The Fountains of Silence: A Novel

Sister Hortensia shows Clover to prospective parents, who make a good impression on Puri: They look kindly at Clover and lovingly at one another. The woman wears a large emerald ring, and Puri can’t help but blurt out in support of Clover: “[She] is the sweetest one. She’s engaged, alert, and so affectionate. She’s the very best child here […] You should choose her” (313).

Puri then leaves for her job at the clinic, “suddenly feeling like a very good Spaniard” (314).

Daniel stops at Nick’s party, and he looks at some of the photographs hanging on the wall in Nick’s home. Ana is in one of them, with Nick. Nick repeats that he and Ana are “friends. Nothing more” (316), but Daniel is unconvinced.

At the hotel, Ana talks to Nick, who tells her that Daniel saw the photo and became very upset. Ana also tells Nick that she’s been getting notes again. Angry, Nick threatens to tell everyone the truth, that his “father, Shephard Van Dorn, the dashing foreign affairs officer, is a louse and a first-class creep” (318).

Before Ana worked at the hotel, she worked for the Van Dorns. Shep made a pass at Ana, and when she refused, he tried to