Byron's Sister's Options

"HE handled the reins." James Moody shot me a disgruntled look as he pitched an accusatory thumb toward the other fellow standing before me.

I construed his remark into an indication. "That he should, perhaps," I said correctly, though I took discomfort in what he intimated. The 'reins' to which he referred meant my sister. "They are to wed."

"That I hoped," said the other indignantly. "I should be what she described in that letter, though perhaps the most unnatural to the claims of your own family." The other was Berkowitz, but I called him down as Berks.

From behind me, my sister Frieda leaned forward to whisper in my ear, "Bryon, dear brother, it's Berkowitz."

"Go to my room," I commanded to her sharply, for I had not yet relinquished it. "Or at least out of these doors. It may be useful in helping you to know your own mind and form a cooler judgement."

I shook my head while waiting for her to comply. We never should have heard of the letter at all, I believe, unless I had asked for it myself. With a squint I watched her finally go, she who had no other merit than smelling like a rebellion and being able to stir these boys. I thought of mother, yes, some credit to the coach on that.

"And here in the very first stage I was supplanted by a shabby man out of doors." James, my friend, put forward his own cause again.

Frieda leaned over the stair rail above the study doorway and asked "Tell me again why I look up here?"

I rolled my eyes and leaned out to yell up, "I said, it may be useful in helping you to know your own mind and form a cooler judgement!" But my security in this notion dwindled.

As both fellows looked towards me, I felt to be torn. There was such deep fondness for her, from James at least. Extending a hand for the lease form, Berkowitz glowered at Moody then looked to me, "Where is it?"

"Oh, I am sorry to inform you that they were taking leave of each other." With that, I held up the lease pages and ripped them to match my condition, and soon his. Berks would have thought I'd meant my friend and sister were parting.

"But I was going to embrace her and kiss her some particulars," he protested, "while concerning other deserving members of her family whom it was desirable to set, or so I'm told."

"The dumplings are uncommonly fine down there," James quipped of more than I wanted to hear or think. She's my sister!

"Fomalhaut, mouth of the fish," Berkowitz slimed, and with that, the whole concept was pigeonholed resignedly. Obvious now that his interest was in the property and not that which any called Frieda.

"You. Out." I was nigh on following with a kick, and said as much.

"Of course," Berks gave up altogether when he went out, but grinned on the way, "Pleasantly, I hope." He paused at the door and gestured to James with a shrug and tip of his noggin, "He's like her Mullins."

I blinked. I'd lost the thread now. Seeing my confusion, Berks clarified, "She likes him."

"Oh," was all I could say to that. Would have been easier if it had been said from the start. I shot a glare to that effect up toward the stairs and my dizzy sibling draped smilingly over the cursed rail.

Gussie's Vacation Revisited

With resolution and determination, my aunt added, "And do it at once." She was shaking her cap in her clenched hand. The waiter immediately withdrew to make the exchange. I turned my head so as not to laugh, then came directly back, straight-faced again. It was on his return that I took a good look at the waiter. He did not know me, but I knew him in a moment---

My cabana... It was Tanner... Sparkling sunshine on the water and everything was done in the kindest and best way we know. That Jefferson monster brought my jacket on cool evenings, but more fondly I recall Tanner in the days and I thought he would have remembered too. I stretched my neck eagerly to look for recognition, but it was gone astray.

My aunt did not notice. She commented on the new choice of desserts, and how they seemed bland, chocolate and vanilla, black and white.

"Well, ma'am," said the slavonic cheerfully, "I am not bigoted to my plans that I thought it best to make no advances. The main object on my mind-" He was surely to explain further, but suddenly stopped and addressed me, "I remember you very well, gosling, for paying gratitude for care, and your beautiful look, and those were such fervent days in London."

London? I thought. LONDON? There's no beach in London. If I liked it either on my way down into Suffolk or in coming back, well... No boy, in a word it was good acropolis and thus Greece. I recall well, for Norbert was very glad to see me and told me that the house had not been like itself since being in a beastly condition, and our house tedious enough I remained there that night instead of going on.

I huffed at Tanner, he was extinguished and dreadfully young. It was curious and interesting nevertheless to walk across me more like a fly than a human being, while the horses were at a canter. I decided not to launch an oratory aerodynamic and vitrious as sulfonamide. I perused Tanner's tray of delights and chose from the back of a centre box.

My response to him was simply, "Beg pardon, you must be mistaken."

He leaned in my ear and said, "You don't remember me, I am afraid. My God..." he suddenly exclaimed, "Isn't it little Jensen?"

I glared. It was his memory that failed or his intent to bemuse. "If you dont mind, Augustina would be more correct." Which is of course how he came to 'gosling' and I knew it.

With a fast beating heart I waved him off. He backed away with a sorrowful look that seemed to say, "Won't you speak to me?" My return obviously denied it.

When he'd left our table finally, my aunt crumbled her own commentary, "That ain't a sort of man to see sitting behind a coach box, is it?"

She was right. Neither coach box nor cabana, not in London, nor in Greece. Not ever again.

Sage Bart... dreaming of Annie and visiting with Harlan the Conspirator

I dreamed of our ancient friendship until the early morning. How impossible I found it when I thought of her afterwards, to separate her from this look or that and walking about arm-in-arm the livelong day. Annie, thus addressed, made reply, "You are very well inward a firm fellow, a fine firm fellow, with a will of your own three times a week and faithful." It was only a dream, but upon waking I vowed to see her.

I went to Conspirator first that I might take leave, and having given all I had for lawful permission to get down and thrash him and let all take care of the most wonderful woman in the world. Thus restored the sunshine to his face.

"Everyone who knows you consults with you and is guided by you, Bart," the Conspirator said to me.

"Come, it's not fair to abuse my confidence," I answered, reddening at the recollection.

"Oh, that was as a child or a schoolboy," said he, laughing in his turn. "Besides, there's the Memorial."

"Oh, certainly," said I in a hurry, "I intend, and more worthy altogether than anyone I have ever seen here, to rise up before I give my consent."

The Memorial subject was then dismissed and other topics occupied us. He remained, so seldom raising his eyes unless to clap me on the shoulder again. "You are a daisy that had long grown naturally out of our familiar relations begun as mere children."

"But Harlan, you are going through the coachman Pasquale," I said condescendingly. I knew him and so did Mrs. Strong. They sang together and played duets together and we had quite given all I had for lawful permission to get down and thrash him and let all take care for anything.

"True," he gave me only one last nod and a whisper, "If only I could have been inspired with a knowledge of the science of navigation."