ABSTRACT
It took much longer than the “few” days for Isabella to recover from the abortion. For weeks afterwards she felt a knife-like pain in her side when she walked; and dancing, even simple ballroom dancing, proved agonizing. At first panic filled her as she wondered whether she would ever recover her grace, her effortless skill, her endless reserves of energy. But then, as she sank into rest, retreated into a grateful inertia, she put behind her the driving dreams of conquest, let her ambitions slumber while she basked in the warm, whole-hearted love and protection of Joey. For him it was a period of fabulous, serene happiness. The nightmare of Burns was over and at last he was taking care of his Bella.
