Summary

In Chapter 44, Linda feels that because she is spending more time with Jacob, Marianne is not as important to him. She does not want Marianne to find out about the affair or ask for a divorce because she likes the present arrangement. She can keep her family, which she has worked hard for, and still “have the pleasure of a love” (201). She tries to decide what to do with the cocaine she bought. Until this chapter, she was at peace because she had achieved what she wanted with Jacob, but now her old feelings of discontent are beginning to return. In Chapter 45, she tries to determine what her problem is and wonders whether it is her or the fact that Christmas, which is the time of year that most depresses her, is the problem. She has had more sex with her husband lately...