Free house of women by Yelena Kopylova

like those of the waiters, except for the one who stood by the open glass doors, and he wore tails. Without exception the women wore evening dress, and they all looked old, some of them fifty or over.
    The waiter who had served them, first with soup and then fish, was again at the table, but accompanied now by another, who was holding two plates, on each, half a duck. The main waiter had a bottle in his hand and he proceeded to fill their glasses with sparkling wine. Then, bowing first to one and then the other, he placed the champagne bottle to the side, saying, "With the compliments of the manager."
    "Oh, thank you." They spoke together, then looked
    at each other, and, again together, smiled from one waiter to the other and said. Thank you. "
    "Enjoy your meal, madam ... and sir."
    They were again left alone.
    Peggy felt that she should raise her glass to his before she drank from it, but as he lifted his glass to his lips he just continued to smile at her; and so she sipped at her first taste of champagne. When the bubbles went up her nose she had to turn her head away to try and stop herself from sneezing, which caused them both to laugh softly, and this, not the drink itself seemed to make them feel more at ease, and he, bending slightly towards her, whispered, "D'you think we'll get through this?" and indicated the duck.
    "I think there's still more to come," she said when, out of the corner of her eyes, she saw the advancing waiter bearing a tray of vegetable dishes.
    "One thing's for sure' his voice was still a whisper 'we'll be heavier when we leave than when we came." It was half an hour later when, the meal finished, they went into the lounge for coffee. Again they sat in the corner, and no-one spoke to them; some smiled when passing them, others acknowledged them with a slight bowing of the head.
    "There's one thing I must say," Peggy said, sitting back in the plush seat, 'your father's got good taste. "
    She was smiling widely at him. She was feeling different, happy.
    Perhaps it was the wine, she told herself; she'd had three glasses.
    Wait till she told them back home. Sherry was the only thing they ever drank there, and then it had to be an occasion.
    After a while, beginning to feel rather warm, she said brightly, "Shall we take a walk?"
    And he answered just as brightly, "Why not! We can do what we like.
    For a whole week we can do what we like. "
    Yes, he was right: for a whole week they could do what they liked.
    She had undressed in the bathroom and was now ready for bed. She did not feel so gay now as she had been two hours earlier when they set out to see the town.
    Her nightdress had a square neck and it was sleeveless, but there was a matching coat to go with it, a negligee, the shop assistant had termed it. Her great-gran had chosen it, and paid for it.
    She had to draw in a number of long deep breaths before she could leave the bathroom and go into the bedroom. And there he was standing near the dressing-table brushing his hair. He was wearing pyjamas and he looked taller, and when he turned to face her she saw the man again.
    She went and sat
    92on the side of the bed and it bounced slightly under her light weight.
    He came and sat down beside her and, putting his arm around her
    shoulder, he said, "It ... it'll be all right."
    "Andrew."
    Her face was close to his.
    "Yes?"
    She gulped in her throat, closed her eyes for a moment, then looked at him again and said, "Don't do anything tonight, will you not, please?"
    He drew slightly back from her.
    "But ... well, it's ... it's usual, and it isn't as if we hadn't..."
    "I know, I know." She edged away from him now.
    "I know all that.
    That's why we are both sitting here. Don't rub it in. But, somehow, tonight's been so nice, everybody's been lovely. I didn't think it would be after that. well after the registry office, but it has been.
    So . so will you . I mean, will you not? "
    His lips moved over one another, his head bobbed in small jerks.
    "All