relationship with Sandy. I don’t
know which is worse: you telling me how to attract him
and how much he likes me or you telling me Sandy and
I are not suited. What concern is it of yours anyway?”
“Well, I am your future brother-in-law,” he said
jokingly.
“Just like a man!” Janine said in exasperation. “Marries a woman and feels responsible for all the
female members of her family. Thank you, but I can
take care of myself.”
“Actually,” Mark said calmly, “I was thinking more
of the fact that Sandy would be almost my brother-inlaw. That would be rough even if you two were suited,
but unbearable otherwise. To answer your question,
however, I should point out that it was Rena’s idea, not
mine, that you needed taking care of She asked me to
keep an eye on you before she left Paris.”
“I see,” she acknowledged the point, “but you’re not
being fair to Sandy. He’s kind and gentle and
intelligent and usually considerate. And he loves
children. And…”
“And he’d make you a princess in his father’s castle,”
Mark said, staring at her. “You could have everything
you wanted, couldn’t you? Somehow I just can’t
picture you being happy that way. Or have you
forgotten that princesses tend to be lonely?”
“Not if they’re loved or in love!” Janine snapped
back.
“Well. Are you?”
They glared at each other and after a moment, Mark
looked away. “Okay, it’s none of my business. After
all, I don’t know Sandy as well as you do. And as you
say, being in love is what matters.” Suddenly he grinned
sheepishly. “I do tend to put my foot in my mouth,
don’t I? Especially with sisters. According to mine,
anyway.
Janine laughed. “And I’m oversensitive. Tell me
about your sisters.”
“There’s not much to tell. Both are older. Barbara is
twenty-eight and Sheila is thirty. Both are happily
married with a couple of kids, and both are slightly bored with being housewives. I’ve never had a younger
sister. It’s kind of a nice change.”
Janine laughed again. “Well, it’s a new experience
for me too. Having a brother, I mean. I must admit that
as siblings go you’re not bad.”
“Thanks!” Mark said witheringly.
They were interrupted by the waiter again. He
seemed to approve of their laughter. He also seemed to
think it was an auspicious moment, for he immediately
said, “Dinner is good, yes?”
“Yes,” Mark and Janine answered in unison.
“More wine?”
No.
The waiter shrugged philosophically and took away
the empty plates. As they waited for the next course,
Mark talked about Greece. “You’d love it,” he teased,
“all sorts of old ruins and things. And you’d like the
islands…that is, if you don’t mind boats. That’s how
to get to them, and the sea is sometimes quite rough.”
Janine was amused at the notion. “I’ve been in small
boats ever since I can remember! Every time we went
on vacation my father found a chance to go fishing and
he’d take me with him. By the time I was eight I was
even baiting my own hook.”
“And cleaning your own fish?” Mark interrupted.
“No,” Janine admitted, “I’ve never gotten to the
point of doing that. I can’t explain why, but I find it
much easier to bait a hook.”
“I’m glad to see you have some weaknesses,” he said
wryly. “So what did you do, let the fish go?”
Janine was shocked, “Of course not! The reason we
went fishing was that we love fresh fish… something
you can’t get in the supermarkets. Besides,” she said
mischievously, “my mother established the rule that we had to eat all edible fish we caught. I think it was her
way of keeping the length of our fishing expeditions
reasonable.”
“You can get fresh fish here, you know,” Mark said.
“At the Buci market in fact.”
“I know,” Janine said, slightly embarrassed. “I’ve
been getting up my nerve to buy some, only the thought
of cleaning
know which is worse: you telling me how to attract him
and how much he likes me or you telling me Sandy and
I are not suited. What concern is it of yours anyway?”
“Well, I am your future brother-in-law,” he said
jokingly.
“Just like a man!” Janine said in exasperation. “Marries a woman and feels responsible for all the
female members of her family. Thank you, but I can
take care of myself.”
“Actually,” Mark said calmly, “I was thinking more
of the fact that Sandy would be almost my brother-inlaw. That would be rough even if you two were suited,
but unbearable otherwise. To answer your question,
however, I should point out that it was Rena’s idea, not
mine, that you needed taking care of She asked me to
keep an eye on you before she left Paris.”
“I see,” she acknowledged the point, “but you’re not
being fair to Sandy. He’s kind and gentle and
intelligent and usually considerate. And he loves
children. And…”
“And he’d make you a princess in his father’s castle,”
Mark said, staring at her. “You could have everything
you wanted, couldn’t you? Somehow I just can’t
picture you being happy that way. Or have you
forgotten that princesses tend to be lonely?”
“Not if they’re loved or in love!” Janine snapped
back.
“Well. Are you?”
They glared at each other and after a moment, Mark
looked away. “Okay, it’s none of my business. After
all, I don’t know Sandy as well as you do. And as you
say, being in love is what matters.” Suddenly he grinned
sheepishly. “I do tend to put my foot in my mouth,
don’t I? Especially with sisters. According to mine,
anyway.
Janine laughed. “And I’m oversensitive. Tell me
about your sisters.”
“There’s not much to tell. Both are older. Barbara is
twenty-eight and Sheila is thirty. Both are happily
married with a couple of kids, and both are slightly bored with being housewives. I’ve never had a younger
sister. It’s kind of a nice change.”
Janine laughed again. “Well, it’s a new experience
for me too. Having a brother, I mean. I must admit that
as siblings go you’re not bad.”
“Thanks!” Mark said witheringly.
They were interrupted by the waiter again. He
seemed to approve of their laughter. He also seemed to
think it was an auspicious moment, for he immediately
said, “Dinner is good, yes?”
“Yes,” Mark and Janine answered in unison.
“More wine?”
No.
The waiter shrugged philosophically and took away
the empty plates. As they waited for the next course,
Mark talked about Greece. “You’d love it,” he teased,
“all sorts of old ruins and things. And you’d like the
islands…that is, if you don’t mind boats. That’s how
to get to them, and the sea is sometimes quite rough.”
Janine was amused at the notion. “I’ve been in small
boats ever since I can remember! Every time we went
on vacation my father found a chance to go fishing and
he’d take me with him. By the time I was eight I was
even baiting my own hook.”
“And cleaning your own fish?” Mark interrupted.
“No,” Janine admitted, “I’ve never gotten to the
point of doing that. I can’t explain why, but I find it
much easier to bait a hook.”
“I’m glad to see you have some weaknesses,” he said
wryly. “So what did you do, let the fish go?”
Janine was shocked, “Of course not! The reason we
went fishing was that we love fresh fish… something
you can’t get in the supermarkets. Besides,” she said
mischievously, “my mother established the rule that we had to eat all edible fish we caught. I think it was her
way of keeping the length of our fishing expeditions
reasonable.”
“You can get fresh fish here, you know,” Mark said.
“At the Buci market in fact.”
“I know,” Janine said, slightly embarrassed. “I’ve
been getting up my nerve to buy some, only the thought
of cleaning
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