"I'm sure there's a logical explanation," Beau
said. "I think I'd better go fetch your parents." Gisselle continued to stare at me.
"How can I have a twin sister?" she demanded.
I wanted to tell her all of it, but I thought it might be
better for our father to explain. "Where are you going,
Beau?" she cried when he turned to leave.
"To get your father and mother, like I said." "But. . ." She looked at me and then at him.
"But what about the ball?"
"The ball? How can you go running off to the
ball now?" he asked, nodding in my direction. "But I bought this new dress especially for it
and I have a wonderful mask and . . ." She embraced
herself and glared at me. "How can this happen!" she
cried, the tears now streaming down her cheeks. She
clasped her hands into small fists and slapped her
arms against her sides. "And tonight of all nights!" "I'm sorry," I said softly. "I didn't realize it was
Mardi Gras when I started for New Orleans today,
but--"
"You didn't realize it was Mardi Gras!" she
chortled. "Oh, Beau."
"Take it easy, Gisselle," he said, returning to
embrace her. She buried her face in his shoulder for a
moment. As he stroked her hair, he gazed at me, still
smiling. "Take it easy," he soothed.
"I can't take it easy," Gisselle insisted, and
stamped her foot again as she pulled back. She glared
at me angrily now. "It's just some coincidence, some
stupid coincidence someone discovered. She was sent
here to. . . to embezzle money out of us. That's it, isn't
it?" she accused.
I shook my head.