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He thought for a moment and then nodded

"Yes Yes, Olivia, I think this is a sensible young ," he concluded and went off to sar

Mother lost herself in a flurry of activity that week, preparing me for ht was just right was not and she insisted we go to Boston I tried to change her mind

"It's not an important event for me, Mother It's just a date I even hate that word It's not a date It's ascheduled event," I said

"Nonsense Every tioes out in public, socializes, it's ayourself as attractive and as presentable as possible, is there?"

"I guess not," I said reluctantly Maybe she was right, I thought Maybe I was not putting enough ee Maybe it was tihter I let her lead me about, have me measured, pampered, styled and dressed until I dared to look at myself in the mirror and conclude I, too, could be attractive, pretty, and I, too, coul

d break men's hearts Belinda did not have a ave her some competition

Precisely at six-fifteen on the night of the gallery opening, Clayton drove up to our house and pressed the door buzzer I waited upstairs,mostly because of sheer nervousness I was just like an actress with stage fright, unsure that my feet would move forward I had no reason to be insecure My hair was cut and shaped into the old and diaave reen silk, with a V-shaped neckline that plunged farther than I would have liked Mother insisted I put e on that part of my bosom that was visible Many ti too seductive Now, I struggled not to chastise myself

Up until the tiic sylph, fluttering her tiny wings, touching a strand of hair here, brushing out a crease there, straighteningto be sureand not too weak

"Oh you're beautiful, Olivia You really are Belinda would be deathly jealous," she said, which brought a smile to my face

Belinda had called in the afternoon Mother had kept her abreast ofable to be here to see me

"I' hoith a book on ht fork and spoon, while you go out on dates! It's not fair, Olivia"

"You've gone out on many dates, Belinda One too many," I re school learning these things, you were having ood times than you should"

"Oh poop," she cried "If you really cared about et Daddy to have my prison sentence reduced up here That's all this place is, Olivia, a fancy prison for snobs I haven't been able to le friend I just see lots of nostrils They hold their noses too high"

I had to laugh at that