Page 46 of Vistaria Has Fallen

“No, really,” Beryl insisted.

“Really,” Minnie insisted right back.

“Oh,” Beryl said in a small voice.

Josh looked over his glasses at them. “D?” he asked.

“Duardo,” Minnie said.

“Army?” he asked, suspicion tingeing his tone.

“Captain,” Minnie said happily.

Josh’s gaze swiveled to Calli. “I see,” he said. He went back to his meal.

After dinner, when Calli stood out on the balcony grabbingfresh air, Josh found her there. He shut the sliding door soundlessly, then leaned against the balcony. “Tell me about this Duardo,” he said. “Is he a good man?”

“Yes,” Calli said, without hesitation.

“Does he care for her?”

“Yes.”

“Enough?”

She sighed. “I don’t know, Uncle Josh. I think so. I don’t know for sure. All I can say is that I’ll watch out for her.”

He thought about that one fora while. “It’s hard. She must take these bumps, make her own way. It’s hard, though, to watch your only daughter risk everything. I remember your father saying the same thing about Robert and now I know how he felt.”

Calli sighed. “I’m glad he died without knowing what Robert did.”

“He knew, Calli. He knew in his gut.”

She looked at him. “He never said anything.”

“You’d made your choice. Whatcould he say? He hung around, hoping you’d figure it out and to be there to help you to pick up the pieces when it all fell apart, as he knew it would.”

“It must have killed him to stay out of it,” Calli murmured, tears stinging. “Maybe it did. They said the cancer was stress-related.”

“No, Calli, don’t go wearing that one too. You carry too much already.” Josh’s hand touched her shoulder.

She blinked the tears away. “He knew in his gut, about Robert?”

“Yes.”

“You believed him?”

“Without doubt.”

“That’s how I feel about Duardo, Uncle Josh. In my gut, I know he’s good. Minnie will be okay.”

Again he stayed silent, absorbing it. Then he straightened. “Thank you,” he murmured and went back inside, leaving her with her thoughts.

She had been alone barely a minute when the doorslid aside again and Minnie stepped out. She held a cardboard box. “Another delivery for you.”

“Who is it this time?”

“I don’t know. Open it.”