These Dreams of You

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An hour later, J. Willkie Brown shows up at St. Pancras and pays for Viv’s train ticket. “I don’t actually know,” he says in the taxi on the way to St. John’s Wood, “what hotel Alexander is at. . I mean,” he hesitates, “I had the bill taken care of through the university because, well, he’s seemed in some distress. Very worried about you, of course.”

“I’ve completely lost track of time,” says Viv.

“The school will have a record. We’ll find out first thing in the morning.”

It’s strange to see James again. Viv says, “Thanks for bailing me out. I tried calling Zan but. . ”

“He was leaving messages,” James says, “that were. . a bit frantic. Needed to talk urgently but never said what about, and we kept missing each other. The last was three, four days ago. . so I figured whatever it was got resolved. Had his hands full, of course, with the children, until the nanny showed up.”

In the back of the taxicab, London swirling by her, Viv nods, and it’s a minute or so before she thinks to herself, The nanny?