Читать книгу: «A Forever Family Collection», страница 7
“Basta!” his father exclaimed. Belle knew what it meant.
“Mi dispiace, Papà,” he answered with sarcasm. “Now if you’ll excuse us, Pia and I have other things to do.” He strode off the patio with an unhappy wife in pursuit.
“Don’t look alarmed,” Sullisto advised Belle the minute they were gone. “Your mother and I discussed it last night. There’s no right way to handle a situation like this. We didn’t expect them home until later, but since he walked in on us, we felt it was better to let Dante know up front. When he and Pia have talked about it, he’ll apologize for his bad behavior.”
Belle got up from the table. “For you to welcome me into your home leaves me thrilled and speechless, but I’m afraid the shock of hearing your plan to adopt me was too great for Dante. I’m not so much alarmed as sad, Sullisto. It’s because my adoptive brother, Cliff, had the exact same reaction when Nadine brought me to their house from the orphanage. He was unprepared for it.”
“But it’s not quite the same thing,” Sullisto impressed upon her. “You’re flesh of Luciana’s flesh. Dante is flesh of mine. Both of you are beloved to me and your mother.” His words touched her to the core. “The difference lies in the fact that Dante’s not a teenage boy. He’s a grown man who’s married, with expectations of raising a family of his own. Your being brought into the family has no bearing on his life except to enrich it.”
“E-even so—” her voice faltered “—he has lived under your roof all his life and has sustained a huge shock that will impact your family and create gossip. If it’s all right with you, I would feel much better if the two of you had the rest of the day to be alone with him and his wife. They’re going to need to talk about this.”
With an anxious glance at Leon, Belle implored him with her eyes to help her out of this, and prayed he got the message. “Since Concetta is ready for a nap, I’ll go back to the villa with Leon.” She leaned over to kiss her mother, then Sullisto. “Thank you for this wonderful morning. I don’t deserve the gift of love you’ve showered on me. You have no idea how much I love both of you. Call me later.”
Leon had already lifted the baby from the high chair and was ready to go. They left the palazzo and she climbed in the back of the sedan to help him fasten Concetta in the car seat. Rufo hopped in and lay down.
Belle kissed the baby’s nose. “You were such a good girl this morning, you deserve a treat.” She reached in her bag and pulled out her lipstick. The baby grabbed the tube and immediately put it in her mouth. It kept her occupied during the drive.
If Belle hadn’t made the suggestion to escape, Leon would have insisted they leave the palazzo immediately. The shattered look on Dante’s face had revealed what Leon had always suspected.
Like a volcano slowly building magma, his quiet, subdued brother had hidden his feelings beneath a facade. But today they had erupted into the stratosphere, exposing remembered pain and fresh new hurt.
“When we get back to the villa, I’ll ask Talia to put the baby to bed so you and I can talk about what’s happened.”
“I can’t bear that I’ve brought all this on. It’s disrupting your life and everyone else’s. I didn’t want to hurt Mother’s feelings by leaving so fast, but when I saw poor Dante’s eyes…” Belle buried her face in her hands.
“You can be sure she and Papà understood. Dante finally reacted to years of suppressed pain. His behavior wasn’t directed at you. It’s been coming on since the day our father told us he was getting married again.”
“I feel so sorry for him.”
So did Leon. He eyed her through the rearview mirror. “Do you have a swimming costume?”
She blinked. “Yes.”
“Good. When you’ve changed back at the house, meet me on the patio and we’ll go down to the beach. We both need to channel our negative energy into something physical.”
Belle nodded. “You’re reading my mind again. A swim is exactly what I crave.”
“In that case, you’ll want a beach towel. There are half a dozen on the closet shelf in the guest bathroom.”
“Thank you.”
The drive didn’t take long. When they entered the villa he showered his loving daughter with kisses before turning her over to Talia. Once upstairs in his room he changed into his black swimming trunks.
His last task was to phone Berto and tell him he wouldn’t be coming in to work. Unless there was an emergency, Leon was taking time off until tomorrow. On his way out the door he grabbed a towel.
It didn’t surprise him to find Belle in bare feet, waiting for him on the patio. The woman needed to talk. He could sense her urgency when their eyes met.
