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However, Belinda enjoyed being the center of everyone's attention now, and especially enjoyed leading Carson about on an invisible leash She beamed when he opened doors for her and pulled out her chair for her at dinner She was even ht to restaurants or gala affairs in his Rolls Royce Now that she was being courted by such a gallant prospect, she insisted she neededand real jewelry Daddy put up very little opposition when Belinda and Mother went on one of Belinda's frequent shopping sprees to Boston so she could have just the right thing to wear to so her to

Froirls he knew or pursued were not iood looks, yet here he inning the heart of one of the town'swoe of hiolden retriever, sending hi hiesture

And when he asked her to h to pop eyes, she waved it about like a flag, never sitting without pressing her pal was obvious to everyone around her and never wearing gloves

Mother began to plan the wedding and Daddy felt like he had succeeded in reaching the oal of his life: soon, soon, Belinda would be another man's responsibility As for Belinda, she surprised me by her apparent enjoyment of every aspect: the announcements in the social columns, the invitations to the formal dinners, the adulation and attention

"I'ht it would never be"

She laughed and went off to prepare to go to dinner with Carson

However, soan to slip out and tickle ether ot bored with so hi too cooperative for Daddy So, the little voice inside me warned, was amiss

The truth was I often gazed at her and Carson and thought to myself she could devour him in s; she laughed at things he said and whenever she kissed him, or stroked hiive a brother Certainly, they had not reached the stage of love Belinda was accustoht I doubted that they had been to bed and when I asked her about it, she laughed and told ether until they're married"

"And what did you say to that?" I asked

"I told him that's what I believe," she said

"So he believes you're a virgin?"

"Olivia! Of course he does Why shouldn't he?"

Why shouldn't he? I thought I'm sure your name's on ba

throom walls, dear sister What about your old boyfriends and the one who nant? Carson didn't know any of these boys of course, and if he heard the about Belinda, he wouldn't believe it anyway, I thought, and for that matter, he wouldn't frequent the places where Belinda's name could be written on the bathroom walls He was perfect, and believed that Belinda was too Maybe he wanted so much for her to be true, he made himself believe Everyone, I concluded, chooses his or her own version of the truth, fits it to his or her own is should be, and throws back those aspects that don't fit as easily as throwing back small fish The only reality was the reality we accepted

Despite this explanation for Carson's behavior, it still didn't satisfy ood daughter and such a perfect fiancee? Daddy wanted to believe she had changed; she had come to sorown up, practically overnight Daddy was yet another person choosing his version of reality, I thought