3-35

35.

Meg packed up her house, gave up her role in Suits. After seven seasons. A difficult moment for

her, because she loved that show, loved the character she was playing, loved her cast and crew—

loved Canada. On the other hand life there had become untenable. Especially on set. The show

writers were frustrated¹, because they were often advised by the Palace comms team to change

lines of dialogue, what her character would do, how she would act.

She’d also shut down her website and abandoned all social media, again at the behest of the

Palace comms team. She’d said goodbye to her friends, goodbye to her car, goodbye to one of her

dogs—Bogart. He’d been so traumatized by the siege of her house, by the constant ringing of the

doorbell, that his demeanor² changed when Meg was around. He’d become an aggressive guard

dog. Meg’s neighbors had graciously agreed to adopt him.

But Guy came. Not my friend, Meg’s other dog, her beat-up little beagle, who was even more

beat-up of late. He missed Bogart, of course, but more, he was badly injured. Days before Meg left

Canada, Guy had run away from his minder. (Meg was at work.) He’d been found miles from

Meg’s house, unable to walk. His legs were now in casts.

I often had to hold him upright so he could pee.

I didn’t mind in the least. I loved that dog. I couldn’t stop kissing him, petting him. Yes, my

intense feelings for Meg spilled over onto anyone or anything she loved, but also I’d wanted a dog

for so long, and I’d never been able to have one because I’d been such a nomad³. One night, not

long after Meg’s arrival in Britain, we were at home, making dinner, playing with Guy, and the

kitchen of Nott Cott was as full of love as any room I’d ever been in.

I opened a bottle of champagne⁴—an old, old gift I’d been saving for a special occasion.

Meg smiled. What’s the occasion?

No occasion.

I scooped⁵ up Guy, carried him outside, into the walled garden, put him down on a blanket I’d

spread on the grass. Then I ran back inside and asked Meg to grab her champagne flute⁶ and come

with me.

What’s up?

Nothing.

I led her out to the garden. Cold night. We were both wrapped in big coats, and hers had a

hood⁷ lined with fake fur that framed her face like a cameo. I set electric candles around the

blanket. I wanted it to look like Botswana, the bush, where I’d first thought of proposing.

Now I knelt on the blanket, Guy at my side. Both of us looked up searchingly at Meg.

My eyes already full of tears, I brought the ring out of my pocket and said my piece. I was

shivering, and my heart was audibly thumping⁸, and my voice was unsteady, but she got the idea.

Spend your life with me? Make me the happiest guy on this planet?

Yes.

Yes?

Yes!

I laughed. She laughed. What other reaction could there be? In this mixed-up world, this pain-

filled life, we’d done it. We’d managed to find each other.

Then we were crying and laughing, and petting Guy, who looked frozen solid.

We started for the house.

Oh, wait. Don’t you want to see the ring, my love?

She hadn’t even thought about it.

We hurried inside, finished our celebration in the warmth of the kitchen.

It was November 4.

We managed to keep it secret for about two weeks.

1 frustrated   

adj.挫败的，失意的，泄气的v.使不成功( frustrate的过去式和过去分词 )；挫败；使受挫折；令人沮丧

参考例句：

• It's very easy to get frustrated in this job. 这个工作很容易令人懊恼。
• The bad weather frustrated all our hopes of going out. 恶劣的天气破坏了我们出行的愿望。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 demeanor   

n.行为；风度

参考例句：

• She is quiet in her demeanor.她举止文静。
• The old soldier never lost his military demeanor.那个老军人从来没有失去军人风度。

3 nomad   

n.游牧部落的人，流浪者，游牧民

参考例句：

• He was indeed a nomad of no nationality.他的确是个无国籍的游民。
• The nomad life is rough and hazardous.游牧生活艰苦又危险。

4 champagne   

n.香槟酒；微黄色

参考例句：

• There were two glasses of champagne on the tray.托盘里有两杯香槟酒。
• They sat there swilling champagne.他们坐在那里大喝香槟酒。

5 scooped   

v.抢先报道( scoop的过去式和过去分词 )；（敏捷地）抱起；抢先获得；用铲[勺]等挖（洞等）

参考例句：

• They scooped the other newspapers by revealing the matter. 他们抢先报道了这件事。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The wheels scooped up stones which hammered ominously under the car. 车轮搅起的石块，在车身下发出不吉祥的锤击声。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 flute   

n.长笛；v.吹笛

参考例句：

• He took out his flute, and blew at it.他拿出笛子吹了起来。
• There is an extensive repertoire of music written for the flute.有很多供长笛演奏的曲目。

7 hood   

n.头巾，兜帽，覆盖；v.罩上，以头巾覆盖

参考例句：

• She is wearing a red cloak with a hood.她穿着一件红色带兜帽的披风。
• The car hood was dented in.汽车的发动机罩已凹了进去。

8 thumping   

adj.重大的，巨大的；重击的；尺码大的；极好的adv.极端地；非常地v.重击(thump的现在分词)；狠打；怦怦地跳；全力支持

参考例句：

• Her heart was thumping with emotion. 她激动得心怦怦直跳。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• He was thumping the keys of the piano. 他用力弹钢琴。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》