Estancia de los Dos Caballos Blancos
Kilometer 87, Route National 1
Entre Rios Province, Uruguay
0945 2 May 1943
“You decent?” Beth Howell asked, putting her head in the door of the master bedroom.
“Yeah, come on in,” Clete called. “I’m out here on the balcony, or patio, or whatever the hell it is.”
She walked across the bedroom to where he was standing on a small area outside the room, which overlooked the rolling hills of the pampas. He was wearing a polo shirt, khaki trousers, and a battered pair of Western boots.
Clete smiled at her and pointed to a coffeepot. She helped herself.
“If breakfast is anything like dinner last night, it will be noon before it’s ready.”
She poured herself a cup of coffee.
“I knew you were alone, Clete,” she said, smiling at him.
He looked at her. She was wearing a skirt, a pullover sweater, loafers, and white bobby socks. She looked very American.
“I just happened to open my door when I saw Dorotéa coming out of this one. In her bathrobe, looking as chipper as can be. What is that, Cletus, do as I say, not as I do?”
“Jesus, you didn’t say anything to her, did you?”
“She said, ‘Good morning, Beth,’ and I said ‘Good morning, Dorotéa.’”
He shook his head.
“Well, it will be legal on Saturday,” Beth said. “What’s the harm in jumping the gun a little, right?”
“So far as you’re concerned, it is do as I say, not as I do.”
“She really loves you, Clete, I can tell. I’m happy for you. For both of you.”
“Thanks, Beth.”
“And for a small consideration, I won’t tell Mother.”
“Well, I think Mom has figured out that we’re already more than just good friends.”
“I’ve been working on her—Mom asked me to—to get her to come to the States to have the baby.”
“I wish she would, but I don’t think that will work. She’ll want to be around her mother.”
“Mom’s been working on her, too. Pamela, I mean.”
“I hope she’s successful,” Clete said.
“You think everything’s OK with Captain Ashton?” Beth asked.
“Once we got out of the airport at Carrasco, he was home free,” Clete said. “By now he’s probably already in Brazil.”
“He’s a nice guy. I like him.”
“Yeah, he is.”