Then my mother looked at me and beganto admonish me over the tightness of my dress. This brought Danny outof his funk as he laughed at me for getting... in trouble. My mother begansmiling and I could see a bit of tear come to her eye. She made acomment of how great it was that we were getting along like brother andsister and hugged both of us. Danny instantly became grumpy again. Helooked up to the sky. "Why are all the women in my life nuts!" Heexclaimed. Mom and I followed Danny into the. She suddenly felt how cold the unsipped cup of tea was inher hand. She put it down carefully on the table."I just wish...oh, I don't know what I wish. That I could have been abetter person, I guess, a different person, the person I saw myself asbeing in my mind's eye. I understand that no one's perfect, but I'vefailed so badly, fallen so far short. I'm not sure of anything anymore."She stopped, catching herself before going too far, passed the point ofno return. Then, in spite of herself, she. I popped out the cork and hefted the thing to my shoulder. The whisky was smooth and strong. I felt it to the pit of my belly almost instantly.She smiled. "Haven't seen a man drink like that since I was a girl," she said. "What happened out there?"We sat at a rough table where the Welsh girl often prepared food for the stove or the big, open fireplace."I don't know your name," I said, apropos of nothing in particular except that fights generally got my blood up and I was hoot-owl horny."Lucy,". But even if she wouldn't admitit to herself, I knew what she wanted. I knew what she hid inside. So she'd begged off when I called her back after that 'date'. I was too old,it wouldn't work out, she should never have let me kiss her, especially noton a first date, she had school work to do; good bye. I had heard the nervousnessin her voice, and it wasn't from breaking it off with me. It was because sheknew that I knew. And now here she was, her wrists tied behind her back, her ankles tied.