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.