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Authors: Judith Michael
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leaving calling cards if no one was home. But for Owen, everyone was home. And though they were puzzled, and Laura was almost mute from shyness, everyone was kind. Only Felix and Asa made clear how peculiar they found the situation, even allowing for their father's famous whims, and Asa's wife, Carol, didn't know whether to echo her husband's chilly greeting or Leni's pleasant one.
As they were leaving Asa's house, Allison arrived with her cousin Patricia. "Oh, we've met," Allison said casually when Owen began his introduction. Laura held her breath, but Allison breezed on. "When mother hired you, remember? I was so glad she did. When Rosa does the hiring she always finds elderly ladies with thin lips who play bridge and only cook lamb chops and Jell-O. She did hire a terrific college girl last summer who mixed up oregano and marijuana. Fortunately Rosa discovered it before we ate the lasagna. Grandpa said we would have been known as the Stoned Salingers, which annoyed my father, but his sense of humor is rather dim."
Inheritance
"Allison," Owen said, "that is no way to talk of your father."
"You talk about him that way." Allison's voice deepened and she drew her brows together like Owen. "Telix, you*d live longer and make the rest of us much happier if you learned to laugh occasionally.'"
Owen smiled, but Laura thought there was a sharpness in the way Allison talked about everyone, from elderly ladies to her own father.
"I assume," Allison was saying to her, **you can distinguish between oregano and marijuana and you excel at something besides lamb chops and Jell-O."
"I don't excel at anything yet," said Laura, but I can make it in a tough neighborhood better than you ever could. Standing beside Owen, staring at the porcelain beauty of Allison ai^ her silent cousin, she felt a surge of anger. Why was it that peq)le who had lots of money also had p^ect figures and beautiful faces and respectability, too? Why weren't those things parceled out so everybody could at least have some-tfaing? "But I will. I'm going to college aad be an actress, or ma}^"—she cast about, trying to sound as self-assured as the Saiingers—^"I'll own somediing, a bosiiiess or a bookshop, or mayl^ a restaurant, and hire people to woric for me."
">^y not a hotel or two?" Allison asked with amusement.
"I might," said Laura. She raised her chm. "I'd like that."
"Would you? From what I can see, it's hard woik."
So is being sent to Cape Cod to help my brother rob your house. "I don't mind woric. There are so many things I want and there's no other way . . ." Her voice trailed oH. How would someone like Allison ever understand what that meant? All she and Laura had in common was that they were both eighteen.
"I think you'll do and be whatever you want," said Owen. "But one thing you may not do: when you open your first hotd you may not steal Rosa from us to run your kitdien."
Laura smiled, gratefril for his int^rventicm when she was feeling infnior, and in a few minutes they left for the Jans-sens' house down the road.
'^Come back another tune," Allison said, keepmg pace wifii them. "Ws can talk and get to know each odier. I'll teach you
Judith Michael
to play tennis, if you like. When could you do it? Rosa gave you time off today; she'll do it again."
Laura was silent, ignoring Owen's curious glance.
Allison's eyes gleamed. "I'll invite you for dinner; you won't have an excuse."
"I woric for Rosa at night."
"Which nights?"
"As often as she needs me."
"I'll invite you on your day off."
"I like to spend time with my brother."
"All day?"
"Allison," Owen said as they reached the Janssens' front porch, "why do you press someone who seems reluctant to accept?"
There was a pause. "You really are, aren't you?" Allison said to Laura. "Reluctant to be witfi me. Most people think it's a big deal to socialize with the Salingers. And here's Grandpa wanting us to be friends and you absolutely refuse. Because you don't like me, right?"
I'm
As they were leaving Asa's house, Allison arrived with her cousin Patricia. "Oh, we've met," Allison said casually when Owen began his introduction. Laura held her breath, but Allison breezed on. "When mother hired you, remember? I was so glad she did. When Rosa does the hiring she always finds elderly ladies with thin lips who play bridge and only cook lamb chops and Jell-O. She did hire a terrific college girl last summer who mixed up oregano and marijuana. Fortunately Rosa discovered it before we ate the lasagna. Grandpa said we would have been known as the Stoned Salingers, which annoyed my father, but his sense of humor is rather dim."
Inheritance
"Allison," Owen said, "that is no way to talk of your father."
"You talk about him that way." Allison's voice deepened and she drew her brows together like Owen. "Telix, you*d live longer and make the rest of us much happier if you learned to laugh occasionally.'"
Owen smiled, but Laura thought there was a sharpness in the way Allison talked about everyone, from elderly ladies to her own father.
"I assume," Allison was saying to her, **you can distinguish between oregano and marijuana and you excel at something besides lamb chops and Jell-O."
"I don't excel at anything yet," said Laura, but I can make it in a tough neighborhood better than you ever could. Standing beside Owen, staring at the porcelain beauty of Allison ai^ her silent cousin, she felt a surge of anger. Why was it that peq)le who had lots of money also had p^ect figures and beautiful faces and respectability, too? Why weren't those things parceled out so everybody could at least have some-tfaing? "But I will. I'm going to college aad be an actress, or ma}^"—she cast about, trying to sound as self-assured as the Saiingers—^"I'll own somediing, a bosiiiess or a bookshop, or mayl^ a restaurant, and hire people to woric for me."
">^y not a hotel or two?" Allison asked with amusement.
"I might," said Laura. She raised her chm. "I'd like that."
"Would you? From what I can see, it's hard woik."
So is being sent to Cape Cod to help my brother rob your house. "I don't mind woric. There are so many things I want and there's no other way . . ." Her voice trailed oH. How would someone like Allison ever understand what that meant? All she and Laura had in common was that they were both eighteen.
"I think you'll do and be whatever you want," said Owen. "But one thing you may not do: when you open your first hotd you may not steal Rosa from us to run your kitdien."
Laura smiled, gratefril for his int^rventicm when she was feeling infnior, and in a few minutes they left for the Jans-sens' house down the road.
'^Come back another tune," Allison said, keepmg pace wifii them. "Ws can talk and get to know each odier. I'll teach you
Judith Michael
to play tennis, if you like. When could you do it? Rosa gave you time off today; she'll do it again."
Laura was silent, ignoring Owen's curious glance.
Allison's eyes gleamed. "I'll invite you for dinner; you won't have an excuse."
"I woric for Rosa at night."
"Which nights?"
"As often as she needs me."
"I'll invite you on your day off."
"I like to spend time with my brother."
"All day?"
"Allison," Owen said as they reached the Janssens' front porch, "why do you press someone who seems reluctant to accept?"
There was a pause. "You really are, aren't you?" Allison said to Laura. "Reluctant to be witfi me. Most people think it's a big deal to socialize with the Salingers. And here's Grandpa wanting us to be friends and you absolutely refuse. Because you don't like me, right?"
I'm
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