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"I guess I ay off the e between Nelson Childs and Belinda, huh?"

"Yes, Daddy," I said, and I thought, ere both well off the mark

I orthless for the re the days that followed I moped about the house, hid from people and especially avoided Belinda, who floated on her own laughter and smiles as if she were made of air and the rest of us were lumps of clay She went on and on about the wonderful life she and Carson were going to have, the ho, the cars, the trips she had planned

"We have decidedactually, I have decidedthat we should go to Ber to stay in the ency and I told them to find e it to Carson McGil I'll have to get used to saying that noon't I, Olivia?" She se it to Carson McGil"

"When you marry someone, Belinda, you care about him You don't set out to bankrupt hiether, for better or for worse You're supposed to look out for each other," I lectured

"That's ridiculous I shouldn't, have to look out for him He should always look out forpossible to make me happy," she retorted

"And you do nothing to make him happy?"

"If I'm happy, he'll be happy; if I'm sad, he'll be sad," she threatened "Carson's already learned that and accepted it He knows if he wants me, he takes me as I am, and, dear sister, he wants me, wants me very, very much"

She giggled and whispered

"I've been prohts, pleasure beyond his wildest iination, and you should see the way he drools I swear his tongue dangles like a dog's sometimes He treats every one of my kisses as if each was a jewel, so I deliberately don't kiss him very often He thinks I'm terrified of sex"

I shook rimaced

"I won't be unhappy, Olivia," she insisted, pursing her lips "I'ood for the family, but I don't have to be unhappy too, do I?"

"Perish the thought," I said "In the beginning I actually felt sorry for you, Belinda I thought youyou really don't want to do, but now I realize Carson's the one I should feel sorry for, not you"

"That's dreadful What a dreadful thing to say" She s-dong of jealousy," she sang

"That's not true"