open and his footsteps in the hall turning into the kitchen and then he was in the open space； seeing her and his mother。 He seemed impassive； and then he smiled ever so slightly； the broken half of his face halting the widening of his mouth。 And Kay； who had want just to say 〃Hello； how are you；〃 in the coolest possible way； slipped out of her seat to run into his arms； bury her face against his shoulder。 He kissed her wet cheek and held her until she finished weeping and then he walked her out to his car； waved his bodyguard away and drove off with her beside him； she repairing her makeup by simply wiping what was left of it away with her handkerchief。
〃I never meant to do that；〃 Kay said。 〃It's just that nobody told me how badly they hurt you。〃
Michael laughed and touched the broken side of his face。 〃You mean this？ That's nothing。 Just gives me sinus trouble。 Now that I'm home I'll probably get it fixed。 I couldn't write you or anything；〃 Michael said。 〃You have to understand that before anything else。〃
〃OK；〃 she said。
〃I've got a place in the city；〃 Michael said。 〃Is it all right if we go there or should it be dinner and drinks at a restaurant？〃
〃I'm not hungry；〃 Kay said。
They drove toward New York in silence for a while。 〃Did you get your degree？〃 Michael asked。
〃Yes；〃 Kay said。 〃I'm teaching grade school in my hometown now。 Did they find the man who really killed the policeman； is that why you were able to e home？〃
For a moment Michael didn't answer。 〃Yes； they did；〃 he said。 〃It was in all the New York papers。 Didn't you read about it？〃
Kay laughed with the relief of him denying he was a murderer。 〃We only get The New York Times up in our town；〃 she said。 〃I guess it was buried back in page eighty…nine。 If I'd read about it I'd have called your mother sooner。〃 She paused and then said； 〃It's funny； the way your mother used to talk； I almost believed you had done it。 And just before you came； while we were drinking coffee； she told me about that crazy man who confessed。〃
Michael said； 〃Maybe my mother did believe it at first。〃
〃Your own mother？〃 Kay asked。
Michael grinned。 〃Mothers are like cops。 They always believe the worst。〃
Michael parked the car in a garage on Mulberry Street where the owner seemed to know him。 He took Kay around the corner to what looked like a fairly decrepit brownstone house which fitted into the rundown neighborhood。 Michael had a key to the front door and when they went inside Kay saw that it was as expensively and fortably furnished as a millionaire's town house。 Michael led her to the upstairs apartment which consisted of an enormous living room； a huge kitchen and door that led to the bedroom。 In one corner of the living room was a bar and Michael mixed them both a drink。 They sat on a sofa together and Michael said quietly； 〃We might as well go into the bedroom。〃 Kay took a long pull from her drink and smiled at him。 〃Yes；〃 she said。
For Kay the lovemaking was almost like it had been before except that Michael was rougher； more direct； not as tender as he had been。 As if he were on guard against her。 But she didn't want to plain。 It would wear off。 In a funny way； men were more sensitive in a situation like this； she thought。 She had found making love to Michael after a two…year absence the most natural thing in the world。 It was as if he had never been away。
〃You could have written me； you could have trusted me；〃 she said； nestling against his body。 〃I would have practiced the New England omerta。 Yankees are pretty closemouthed too； you know。〃
Michael laughed softly in the darkness。 〃I never figured you to be waiting；〃 he said。 〃I never figured you to wait after what happened。〃
Kay said quickly； 〃I never believed you killed those two men。 Except maybe when your mother seemed to think so。 But I never believed it in my heart。 I know you too well。〃
She could hear Michael give a sigh。 〃It doesn't matter whether I did or not；〃 he said。 〃You have to understand that。〃
Kay was a little stunned by the coldness in his voice。 She said； 〃So just tell me now； did you or didn't you？〃
Michael sat up on his pillow and in the darkness a light flared as he got a cigarette going。 〃If I asked you to marry me； would I have to answer that question first before you'd give me an answer to mine？〃
Kay said； 〃I don't care； I love you； I don't care。 If you loved me you wouldn't be afraid to tell me the truth。 You wouldn't be afraid I might tell the police。 That's it； isn't it？ You're really a gangster then； isn't that so？ But I really don't care。 What I care about is that you obviously don't love me。 You didn't even call me up when you got back home。〃
Michael was puffing on his cigarette and some burning ashes fell on Kay's bare back。 She flinched a little and said jokingly； 〃Stop torturing me； I won't talk。〃
Michael didn't laugh。 His voice sounded absentminded。 〃You know； when I came home I wasn't that glad when I saw my family； my father； my mother； my sister Connie； and Tom。 It was nice but I didn't really give a damn。 Then I came home tonight and saw you in the kitchen and I was glad。 Is that what you mean by love？〃
〃That's close enough for me；〃 Kay said。
They made love again for a while。 Michael was more tender this time。 And then he went out to get them both a drink。 When he came back he sat on an armchair facing the bed。 〃Let's get serious；〃 he said。 〃How do you feel about marrying me？〃 Kay smiled at him and motioned him into the bed。 Michael smiled back at her。 〃Be serious；〃 he said。 〃I can't tell you about anything that happened。 I'm working for my father now。 I'm being trained to take over the family olive oil business。 But you know my family has enemies； my father has enemies。 You might be a very young widow； there's a chance； not much of one； but it could happen。 And I won't be telling you what happened at the office every day。 I won't be telling you anything about my business。 You'll be my wife but you won't be my partner in life； as I think they say。 Not an equal partner。 That can't be。〃
Kay sat up in bed。 She switched on a huge lamp standing on the night table and then she lit a cigarette。 She leaned back on the pillows and said quietly； 〃You're telling me you're a gangster； isn't that it？ You're telling me that you're responsible for people being killed and other sundry crimes related to murder。 And that I'm not ever to ask about that part of your life； not even to think about it。 Just like in the horror movies when the monster asks the beautiful girl to marry him。〃 Michael grinned； the cracked part of his face turned toward her； and Kay said in contrition； 〃Oh； Mike； I don't even notice that stupid thing； I sw