Ruby (Landry 1)

"He's very nice," I told her. She stared at me a

moment.

"He hasn't been this happy for a while. I should

tell you, since you have become an instant member of

the family, that Pierre, your father, suffers from periods of melancholia. Do you know what that is?" I shook my head. "He falls into deep depressions from

time to time. Without warning," she added.

"Depressions?"

"Yes. He can lock himself away for hours, days

even, and not want to see or speak to anyone. You can

be speaking to him and suddenly, he'll take on a faroff look and leave you in midsentence. Later, he won't

remember doing it," she said. I shook my head. It

seemed incredible that this man with whom I had just

spent several happy hours could be described as she

had described him.

"Sometimes, he'll lock himself in his office and

play this dreadfully mournful music. I've had doctors

prescribe medications, but he doesn't like taking

anything.

"His mother was like that," she continued. "The

Dumas family history is clouded with unhappy

events."

"I know. He told me about his younger

brother," I said. She looked up sharply.

"He told you already? That's what I mean," she

said, shaking her head. "He can't wait to go into these

dreadful things and depress everyone."

"He didn't depress me although it was a very sad story," I said. Her lips tightened and her eyes

narrowed. She didn't like being contradicted. "I suppose he described it as a boating

accident," she said.

"Yes. Wasn't it?"