She’d swept her hair on top of her head, revealing the lovely stem of her neck. As he was coming to learn, every style suited her. The pink earrings still winked at him. His gaze fell lower. He knew there was a bathing suit underneath the short, wispy beach jacket covering her shapely body. It was hard not to stare at her elegant legs, half covered by the towel she was holding.
“I’m glad you suggested this, Leon. Like you, I’m anxious for some exercise before I lose it. Let’s go.”
Lose it was right. Dante’s behavior at the table had cut like a knife.
Together they descended the steps to the sand. She removed her jacket and threw it on top of her towel before running into the water. He caught only a glimpse of the mini print blue-and-white bikini, but with her in it he felt a rise in his own body temperature despite the sorrow weighing him down.
“The sea feels like a bathtub,” she cried in delight while treading water. He decided it had been a good idea to come out here. They both needed the distraction. Her dark sapphire eyes dazzled him with light.
He swam closer. “You’ve come to Rimini when the temperature is in the eighties.”
“No wonder the city is a magnet for beach lovers. This is heaven!” For the next hour she kept her pain hidden. While she bobbed and dived, he swam lazy circles around her.
Leon held back bringing up the obvious until they’d left the water and stretched out on their towels. He lay on his stomach so he could look at her. She’d done the same. Belle had no idea how much her innate modesty appealed to him. It didn’t matter how ruthlessly he tried to find things about her he didn’t like in order to fight his attraction. He couldn’t come up with one.
“What’s going on in that intelligent mind of yours?”
“Flattery will get you nowhere,” she said in a dampening voice, “especially when we both know you’ve been able to read me like a book so far.”
He turned on his side. “Not this time.”
She let out a troubled sigh. “I learned a lot after living with Cliff for those eight years. Whether justified or not, he felt betrayed by his parents. The family should have gotten professional counseling to help him. When I saw Dante’s expression, he reminded me so much of Cliff, I got a pain in my stomach.”
“The news definitely shook him.”
“It was more than that, Leon.” Slowly she sat up and looped her arms around her raised knees. “All I saw was the little boy who a long time ago fell apart at the loss of his mother. Your father said he’s a grown man now, with a wife, and can handle it, but I’m afraid Dante’s world has come crashing down on him again.”
Leon nodded slowly. “If I don’t miss my guess, his turmoil came from the fact that Papà wants to adopt you. Call it jealousy if you like. He and I suffered a great deal in our youth over his remarriage.”
“Now he’s reliving it. He sees how devoted your father is to my mother. When he said he planned to adopt me, maybe you couldn’t see Dante clearly from where you were sitting, but his face went white.”
“I noticed,” Leon muttered. “There’s no question her sin of omission has caught up with my brother.”
In that moment he’d realized Dante had disliked Luciana perhaps even more strongly than Leon himself had years ago. But Dante had held back his feelings until this morning, when she’d revealed news about her secret baby. To make it even more painful, Belle had been sitting next to her mother at the table, bigger than life and more beautiful.
“I can see only one way to stop the bleeding.”
Her thoughts were no longer a mystery. He rolled next to her and grasped her upper arms. “You can’t go home yet—”
That nerve in her throat was throbbing again. “I have to. Don’t you see? As long as I’m in Rimini, I’m a horrible reminder of his past. Mom and I have the rest of our lives to work things out. I have a career, Leon. In a few days I’ll be back at my job. She can fly to New York and visit me. If I leave, then there’ll be no gossip, and Mom’s secret will remain safe.”
His jaw hardened. “There are two flaws in your argument. In the first place the damage has already been done to Dante. Secondly, now that you’ve been united with her, she won’t be able to handle a long-distance relationship. I’ve already learned enough to know a visit once every six weeks will never be enough for you, either. You can forget going anywhere,” he declared.
Her chin trembled. He had the intense desire to kiss her mouth and body, but sensing danger, she eased away from him and got to her feet. “To remain in Italy for any length of time is out of the question. Don’t you see it will tear Dante apart? It’s not fair to him! He didn’t ask for this. None of you did, but he’s the one at risk of being unable to recover.”
Leon stood in turn. “He’ll recover, Belle, but it’s going to take time.”
“I don’t know. I keep seeing his face and it wounds me. I have to leave. As for the rest of this week, I couldn’t possibly stay at the palazzo while I’m here. That’s always been Dante’s home. My only option is to fly back to New York ASAP.”
