The apartment in Firuzağa began to feel too small. So they moved to a larger and more modern apartment in Talimhane.

They were on the road to happiness, Ahmet told himself, but he still wasn’t happy.

Since Nazikter’s death, they’d had just one maid. Now Ahmet noticed that she was not a good cook. They hired a second maid who did know how to cook, and another who came once a fortnight to do the laundry. But this wasn’t happiness, either…They needed houseboys, and gardeners, and chauffeurs.

Even these would not bring happiness. They were simply signposts, pointing the way.

Celile, meanwhile, acted as if nothing in their lives had changed.

She greeted their new prosperity with her customary calm indifference.

Not once did he see a glint of admiration in her eyes.