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"Live, Jory, that's all"
His eyes were soft now, full of tears that didn't fall "What about you, Dad and Cindy? Weren't you planning to move to Hawaii?"
For weeks I hadn't thought of Hawaii I stared blankly before me How could we leave now that Jory was injured and Melodie was in such distress? We couldn't leave
Foxworth Hall had trapped us again
The Reluctant Wife
Regretfully Chris and I neglected Cindy as we spent rew restless and bored in a hostile house with Joel, who gave her only disapproval, with Bart, who gave her only scorn, with Melodie, who had nothing to give to anyone
"Moood time! It's been a terrible summer, the worst I'm sorry Jory's in the hospital and he won't ever walk or dance again, and I want to do what I can for him, but what about me? They only allow him to have two visitors at a time and you and Daddy are alith him Even when I do see him, half the time I don't knohat to say, or what to do And I don't knohat to do with myself when I'm here, either This house is so isolated fro, boring You tell e, not to have dates unless you know about them, and you're never here to ask when someone invites me You tell me not to shen Bart and Joel are around You tell swhat is it that I can do?"
"Tell me what you want to do," I said with syive her great pleasure Now the , in some ways, to be as much a prison for her as the old one had been for us
She caed on the floor near , but I' crazy here Melodie stays in her room all the time with her door locked and refuses to let me in
Joel dries me up with his mean old eyes Bart pretends he doesn't see me Today a letter ca to this marvelous summer camp just a few miles north of Boston, where there is a su in the lake nearby, and sailing, and dances every Saturday, plus they teach all kinds of crafts I like being with girls e, and I think that's just the kind of caood reputation, but let o batty"
I'd so wanted all of us to have a close gettingto-know-you-all-over-again kind of su to leave, and I hadn't spent nearly enough time with her Still, I easily understood "I'll talk to your father about it tonight," I promised "We want you to be happy, Cindy, you know that I'lected you while we care for Jory Let's talk now about you What about boys youon between you and them?"
"Bart and Joel hide the keys to the cars so I can't drive off And that's exactly what I would do, permission or not I want to slip out a , but they're all so high above the ground, and I'm afraid to jump and fall and hurt myself But I think about boys all the tioing to dances I knohat you're thinking, because Joel is alwayshard to hang on to the I can keepto be old-fashioned and hold out until I'm married, but I plan not to marry until I'm at least thirty Then, when I'ins to apply pressure, I want to surrender I like the sensations I feel leaping up andmy heart beat faster My body wants it to happen Moth you have? How do I find the real ht in a world that doesn't really knohat it wants, you tell me that all the time So if the world doesn't kno can I? I want to be what you want me to be, sweet and pure, while I want to be sexy The two contradict each other I want you and Daddy to always love me, so I try to be as sweet as you think I aood-looking boys to be in love withto be able to hold back"
I slance to see if I'd be shocked I guessed, too, that she was afraid she'd just ruined her chances to escape this house My ar on to morality, Cindy You're ive yourself away like a bit of worthless trash Think highly of yourself, and others will as well"
"But Mo me?"
"There are a lot of boys on't expect you to `give out,' Cindy, and that's the kind you want Those who demand sex for one reason or another are et what they want There's so about men that makes them want to conquer every woman, especially an exceptional beauty like you Rest themselves and report on the most intimate details when they don't really love you"