“I did. She said to talk to you.”
He waved an arm. “The balance is only five-thousand dollars. What harm can she do?”
“Five-thousand dollars’ worth. It’s almost maxed out. How will you pay for it?”
“A little bit each month. Isn’t that how it’s usually done?”
Elsie shook the branches a little harder than she meant to and several oranges fell, one of them hitting him on the shoulder. “Sorry.”
“No harm done. But why are you worrying about this, Elsie? Lydia’s not independent like you. She’ll probably be at home for a few more years until she catches some rich guy smitten enough to marry her. Then she’ll be his problem.”
“And you’ll have no savings. You’re supposed to be saving.”
“The house is paid off. Maybe we’ll do a reverse mortgage.”
“At least make her get a job. Otherwise, she’ll talk Mom into opening up another credit card. She’s not going to just stop spending.”
Mr. Bennet turned the orange back and forth in his hands. “She has a job. She’s an unpaid actress.”
“That’s not funny, Dad.” But Elsie smiled in spite of herself. Lydia had been an extra on several movies, and once, the back of her head was on screen for ten seconds. For all her time and trouble? A catered lunch.
“Elsie! Elsie, are you out here?” Mrs. Bennet came around the corner waving an invitation in the air. “Oh, there you two are. Gather up some of those oranges. We have a new neighbor and you need to take some to them.”
“I’m sure they have their own oranges, Mom.”
Mrs. Bennet’s face clouded. “I’m sure they don’t. These are better than anything they’d find in the store. And aren’t you even curious about who lives there?”
Mr. Bennet sighed. “Well, obviously you want to tell us, so be out with it, dear.”
“Oh, who asked you?” Mrs. Bennet shook a hand at her husband and turned back to Elsie.
“There are two single guys renting a house down the street. Dr. Lucas says they’re very handsome and rich.”
Elsie tried to suppress a laugh and ducked her chin. “Mom, if two guys are renting a house together in California, it sounds like they’re already taken.”
“What does that mean? Oh…no, no. Dr. Lucas would have said something. He was hoping to introduce them to Charlotte at the block party on Friday. I want you and Jane to beat him to it.”
“No way.”
“Elsie!”
Elsie was about to stalk back into the house to avoid an argument, but then she thought about how much her mother hated that she and Jane were still single.
“All right, Mom. I’ll do it. But first, I’m helping you pay off the credit card this month, and when Lydia gets back from her trip, we’re closing the account. No more giving Lydia your credit card.”
Mrs. Bennet’s mouth gaped open and closed and then she huffed. “Fine.”
“No, Elsie. I won’t let you pay that amount,” Mr. Bennet protested.
Elsie turned on him. “Don’t worry. It won’t happen again. The next time Lydia hits you up for money, tell her to come talk to me.”
***
Charlie had accepted Will’s insistence that they not go to the block party. They’d even made other plans. But then two girls apparently showed up with oranges, and suddenly Charlie wanted to go. Typical. Charlie got excited over the simplest things.
“Go ahead. But I amnotgoing to that stupid block party tonight.”
“Come on, Will. Be my wingman. I have to see Jane again and just showing up on her doorstep would be weird.”
