I sat up, holding my nightgown against my naked body. “But there was nothing wrong,” I said. “I had no pain. You were so calm. It was becoming wonderful.”

He nodded. “And it will be. You’ll see. I’m just a bit nervous and afraid that I might not be as careful and calm if I continued. I did drink too much wine while I worked tonight. My head’s spinning a little. I want no more problems between us. Never,” he said, getting his shoes on. “Get some rest. The minister is coming over tomorrow afternoon to meet you, Reverend Chase. He likes to make his ceremonies personal.”

He stood.

“And he doesn’t know you’re pregnant, so no worries about being embarrassed or anything.”

He glanced again at the swan, flashed a smile at what was surely my expression of total confusion, nodded, and left without looking back.

“Garland?” I cried when the door closed behind him. I anticipated his opening it again, but he didn’t. There was only silence.

I was stunned. What had just happened? Why did he retreat just as we were reaching a climax? At least, I was. What had I done to frighten him? I didn’t even moan. Maybe he did drink too much wine. Maybe he was having trouble, man trouble, caused by too much alcohol, and it had embarrassed him. A man like my soon-to-be husband could never tolerate any criticism of his manhood. Did he think I was going to do that? I had to tell him, make him understand I wasn’t, that nothing like that had even occurred to me.

I slipped on my nightgown and went to the door. By the time I stepped into the hallway, Garland was gone. It was deathly quiet. The shadows down the hallway looked like they were moving toward me. The lamps flickered, the light more like sparks falling against the walls and the corridor floor. He had rushed away so quickly. He is ashamed, I decided. Should I stop by his room to see if he was all right?

I paused at his door and listened. It was very quiet. I knocked softly and waited, but nothing happened. I tried the doorknob. It was unlocked, so I entered. The room was pitch dark. Even the curtains were still drawn shut. Only the dim glow from the hallway cast any illumination, but it was enough for me to see he wasn’t standing by his bed or lying in it. I heard nothing coming from the bathroom. Where was he?

I stepped back and looked down the hallway.

“Garland?” I called. “Garland, where are you?”