“And did you begin to see him on a regular basis after that?”
“Yes, we began seeing each other two or three times a week, and before long, we were spending most of our time together.”
“Was Paul working as a writer at that time?”
“Yes, he had given up his newspaper career and was writing his third novel when we met.”
“Was he a very successful writer at that time?”
“No. He was earning a modest living at his craft, but he had not yet begun to sell books in large numbers.”
“After you had been seeing each other for a time, did the subject of marriage come up?”
“The subject came up very early in our relationship,” she said, “although we didn’t actually set a date until we had been seeing each other for several months.”
“And when did you marry?”
“A few weeks after that—about four and a half years ago.”
“In what circumstances were you married.”
“I gave up my tiny apartment and moved into Paul’s. It wasn’t much bigger; it was a three-room flat in Greenwich Village, a fourth-floor walkup.”
“Would you describe it as a modest apartment?”
She smiled. “I would describe it as less than modest. We painted the place ourselves, but that didn’t make the heating or the plumbing work any better.”
“After you were married, did Paul’s career as a writer become more successful?”
“Yes. His third novel became a bestseller, and that allowed him to get a much better contract for his next book. It also meant that his income increased sharply.”
“Did your circumstances improve after that?”
“Oh, yes. We bought a house in Greenwich, Connecticut, a large, comfortable house. Greenwich is near enough to New York City that Paul could spend the day in town visiting his publisher and still be home by dinner.”
“In what other ways did Paul’s success change your lives?”
“Well, we both drove expensive cars, we ate out in restaurants a lot, and we entertained at dinner parties. I bought better clothes, and so did Paul.”
“And did there come a time when Paul decided he wanted a yacht?”
“Yes. He had a small boat—a twenty-five-footer—when we married, and we used to sail that a lot. Then, after the success of his fourth novel, Paul ordered a larger yacht to be built at a yard in Finland.”
“How long did it take to build the larger yacht?”
“About a year and a half.”
“Is this the yacht which is now moored at the English Harbour marina?”
“Yes.”
“Was there anything unusual about this yacht, apart from its larger size?”
“Well, it had the best equipment Paul could find, and it was designed to be sailed singlehanded.”
“By singlehanded, do you mean by one person alone?”
“Yes. When we were aboard together, Paul did all the sailing, and I did all the domestic chores—cooking and so forth.”