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"That'll be fine," I said. "Thank you."

"I'll fix myself a spot over there," he said, nodding toward the settee.

He prepared my bed and then went to prepare his own, placing the kerosene lamp between us.

"You all right?" he asked, after sprawling out.

"Yes," I said. "It's really nice of you to help me like this."

"No problem."

"How old are your two sisters?" I asked. Now that I was lying down in Mommy's old bedroom in the empty mansion and the darkness had closed in around us, I felt the need to keep talking. Besides, I was interested in Jack's life.

"Daisy's twenty-two and Suzanne is twentynine. She's married with two kids, a boy three and a girl four. Her husband runs a canning plant."

"What's Daisy doing?"

"She just finished college in Baton Rouge and got engaged. She's getting married in two months to a fellow over in Prairie. His family has a furniture business. They met at college."

"Did you go to college?" I asked.

"Me? No," he said. "I barely finished high school before I went to work with my father on the rigs."

"You said you were working when you were twelve."

"I was, but I couldn't collect a salary yet. How did you remember I said that?"

"I just did," I said quickly, happy he couldn't see me blush.

"No, I got my schooling on the job," he said. "I read a lot, though. We have lots of time to ourselves." "What do you like to read?"

"Mostly about nature. The other guys call me Einstein because I always have my nose in a fat book. I think it's great that you want to become a doctor. 'Course, I've never been to a real doctor, just a traiteur lady."

"My great-grandmother was a traiteur."

"I know. She's kind of a legend around here. You got magic in your hands, too? Oh, I forgot, you don't believe in anything that isn't logical." He laughed.

"Sometimes people get better because they believe so strongly in someone. That's logical," I said.

He was quiet a moment. "I guess it is. You're pretty smart, huh?"

"I get good grades."

"How good?"

"Good enough to be valedictorian of my class," I said.

"No! Really? I thought so," he said. "You just look smart, but I wasn't sure."

"Why not?" I asked laughing.

"Well," he said slowly, "the only smart girls I ever knew were . ."

"Were what?"

"Not ugly, but not very pretty," he said.

There was a long moment of silence between us, neither of us knowing exactly what to say. Finally I spoke.