Gall rose in me while I watched Bob skillfully flatter my husband every way he could. He asked his advice often, and apparently regarded his opinion with reverence. Only I knew that Bob was putting on an act, for the purpose of having constant entry to our home.

As the weeks lengthened into months I was getting so wrought up I could hardly bear the sight of Bob's handsome face. I wanted to reach out and claw that insinuative smile from his lips. Yet for my husband's peace of mind I tried to be polite to Bob. Over, and over, and over, I considered ways and means to get Bob out of my life, without humiliating my husband. I felt trapped. There was only one other person beside Mother, Beth and Hal, and Bob's parents, who knew that he was the father of my dead baby. That was Dr. Proctor. Suddenly my weighteddown heart felt lighter and sang with hope. If Bob got out of control, as I dreaded he might, as a last resort, I could go to the doctor for help. But I must never tell Granger. Knowing he had been entertaining the man who had raped me would be too painful for him.

Yet, ironic as it seems, had Bob not raped me and impregnated me, I might never have been brought into Granger's life.

There was no real out and out encounter between Bob and me for some time. And then it happened.

I had been visiting Mother one afternoon, and was leaving her house when Bob hurried across the yard toward me.

He said demandingly,

"I've got to talk with you, Melba."

"There's nothing to talk about." My eyes swept coolly from his neatly combed hair, over his immaculate sports clothes to the toes of his highly polished shoes. Then I started walking toward my car which Granger had given me.

Bob reached out to detain me.

At this moment Mother came on the porch and called, "Tell Granger those cakes he ordered for the Sunday afternoon buffet will be ready Saturday evening. You can pick them up then."

"Okay, Mother. Be seeing you." My voice was pleasant and gave no indication of the contempt I felt for Bob.

Because Mother remained on the porch, Bob let me get into my car and drive away. I sighed with relief. But my relief was ended too soon.

I was driving along a lonely stretch of beach road when I heard a car speeding behind me. It was Bob. He forced me to the side of the road. Then he darted his car in front of mine and stopped. Naturally I put on my brakes to avoid crashing into him.

Then he leaped out of his car and hurried to mine. "Get out, 99 he ordered. "I want to talk with you."

I rolled down the window.

“Talk. Then leave me alone," I said sharply. "Come on out or let me in," Bob insisted, grasping the handle of the car door.

I didn't want to be cooped up on the front seat of my car with Bob, so I unlocked the door and climbed out. He grasped my elbow and shoved me over to a boulder sprawling in the sand. He thrust one foot up on the boulder, making sure I could see his thigh. He wanted me to notice that he was sexually available for me. So I looked out at the ocean, as if Bob wasn't there. "Your trying to ignore me won't make me disappear," Bob said.

"Where I'm concerned you don't exist."

"I could make you know how real I am, in a way you'd never forget. All I have to do is give your husband a bit of news about his ever-loving little-" I cut in.

"You fool!" I faced him. "You're forgetting Granger