介绍:
‘Where’s Dad?’
‘He’s had to go for one of his little lie-downs at the hotel. The heat, and his sandals were chafing. You know what your father’s like, he’s so Welsh.’
‘So what have you been doing?’
‘Just wandering around the Forum. I thought it was beautiful, but Stephen was bored out of his skull. All that mess, columns just left lying around all over the place. I think he thinks they should bulldoze it all, put up a nice conservatory or something.’
‘You should visit the Palatine. It’s at the top of that hill . . .’
‘I know where the Palatine is, Dexter, I was visiting
Rome before you were born.’
‘Yes, who was emperor back then?’
‘Ha. Here, help me with this wine, don’t let me drink the whole bottle.’ She already had, pretty much, but he poured the last inch into a water glass and reached for her cigarettes. Alison tutted. ‘You know sometimes I think we took the whole liberal-parent thing a bit too far.’
‘I quite agree. You ruined me. Pass the matches.’
‘It’s not clever, you know. I know you think it makes you look like a film star, but it doesn’t, it looks awful.’
‘So why do you do it then?’
‘Because it makes me look sensational.’ She placed a cigarette between her lips and he lit it with his match. ‘I’m giving up anyway. This is my last one. Now quickly, while your father’s not here—’ She shuffled closer, conspiratorially. ‘Tell me about your love-life.’
‘No!’
‘Come on, Dex! You know I’m forced to live vicariously through my children, and your sister’s such a virgin . . .’
‘Are you drunk, old lady?’
‘How she got two children, I’ll never know . . .’
‘You are drunk.’
‘I don’t drink, remember?’ When Dexter was twelve she had solemnly taken him into the kitchen one night and in a low voice instructed him how to make a dry martini, as
if it were a solemn rite. ‘Come on then. Spill the beans, all the juicy details.’
‘I have nothing to say.’
‘No-one in Rome? No nice Catholic girl?’
‘Nope.’
‘Not a student, I hope.’
‘Of course not.’
‘What about back home? Who’s been writing you those long tear-stained letters we keep forwarding?’
‘None of your business.’
‘Don’t make me steam them open again, just tell me!’
‘There’s nothing to tell.’
She sat back in her chair. ‘Well I’m disappointed in
you. What about that nice girl who came to stay that time?’
大家还在听
