He stared at her wonderingly.
"I wonder if they're doing it now," she said thoughtfully.
A picture of Joan and Tommy flashed through his mind.
He began to get excited.
"I’m not a hypocrite, am I?" she asked. A slow smile came to her lips. She moved and he felt her fingers brush across his thigh.
She looked into his face. "Would you like to do it now?" she whispered.
"Now?" he said in a stunned voice. He glanced over his shoulder back to the house.
"They won't come out," she said quietly. "Father is reading his newspaper and Mother is knitting. I saw them through the doorway."
"But- " he stammered. "But- how?"
She smiled again, her fingers taking the handkerchief from his breast pocket.
Geraldine looked up at the mantel clock.
It was just eight thirty.
She heard the screen door slam and Rina came into the room.
Her daughter's eyes were bright and shining and her face wore a happy smile.
The smile was infectious and Geraldine smiled back at her.
"Did you have a good time at the movies, dear?"
Rina nodded. "A wonderful time, Mother," she said excitedly. "It was such fun.
You don't know how great it is to be able to see a picture without all those brats squalling and running up and down the aisles like they do in the afternoons."
Geraldine laughed. "It was only yesterday that you were one of those brats."
Rina's face suddenly turned serious.
"But I'm not any more, am I, Mother?"
Geraldine nodded her head gently. "No, darling. You're quite grown up now."
Rina spun around happily.
"That's right, Mother," she said gaily.
"I'm quite grown up now."
Geraldine laughed. "Now up to bed with you, young lady. You still need your rest."
"O.K., Mother." Rina bent over her and quickly kissed her cheek. "Good night."
She crossed the room and kissed her father's cheek. "Good night, Father." She ran out of the room and they could hear her feet running up the stairs.
Harrison Marlowe lowered his paper.
"She seems quite happy."
"Why shouldn't she be?"
Geraldine said. "Her first date. Every girl is excited after her first date."
He put down the paper. "What do you say we go out on the porch for a bit of air?"
They came out into the night.
"Laddie?" she called.
"Over here, Mother."
She turned and saw him rising from the chaise.
"Did you have a good time?"
"All right," he said shortly.
"Rina wasn't any bother, was she?"
"No."
"You don't sound happy about having to take her with you."
"It was O.K., Mother," he said tensely.
"Sometimes, son," his father said, "we have to do things even if we don't like it.
One of them is looking after your sister. That's a brother's job."
"I said it was all right, Father," he snapped.
"Laddie!" his mother exclaimed in surprise.
Laddie looked down at the floor.
"I'm sorry, Father," he said in a low voice.
She moved over and looked into his face.