The thought made her cringe.
No, she would not let her fears run away with her…or her jealousy. Jealousy could destroy. If there was one thing she didn’t want to do, it was destroy what she had right now. She would treat Bebe kindly and gently, the same way she treated Daniel. Tonight she would pray that the young girl would find Daniel an engrossing companion.
Two weeks wouldn’t be an eternity. They would all survive young Bebe’s visit, then give her a rousing send-off when she was ready to leave for England for the second leg of her European visit. Mickey laughed. Here she was arranging for Bebe’s departure and she hadn’t even arrived yet.
Mickey deposited the wine bottles in the kitchen and ordered a pot of hot chocolate and a plate of cake. While she waited she wondered if anyone would ever go to this much trouble again for Reuben. Tears burned her eyes but she willed them away with a fierceness she didn’t know she possessed.
Reuben and Daniel put their books aside for Mickey’s late night snack.
Something was wrong, Reuben could sense it. Mickey’s eyes were too bright, her smile too tight. She’d been acting differently these past few days. Not exactly preoccupied, but she wasn’t always totally with him. Several times he’d caught her gazing through him as if he weren’t there. Once he questioned her, thinking he’d done something to offend her or that she was tiring of him. She’d wrapped her arms around him and looked deeply into his eyes. “No, chéri. If you did something to displease me, I would tell you. We made a bargain, did we not? Honesty at all times. Sometimes I think honesty between two people is more important than love.” He’d let it drop then, but the strange look was still in her eyes.
Maybe it was the young girl who was coming to visit. Mickey had joked about keeping her busy, entertaining her. She’d said something like “you young people will have much in common,” implying that she was old; the same old sore subject. He hadn’t seen it that way at all and told her so. Although she’d acted amused, her mood had changed and she’d been warm but silent after that.
It was Reuben’s first experience with jealousy, and he didn’t know how to handle it. If he had more experience…if he’d had women, girls even. Old George had said women fought with each other over men, pulling hair and scratching at each other. He’d called them cat fights.
Reuben’s eyes were questioning when Mickey pecked him on the cheek. She blew Daniel a kiss. “Good night, chéris. No, no, don’t get up. I will see both of you in the morning.”
Reuben nodded, thinking it must be “that time of the month.” He felt better almost immediately. Now he could spend some time with Daniel.
“Are you happy, Daniel?” he asked, leaning back against the soft cushions of the settee.
“I was thinking about that earlier in the evening. I am, thanks to you. There’s so much to learn, and Monsieur is being patient with me. He never seems to tire of my questions. My head just buzzes. What about you, Reuben? We see each other only for breakfast and dinner. Listen, if you think it’s time for us to leave or…” He floundered for the right words. “Don’t stay on my account. Promise me.”
“Daniel, look at me. Do I look like I want to leave? I’m having the time of my life. It’s not time for us to leave yet. And don’t worry, I’ll let you know. This is good for both of us.”
“You’re happy, then?” Daniel’s voice was full of concern.
“Very happy. I’m learning, too. We’re going to make a good business team someday. Now, tell me what you think of Bebe Rosen’s visit. What do we do with the young lady? Mickey wants us to be sure she has a good time. That means you must give up several hours a day, and so must I.”
Daniel blinked at the intensity in Reuben’s voice. So…
“Another thing. Next month it will be Christmas. We have to think about a present for Mickey. I have all our pay intact. We must get her something so special, she can remember us after…you know…when we leave.”
“Maybe Bebe will have some idea,” Daniel said thoughtfully. “Girls always know about things like that. Mickey already has everything. What could we give her that would make up for all this?”
Reuben shook his head. “The cost of the gift isn’t important. It’s the thought and the effort that goes into the gift. We’re going to have to be inventive and original. I did sort of have an idea, though.”
“What is it?” Daniel asked.
“It might not work. I’m going to go to the village tomorrow and make some inquiries. If I get the right answers, I’ll tell you tomorrow.”
Daniel shrugged. “That’s fine with me. Listen, I hate to bring this up, but have you thought about going back to America?”
“No, not yet. I think we’re going to stay for a while.” Reuben smiled at Daniel’s happy face. “In the meantime, I mentioned trying to get a job in the village, and Mickey convinced me there was plenty of work here. She asked me to come up with things I’d like to get involved in, and I think I’ve got some ideas. For instance, I’m sure her wines would be great in the States.”
“Have you mentioned it to her yet?”
“No, not yet…but soon, very soon. I don’t like mooching off her like this.”
Daniel read Reuben’s thoughts and changed the subject. His friend would handle it, and besides, he felt exactly the same way. There didn’t seem to be any way he could pay her back now. Someday, though, he knew he would turn himself inside out to do just that.
“How are your eyes, Daniel?” Reuben asked. “The truth.”
“Much better. They hardly tear at all now. By late afternoon, though, I have to have the compresses. It feels good to keep them closed for an hour or so. Can’t see things at a distance too well, but I can see. That’s enough for me. I’m going to have to wear glasses later on. That doesn’t bother me, though.”
“Good! And the shoulder?”
“A little stiff in the morning, but otherwise no problems. How’s your leg?”
Reuben laughed. “A bit stiff in the morning, but okay. Depends on what I’m doing. The other day I was moving some grape boxes, and it bothered me. We’re both going to be fine, considering we came that close to being dead.”
“I know. Sometimes I wake up in a sweat. I try not to think about it. Each day it gets better. How’s your vision?”
“Impaired. I have very little sight in my left eye. The right one isn’t quite normal. How do you think I’ll look in spectacles?”
“Reuben! You never said a word! Why? Why didn’t you tell me?” Daniel cried.
“Because I was afraid you’d think the same thing was going to happen to you. There’s nothing either of us can do about it. And I know you, Daniel, you’d start feeling guilty that you fared better than me. It’s over. We’re both going to live with it.”
“If you’d gone back, if you hadn’t come after me…you’d have gotten the medic to help you quicker. You should have told me.”
“Daniel, listen to me. A life is more important than a
