"I'm going to school here now," I said, too nervous to permit any long silences. "For a while."
"Where's your mother then?"
"She's in California," I said. "She's auditioning to be an actress or a model."
His face finally relaxed.
"That figures," he said. He looked as if he was going to turn and walk away.
"I met your father at my grandmother and grandfather's house," I said quickly. He raised his eyebrows.
"And what did he say when he found out who you were?" he asked.
"He was . . . nice," I replied, not sure what he meant.
"Dad's the most charming man on the Cape," Kenneth said as if it were a basic fact everyone knew. He looked at Cary. "You're Jacob's boy?"
"Yes sir."
"Sorry about your sister. I don't get to hear much news out here, but I heard about that."
Cary nodded, biting down on his lower lip, his eyes glassy.
Kenneth turned back to me. "Are you a good student?"
"Yes, sir."
"Your father here too?" he asked, his face firm again. "No sir. My father died in a coal mining accident a few months ago."
"Really?" He looked at Cary and then at me.
"Coal mine? Where were you living?"
"West Virginia, a town called Sewell."
He nodded.
"Yeah, I knew they had gone south." His eyes were full of thoughts for a moment and then he blinked and looked at me more sharply. "You look a lot like her," he said. "I guess she's still as pretty as she was if she's looking to become a model or an actress."
"She is," I said.
"Well," he said, starting to turn. "Thanks for stopping by."
"Can I see some of your work?" I blurted. Cary's eyes widened. He looked at me and then at Kenneth, who stopped turning and considered.
"Why?" he asked, his eyes small, suspicious.
"I've heard a lot about it," I said.
"You know anything about art?"
"A little, what I learned in school."
"An artist's work is very personal until the day he puts it up for sale in some gallery," he said.
"I know."
"You know?" He widened his smile. "Are you an artist?"