“No. For the time being you’re going to stay with me, where you’ll be away from Dante and yet still remain close to Luciana.”
A small cry escaped Belle’s throat. She shook her head. “I…couldn’t possibly remain with you, and you know why. If I stay anywhere, it will be at a hotel.”
Before he could think, she backed away farther. In a flash she’d gathered up her jacket and towel and darted across the sand to the steps leading to the villa.
Long after she’d disappeared inside, Leon was still standing there trying to deal with a tumult of emotions regarding his brother. But he also had been gripped by unassuaged longings, and realized he had a serious problem on his hands.
Just now he’d wanted to kiss Belle into oblivion. The chemistry had been potent from the first moment they’d met. Though Benedetta hadn’t been gone that long, Leon found an insidious attraction for Luciana’s daughter heating up within him.
Like father, like son?
Something warned him it could be fatal. How was that possible? If she’d sensed it, too, that could be the reason she’d run like hell.
CHAPTER SIX
IN A PANIC over feelings completely new to her, Belle raced to her room and jumped in the shower to wash her hair. In getting what she’d wished for by finding her mother, her world and everyone else’s had been turned upside down. Nothing would ever be the same again and it was her fault!
Since she turned eighteen she’d been leading her own life as a liberated adult, in charge of herself and her decisions. No matter the situation now, she refused to be a weight around Leon’s neck.
Her roommates would tell her she was stark staring crazy to run from the situation. They’d kill for the chance to stay with a gorgeous widower in his fabulous Italian villa. What was her problem?
Belle could only shake her head. What wasn’t her problem? When Leon had driven her away from the palazzo earlier, she’d left it in an emotional shambles. After trying so hard not to hurt anyone, she found out that every life inside those walls standing for hundreds of years had been changed because of her driving need to know who she was.
Are you happy now, Belle?
In a matter of minutes Dante’s life had been turned into a nightmare. She couldn’t live with herself if something drastic wasn’t done to staunch the flow of pain for him.
But she couldn’t stay with Leon any longer, either. Through an accident of marriage, he was her stepbrother, for heaven’s sake! Yet she had to face the awful truth that her feelings for him were anything but sisterly. She could be arrested for some of the thoughts she’d been having about him.
Just now on the beach, the ache for him had grown so acute she’d literally melted when he’d grasped her arms. It wouldn’t be possible to stay with him any longer and not act on her feelings for him.
She finished blow-drying her hair and slipped on the only pair of jeans she’d brought, along with a khaki blouse. It was time to play tourist while she decided what she was going to do.
Before leaving the room in her sneakers and shoulder bag, Belle dashed off a note, which she propped on the dresser. In it she explained she’d gone for a walk and would be back later.
No one was about as she retraced her steps to the beach. It was the only way to leave his gated property. She hurried past a lifeguard tower. For all she knew, the guy on watch was one of Leon’s security people. But she wouldn’t worry about that now, because she’d reached the crowded public part of the beach. From there she entered one of the hotels.
After taking a couple of free pamphlets printed in English from the lobby, she walked out in front to get a taxi. She told the driver where she wanted to go. In a few minutes he dropped her off at the ancient Tiberius Bridge.
The leaflet said it was begun by the Emperor Augustus in AD 14, and completed under Tiberius in AD 21. It was a magnificent structure of five arches resting on massive pillars. Incredible to think that she was here in such a historic place, but she couldn’t appreciate it.
Tormented because she didn’t know what she should do, Belle crossed the river to the city center to window-shop and eat a late lunch. The brochure indicated the Piazza Cavour was once the area of the fish and vegetable markets during the Middle Ages.
It was fascinating information, but partway through her meal she lost interest in her food. Sightseeing hadn’t been a good idea and there were too many tourists. She decided to find a taxi and return to the villa. As she got up from the table, she almost bumped into Leon, who was pushing Concetta in her baby stroller.
“Leon!” Belle cried in utter surprise. The sight of his tall, powerful body clothed in jeans and a white polo shirt took her breath. “Where did you come from?”
A seductive smile broke out on his firm lips. Her gaze traveled to the cleft in his chin. The enticing combination was too much for her. “We’ve been following you.”
Belle might have known Leon’s security people would keep him informed of her every step. In spite of knowing she’d been watched and followed, a rush of warmth invaded her. To offset it, she knelt down to give the baby kisses. “So that’s what you’ve been doing. Are you having a wonderful time?”
