"He was." Rina turned her head away. "I think I was in love with him."
"That's nothing," Margaret said quickly. "All girls love their brothers."
"He really wasn't my brother, you know. I was adopted."
"How do you know you loved him?" Margaret asked, faint jealousy stirring within her.
"I know," Rina answered. "And I think he loved me, too."
"You do?" Margaret asked, the jealousy stronger.
"Did he- did you?"
Rina looked away. "I never spoke to anyone about it before."
"You can talk to me," Margaret said. "I’m your friend. We have no secrets between us."
"You won't be angry with me?"
"I won't be angry with you," Margaret said almost sharply. "Tell me!"
Rina's voice was muffled by the pillow.
"I wouldn't let him touch me because I was afraid of what would happen.
Then one day, he came into my room and tied my hands to the bed with his belt and he did it to me.
He hurt me so bad!"
"He couldn't have loved you so much if he hurt you."
"But he did!" Rina said wildly. "Don't you see, Peggy?
I wanted him to. All the time I kept daring him and when he did, I knew I loved him.
But he went out in the boat with Mother and they died." She began to sob. "It was my fault because I wanted him to.
Can't you see that I was the one who was supposed to die, not Mother?
She took my place in the dream. Now I don't even dream the dream any more."
"You'll dream your dreams again," Margaret said slowly, holding Rina's head against her bosom.
"No, I won't!"
"Yes, you will," Margaret said firmly. "Tell me about it and I’ll help you."
Rina stopped sobbing.
"Do you think you could?" she asked, her eyes searching Margaret's face.
"Tell me and we'll see."
Rina took a deep breath.
"I dreamed that I was dead and everybody was around my bed, crying.
I could feel how much they loved me and wanted me because they kept begging me not to die.
But I couldn't do anything about it. I was dead."
Margaret felt a cold shiver of excitement tremble through her.
Slowly she got to her feet.
"Close your eyes, Rina," she said quietly, "and we'll act out your dream.
Whom do you want me to be?"
Rina looked up at her shyly.
"Will you be Laddie?"
"I'll be Laddie," Margaret answered. "Now you close your eyes."
Margaret looked down at the girl.
Suddenly her eyes began to fill with tears. A sudden fear began to tear through her.
Rina was dead. Rina was really dead.
"Rina!" she cried hoarsely. "Please don't die!
Please!"
Rina did not move and Margaret fell to her knees beside the bed.
"Please, Rina.
I can't live without you." She leaned over the bed and covered Rina's face with kisses.
Rina opened her eyes suddenly, a small, proud smile on her face.
"You're really crying," she said, her fingers touching Margaret's cheek. She closed her eyes again contentedly.
Slowly Margaret slipped the nightgown off.
"You're beautiful," she whispered. "You're the most beautiful woman in the world. You're much too beautiful to die."