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Authors: Christina Dudley
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live.”
Caroline was floored. She gawked at Jonathan as if she wasn’t sure she heard him right, but he avoided her stare, keeping his face in profile. I hoped he would look at me so I could encourage him but he didn’t. Caroline opened her mouth to speak and then shut it again. Once. Twice. Finally she managed an offhand laugh. “I bet it is. Now, I knew—I just knew —you Beresfords were better than your average people. Yes—from the first moment I laid eyes on you all. (Except you, of course, Tom.)”
Jonathan shifted his weight, shaking his head. “Not better—no. That isn’t what I meant.”
I saw her drum her fingers and give the chaise cushion a convulsive squeeze. “Oh, I’m just kidding. Anyhow, how long do you think it’ll take Mr. Hothead to cool down?”
Her obvious unwillingness to follow up on his God comment left Jonathan looking both disappointed and relieved. He took her cue. “I don’t know. I hardly know the guy.” He looked over at me now across the pool and raised his voice a little. “What do you think, Frannie—is Greg the forgiving type?”
My eyes got round to be thus consulted. From Caroline’s startled expression, you would think Jonathan had asked a pet hamster for its opinion. Both she and her brother gave me measuring looks, Eric struggling up on the air mattress to do so. I tried not to shrink visibly. “Uh…I’ve never seen him upset before. But—well—he does go to our church. If Eric a—apologized, Greg would have to forgive him.”
“I don’t follow,” said Caroline. “Why would he have to?”
I gulped, my eyes begging Jonathan to take over. He gave the tiniest smile. He wanted me to speak up. I floundered on. “Because…we’re taught…Jesus said to—to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us.”
“ ‘ Enemies ʼ !” crowed Caroline. “Hear that, Eric? You’re Greg’s enemy, and you’ve been ‘persecuting’ him. That does sound bad. Eric: I absolutely forbid you to persecute Greg any more. You stop right now.”
“Stopping!” her brother sang.
My cheeks flamed. I clamped my lips together. I would never say anything to her again! Never, never! Everything was a joke to them. Reaching for my towel, I gathered it to wrap around me so I could go inside, but the next instant Caroline was on her feet. She cut off my retreat by going to the cooler for another soda. Then, popping the top on her Tab, she ambled around the bottom of the pool to where I sat.
“You aren’t going inside, are you, Frannie? That was so helpful of you to explain Greg’s point of view. I would’ve had no idea he was the religious type.” When I said nothing, she sat down on the neighboring lounge and leaned toward me conspiratorially. “I bet you think it was mean of Eric, what he did to Greg.”
I nodded once. She might act like we were having a private conversation, but she didn’t lower her voice any.
“It was,” Caroline agreed. “You’re right. And you know what, even if that kind of stuff happens all the time in college—and I’m afraid it does—that didn’t make it less mean, does it?”
She waited this time, and I was forced to break my vow never to speak to her again a pathetic thirty seconds after I made it. “I don’t think so,” I said in a low voice.
“I know so,” said Caroline. “You’ve convinced me. Eric must apologize to Greg. And Greg must forgive Eric. If he doesn’t, I’ll set you on him, Frannie, and you can tell him exactly what you told us—that it’s his religious duty.” She smiled at me. “We’re going to see a lot of each other this summer, you know, your family and mine. We can’t have anyone mad at anyone. I dub thee Frannie the Peacemaker.”
To my relief, the sliding glass door opened and the comparatively welcome sight of Aunt Terri greeted me. “Frannie! What are you doing, lolling about? Did you forget you were babysitting for the Carters this afternoon? You can’t go over there looking
Caroline was floored. She gawked at Jonathan as if she wasn’t sure she heard him right, but he avoided her stare, keeping his face in profile. I hoped he would look at me so I could encourage him but he didn’t. Caroline opened her mouth to speak and then shut it again. Once. Twice. Finally she managed an offhand laugh. “I bet it is. Now, I knew—I just knew —you Beresfords were better than your average people. Yes—from the first moment I laid eyes on you all. (Except you, of course, Tom.)”
Jonathan shifted his weight, shaking his head. “Not better—no. That isn’t what I meant.”
I saw her drum her fingers and give the chaise cushion a convulsive squeeze. “Oh, I’m just kidding. Anyhow, how long do you think it’ll take Mr. Hothead to cool down?”
Her obvious unwillingness to follow up on his God comment left Jonathan looking both disappointed and relieved. He took her cue. “I don’t know. I hardly know the guy.” He looked over at me now across the pool and raised his voice a little. “What do you think, Frannie—is Greg the forgiving type?”
My eyes got round to be thus consulted. From Caroline’s startled expression, you would think Jonathan had asked a pet hamster for its opinion. Both she and her brother gave me measuring looks, Eric struggling up on the air mattress to do so. I tried not to shrink visibly. “Uh…I’ve never seen him upset before. But—well—he does go to our church. If Eric a—apologized, Greg would have to forgive him.”
“I don’t follow,” said Caroline. “Why would he have to?”
I gulped, my eyes begging Jonathan to take over. He gave the tiniest smile. He wanted me to speak up. I floundered on. “Because…we’re taught…Jesus said to—to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us.”
“ ‘ Enemies ʼ !” crowed Caroline. “Hear that, Eric? You’re Greg’s enemy, and you’ve been ‘persecuting’ him. That does sound bad. Eric: I absolutely forbid you to persecute Greg any more. You stop right now.”
“Stopping!” her brother sang.
My cheeks flamed. I clamped my lips together. I would never say anything to her again! Never, never! Everything was a joke to them. Reaching for my towel, I gathered it to wrap around me so I could go inside, but the next instant Caroline was on her feet. She cut off my retreat by going to the cooler for another soda. Then, popping the top on her Tab, she ambled around the bottom of the pool to where I sat.
“You aren’t going inside, are you, Frannie? That was so helpful of you to explain Greg’s point of view. I would’ve had no idea he was the religious type.” When I said nothing, she sat down on the neighboring lounge and leaned toward me conspiratorially. “I bet you think it was mean of Eric, what he did to Greg.”
I nodded once. She might act like we were having a private conversation, but she didn’t lower her voice any.
“It was,” Caroline agreed. “You’re right. And you know what, even if that kind of stuff happens all the time in college—and I’m afraid it does—that didn’t make it less mean, does it?”
She waited this time, and I was forced to break my vow never to speak to her again a pathetic thirty seconds after I made it. “I don’t think so,” I said in a low voice.
“I know so,” said Caroline. “You’ve convinced me. Eric must apologize to Greg. And Greg must forgive Eric. If he doesn’t, I’ll set you on him, Frannie, and you can tell him exactly what you told us—that it’s his religious duty.” She smiled at me. “We’re going to see a lot of each other this summer, you know, your family and mine. We can’t have anyone mad at anyone. I dub thee Frannie the Peacemaker.”
To my relief, the sliding glass door opened and the comparatively welcome sight of Aunt Terri greeted me. “Frannie! What are you doing, lolling about? Did you forget you were babysitting for the Carters this afternoon? You can’t go over there looking
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