Concetta kept smiling at her as if she really recognized her and was happy to see her. That sweet little face had a lock on Belle’s emotions.
“When we found your note, we thought we’d join you.”
No… To spend more time with him and the baby wasn’t a good idea. “I was just going to find a taxi and go back.”
“Fine. My car is parked right over there on the side street.”
Caving to the inevitable, Belle said, “May I push her?”
“Go ahead, but you’ll have to dodge the heavy foot traffic.”
She rubbed her hand over Concetta’s fine hair. “We don’t mind, do we, sweetheart.”
As they navigated through the crowds toward his car, every woman in sight feasted her eyes on Leon. His black hair and striking looks compelled them to stare. Belle felt their envy when they glanced at her. She had to admit that if she’d been a tourist and had seen him with his little girl, she would have found him irresistible. There was nothing that captured a female’s attention faster than an attractive man out with his baby and enjoying it, especially this one.
“On the way home we’ll stop by the Delfinario.”
“That’s an intriguing word.”
With half-veiled eyes, he helped her and Concetta into the backseat of the sedan. “I think you’ll be entertained.”
“Is it animal, vegetable or mineral?”
Leon burst into rich laughter. “You’ll get your answer before long.”
Her heart went into flutter mode, something that had started happening only since she’d been in Leon’s company.
He drove along the beach until they came to what appeared to be a theme park. After they got out he said, “I’ll carry Concetta. Come with me.”
Belle followed him to a large, open-air pool. She spotted some mammals leaping out of the water. “Dolphins?”
“Sì, signorina. Delfino.” Leon paid the admission and found them two seats in the packed arena where they were performing. Belle could pick out a few familiar words spoken by the man narrating the show in Italian. She loved the sound of the language. The children in the audience were enraptured by the sight.
“Look, Concetta!” Belle pointed to them. “Can you see the delfino?”
The baby got caught up in the excitement and clapped her hands like the kids surrounding them. More enchanted by her reaction than by the remarkable tricks happening in the water with the trainers, both Leon and Belle laughed with abandon.
After one spectacular feat, their eyes met and she flashed him a full, unguarded smile. Belle found it impossible to hold back her enjoyment in being here like this with the two of them, as if they were a family. It wasn’t until later, on their drive home, that she was brought back to reality, knowing she had a huge decision to make.
“I think my little tesoro needs her dinner.”
“Would you let me feed her and put her to bed?” Being with the baby brought Belle comfort, the kind she needed right now.
“Of course. It will give Talia a break.”
“Oh goody. Did you hear that, Concetta?” Belle was sitting next to her in the back of the sedan and kissed her half a dozen times.
Once they arrived at the villa, Leon carried her in the kitchen to her high chair and got out the baby food for Belle. Another fun-filled half hour passed while the child ate and played with her food, smearing some of it on the traytop as well as herself.
Laughter rumbled out of Leon. “I had no idea she could be this messy an eater.”
“Most babies make a huge mess when you make a game out of eating. She’s so happy. Look at the way she beams at you, Leon. It’s the cutest thing I ever saw. But let’s be honest. She’s in need of a bath big-time.”
“You took the words out of my mouth. Her little plastic tub is under the sink in the bathroom.”
“I’ll get everything set up.” As Belle turned to leave the room, Concetta started to cry, causing Belle to turn around. “Oh, sweetie, I’m just going upstairs.”
Leon darted her a piercing glance while he cleaned the baby off. “My daughter is already so crazy about you, she’s not going to want Talia’s attention.”
Belle’s heart thudded. “I hope that’s not true,” she whispered. “See you in a minute, Concetta.” She hurried through the house and up the stairs to the nursery. Once she’d started filling the tub, she found the baby shampoo and a towel.
“Leon?” she called out. “Everything’s ready!”
“Here we come!” He breezed into the bathroom, carrying his daughter in the altogether and lowering her into the water. Concetta talked her head off and splashed water everywhere.
“Already you’re a water baby, aren’t you, sweetheart? That’s a good thing, because you’ve got a swimming pool and the Adriatic right in your own backyard.” Leon grinned as he poured a little shampoo on her head.
Belle massaged it in. “Are you having fun, my little brown-eyed Susan?”
