"Why do we have to discuss any heavy matters at all?" she whined. "Men like to discuss heavy matters, but women shouldn't have to."
"That's a ridiculous thing to say. Women aren't any less intelligent, Belinda. In many cases they're more intelligent," Ito1d her.
"Who wants to be more intelligent?" she muttered.
Belinda pouted and deliberately only nibbled at her food, but I was intrigued. Daddy hadn't yet told me the details of what he was going to discuss. I knew only that it had something to do with Belinda's future, another solution, perhaps, but Daddy had kep
t his plan to himself.
We gathered in his den-office as usual, Belinda and I seated on the red leather settee, Mother in the leather chair to Daddy's right, her notebook opened, pen in hand, waiting.
"You have today's date?" he asked her.
"Yes, Winston."
"Good. Then we'll bring the meeting to order. All of us understand that it becomes necessary from time to time to make some sacrifices, to make some efforts for the good of the family," he began.
"I hate it when he says that," Belinda muttered. "It usually means he wants us to do something hard."
"Shh, dear," Mother said. She remained poised to write down the important words.
"Just like days of old when kings and queens thought about gaining power and wealth, they would think hard about the marriages of their children and how those marriages could benefit the family, the kingdom," he continued. "Well, the most successful families today think the same way. Nothing's changed in that regard.
"Belinda," he continued, turning to her, "you know Carson McGil, Daniel McGil's son, the one who went to private school. I know you do because he's spoken to you a few times just recently, hasn't he?" he asked before she could offer a response to the first remark.
Belinda shot a glance at me and then looked at Daddy.
"I didn't do anything bad with him, Daddy. He just offered to buy me something cold to drink and then I went for a walk with him on the dock."
"Apparently he was quite taken with you. He came to my office a few days ago to speak to me about you," Daddy continued. Neither I nor Belinda had seen Carson there. I looked skeptically at Daddy, but he ignored my expression. "A fine young man, outstanding, proper. He asked me if he could ask you for your hand in marriage." Daddy added quickly.
"What?" Belinda said.
"He wants to marry you," I translated. She sat there with her mouth open.
"Carson McGil wants to marry me?" She was about to laugh, but Daddy scowled.
"Yes, and I thought it would be a fine match. He's going to inherit his father's cannery business and we're talking about a merger with one of our enterprises."
Belinda looked at me again, this time for some support, but I just stared at her without much expression and certainly no sympathy.
"I'm not in love with Carson McGil and even if I was, I'm not ready to marry anyone," she said.
"Why not?" Daddy demanded.
"I'm just not."
"Of course you are. You're an attractive young lady with enough to satisfy any good man."
"Olivia's not even engaged," she pointed out quickly.
"Olivia's developing a career at the moment. She'll be right behind you, I'm sure," Daddy insisted. He gazed at me and then quickly shifted his eyes back to Belinda. "I'd like you to give this serious
consideration, Belinda. The young man would like to court you," Daddy followed with those eyes of intimidation, his shoulders rising.
"Court me?"
"Romance you," I said with a small smile. "Get you to fall in love with him."