The stage direction "(picking one up, not opening it)" reveals that Elena is

ELENA: You kept the letters.
TOMAS: I kept everything. That was the problem.
ELENA: (picking one up, not opening it) Forty years of paper, and you never once wrote back.
TOMAS: I wrote back every night. I only forgot to post them.

Answer and explanation

Correct answer: D. guarded

  1. Step 1: She handles the letter but stops short of opening it. Step 2. The hesitation signals caution about the contents. Answer: guarded. Why not the others: Having read them, delight and confusion would produce different actions.

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