“What’s that?” Leon asked. His command of English was remarkable, but once in a while he could be surprised.
“A yellow flower like a daisy with a center just like her incredible eyes.”
He nodded. “The first time I looked into them, they reminded me of poppy throats.”
Spoken like a father in love with his little offshoot. “They’re both apt descriptions. One day she’s going to grow up and drive all the Rimini ragazzi wild.”
A burst of laughter broke from his throat. “Your knowledge of Italian is impressive. But let’s hope that eventuality is years away yet.”
“I don’t know. They grow up fast.” Belle kissed the baby’s neck. “Are you having fun, sweetheart? I know I am.” Truly, she’d never had so much fun in her life.
“That makes two of us,” Leon said in his deep voice.
He made a wonderful father. If every child could be so lucky…
Once the bath was over, she slipped a diaper on Concetta and Leon found a light green sleeper. “Here’s the bottle.” He handed it to her. “Would you like to give it to her?”
“You know I would.”
Belle sat down in the rocker with the baby and sang to her. So much playtime had made Concetta sleepy. Her eyelids drooped almost at once while she drank her formula. The long lashes reminded Belle of Leon’s. Before long the child stopped sucking and fell sound asleep.
Leon watched as Belle put the baby down in the crib on her back. After they’d left the nursery he turned to her.
“Now that we’ve got the evening to ourselves, I’m taking you out on the cabin cruiser so you can get a view of the coast from the water. It’s a sight you shouldn’t miss. The pier is a few steps down the beach, in the opposite direction from where you went earlier today.”
“I figured the lifeguard was one of your security people, but he didn’t try to stop me.”
Leon’s lips twitched. “While we’re out, I’d like to discuss something of vital importance with you. I’ve worked out a solution to our problem.”
“So have I.” She was going home on Sunday as planned, with no interference from him.
His black brows lifted in challenge, as if he could read her thoughts. “Then we’ll compare notes,” he said in an authoritative tone. His hauteur came naturally to him, because it was evident few people had ever dared thwart him. “Meet me on the back patio in twenty minutes. Bring a wrap. It will get cool later.”
She nodded before hurrying downstairs to her room. She couldn’t imagine what kind of solution he’d worked out, and didn’t want to listen to him, not when Dante’s happiness was at stake. But she was a guest in Leon’s home and couldn’t forget her debt to him. It was one she could never repay.
Without him acting on his uncanny instinct to follow through on her inquiry at the bank, she would have gone on searching for her mother in vain. The situation was untenable any way she looked at it.
A tap on the door a few minutes later brought her head around. “Signorina?” Belle rushed over to open it and discovered Carla. “The Countess Malatesta phoned while you were bathing the baby. She would like you to call her.” The maid handed Belle a note with the phone number written on it.
“Thank you, Carla.”
After she left, Belle pulled the cell phone out of her purse and called her mother. Two rings and she answered. “Arabella?”
It was still unbelievable to Belle that she was talking to the mother she’d ached for all her life. “Mom—I’m so glad you called. To hear your voice…it’s like a miracle to me.”
“I was just going to tell you the same thing, darling. What have you done with your day?”
Belle bit her lip. “I went sightseeing and Leon took me and the baby to see the dolphins. Then we fed her and bathed her. Now she’s just gone to sleep.” But Belle didn’t want to talk about Leon and the way he made her feel. Her mouth had gone so dry thinking about him, she could hardly swallow. “How’s Dante? I’ve been worried sick about him.”
“To be truthful, we’ve been worried, too. They’ve stayed in their wing of the palazzo all day. Since they have their own entrance, they could have gone out without our knowing it. Sullisto and I thought we’d done the right thing to tell him the truth this morning…” Her voice trailed off. “I know my husband’s hurt by this.”
Belle gripped the phone tighter. “If it’s any consolation, I don’t think it would have mattered when you told Dante. The outcome would be the same. Maybe tonight he’ll decide to talk to you, so I’m not planning to come over. Can we see each other tomorrow?”
“That’s why I phoned you. I’ll pick you up in the morning and we’ll take a drive. I want to show you my world. We’ll talk and eat our heads off. How does that sound?”
She smiled. “Like heaven.”
“Let’s say eight-thirty.”
“Perfect. I’ll be ready. I love you, Mom.”
“I love you. Isn’t it wonderful to be able to say it to each other?”
