THE EDUCATION OF A QUEEN
THE EO"UCATION OF A
QUEEN
(Continued from page 573)
"Which? Which?" cried poor Joshua.
669
"Oh-that one, I guess." It was written all over her face:
well, so you're a nut after all; I'm not going to have any nuts in
my
box, thank you!
But Joshua wasn't looking;
if
he had been I
think
even he
would have understood. Instead, he said with great excitement
and satisfaction: "Well, if you
really
like them and don't
mind,
of course, I'll make you one, too."
"Oh, thanks a million!"
"Unless of course you'd rather have
this
one ..."
"Oh no, no! Thanks
ever."
"I'm glad," said Joshua simply. "I would rather make one
just for you and give it to you myself." He looked her straight
in her black tip-tilted eyes, without a trace of childishness or
evasive flirting. His money was plumped there on the line and she
could take or leave it. Do I get my ticket or don't I?
Vasiliki's gaze actually fell; she pursed her
lips,
swiveled
on her spike heels and marched off upstairs with her adorable
rump switching and her eyes bent thoughtfully on the carpeting.
I was sweating with repressed laughter and nerves. I raced
after her, ahead of Joshua and Mother, and confronted her
in
the parlor.
"What are you going to do?"
She gave me a long, calculating look. "Daphne, what about
him? Is he .. .?"
I stopped being twelve and became a hundred.
«Well
..." I
smiled compassionately.
Suddenly she slipped her arm around my waist and gave me
a tight squeeze. "Daphne, you're
marv!
Why don't we have a
regular hen-fest one of these days? We could go to the movies on
my free pass and then to Prince Castle after. I
love
Prince Castle,
with all that glop they put on top!"
Joshua came into the room. "Who's this prince you love? I'll
take
him
on right now."