“Yes.” Oh yes.
After they hung up, Belle threw herself across the bed and thought about the day Cliff had let her know she wasn’t wanted or loved.
She’d been a child then, with a child’s reaction. But she was a woman now, and understood Cliff’s behavior, just as she understood Dante’s. In both cases Belle had been the one to bring on more suffering. This time she had the power to end it.
When it was time to meet Leon, she grabbed her sweater and hurried down to the patio. She would listen to what he had to say, but it wouldn’t change her mind about leaving on Sunday.
Leon knew something was up the minute he saw her. “What’s happened since you went downstairs?” he asked as they headed for the dock.
“I just got off the phone with Mom. They haven’t seen Dante all day.”
“My father told me the same thing a few minutes ago, but it isn’t surprising. His way is to hide out.”
“What do you mean, his way?”
Leon sobered. “There are things you don’t know.”
She took a shuddering breath. “Well, I know one thing. My arrival in Rimini has hurt him.”
“It’s not personal, Belle. I’m the one who has hurt him.”
Her brows met in a frown as she looked at him. “How can you say that?”
“Because it’s true. You saw and heard what happened at the table when Father said I was the one who made the reunion possible. Dante couldn’t handle it and blew up at me in Italian.”
She shook her head. “The whole thing is tragic. Mom’s going to take me for a drive tomorrow. Maybe if Dante knows she’s out of the palazzo, he and your father will be able to talk.”
“I don’t think so.”
“Why do you sound so sure about that?”
“Once we’re on board, I’ll explain.” Leon couldn’t let Belle go on thinking she was the cause of everything.
He helped her climb over the side of the cruiser. After giving her a life jacket to put on, he undid the ropes and started the engine. They moved at a wakeless speed until they were past the drop-off before he opened it up.
She knelt on the bench across from the captain’s seat, looking out to sea. “Is it always this placid?”
“It is this time of evening. Much later a breeze will spring up.”
“You weren’t exaggerating about the view. With the blue changing into darkness, all the lights twinkling along the shoreline make everything magical.”
“Your eyes are the same color right now. Twilight eyes.”
His words seemed to disturb her, because she turned around to face him. “You said you would tell me about Dante. Let’s talk about him.” She was a businesswoman who’d been fending off men’s advances for years and knew how to probe through to the marrow.
He shut off the engine and lowered the anchor. After turning to her, he extended his legs. “When Dante and I lost our mother to cancer, he was ten and I eleven. For several years we were pretty inconsolable. Father had always been so preoccupied with business, she was the one who played with us and made life exciting. No one could be more fun. We could go to her with any problem and she’d fix it.”
“You were blessed to have her that long.”
“We were, but at the time all we could realize was that her death left a great void. Sometimes Benedetta saw me walking on the grounds and she’d join me with her dog. She wouldn’t say anything, but she was a comfort, and I found myself unburdening to her the way kids do. Unfortunately, Dante didn’t have that kind of a confidante. All he had was me, and I was a poor substitute.”
“Don’t say that, Leon. Just having a sibling, knowing you’re there, makes such a difference. There were several siblings at the orphanage. They had a special bond without even talking. If you could discuss this with Dante, I’m sure he would tell you how much it meant to have a brother who understood what he was going through.”
Leon studied her for a moment. “You have so much insight, Belle, there are times when I’m a little in awe of you. But you haven’t heard everything yet.”
She smiled sadly. “I was the great observer of life, don’t forget. You’ve seen people like me before. We hover at the top of the staircase, watching everyone below, never being a part of things. But I eventually grew out of my self-pity. I had to!”
“Look at you now, a successful businesswoman.”
Belle leaned forward. “What happened to your relationship with Dante? I want to know. Was it terrible when your father told you boys he was getting married again?” The compassion in her eyes was tangible.
“The truth?” She nodded. “We both felt betrayed.”
“You poor things.”
“To be honest, I couldn’t fathom him marrying anyone else. Our mom was a motherly sort, the perfect mother, if you know what I mean. She made everything fun, always laughing and lively, always there for us.
“Her death brought a pall over our household. Dante came to my room every night and cried his heart out. I had to hold back my tears to try and help him.”
“That’s so sad, Leon. I believe the heartache you two endured had to be worse than anything I ever experienced at the orphanage. To be so happy with your mother, and then have her gone…”
