Second Chance Sister by Linda Kepner Page A

was laughing at me when I asked if you were related to tonight’s speaker. It was nice of you not to be rude to me.”
    “I didn’t want to tease you, in a room full of people,” said Bishou.
    “Not much, you mean,” Mme. Cantrell replied good-humoredly. “Well, I enjoyed your talk very much, and it gave me a good idea how lively those American classrooms must be.”
    “There are good days and bad days, like teaching anywhere,” Bishou replied.
    “No doubt there must be,” said the gentleman next to Madame, who Bishou gathered to be Monsieur Cantrell. “It was a pleasure to hear you speak tonight, Docteur.”
    “Oh, that’s right,” said Mme. Cantrell, “you must be a Docteur, aren’t you — or a Professeur?”
    “Either, or both,” replied Bishou.
    “And your good husband!” Mme. Cantrell held out her hand to Louis. “I’m called Madame Cantrell — I’m the volunteer coordinator at the public library, in case Bishou didn’t tell you.”
    “Not yet her husband,” Louis contradicted with a smile. “We are to be married later this week. A pleasure to meet you, madame.”
    “Oh, my goodness!” Madame reproached Bishou, “all our idle talk, and you didn’t put in a word that you were planning to be married this week! When?”
    “Friday.”
    “Our good wishes,” said her husband jovially, “and congratulations, mademoiselle, monsieur.”
    “Merci,” Louis replied comfortably, patting Bishou’s hand on his arm and looking at her fondly. “I am most fortunate.”
    At that moment, a voice called across the room, “Louis!” They turned to see a hand reaching up from one of the greater groups of people.
    “Pardon, I am being summoned,” said Louis, turning away from the group and walking in the direction of the others.
Louis’s parole officer?
Bishou wondered.
    “That looked like — surely that wasn’t the Prefect himself who summoned him?” Mme. Cantrell asked with a frown. It certainly did look like Louis was speaking with the Prefect, the island’s equivalent of a governor. Her frown faded as she looked once again at Bishou. “Your young man is quite handsome, Bishou.”
    “Thank you for noticing,” Bishou agreed, “I think so, too.”
    “Are you excited about marriage?”
    “Definitely.”
    “This is a first marriage for both of you?”
    Good thing Denise wasn’t here,
Bishou thought,
she would be offended by now
. “My first, his second. My fiancé is a widower.”
    “How sad for him, how happy for you both.”
    Bishou had kept Louis in the corner of her eye, and now saw him raise his hand to motion to her. She excused herself to Mme. Cantrell’s group, turned, and walked to him. For some reason, the gazes of the group she was approaching made her very conscious of her looks — her high-heeled shoes, her jewels, her body, her walk, the blue dress.
    Louis reached out to take her hand, and said, “
Monsieur le Prefect
, allow me to introduce my fiancée, Bishou Howard. Ma Bishou, this is the Prefect of Réunion Island, Monsieur Jean-Pierre Masson.” She had not imagined it. The island governor was Louis’s parole officer!
    Bishou’s eyes lit up with her smile. She held out her hand. “
Monsieur le Prefect
, it is a great honor to meet you. Thank you so much for all you have done for Louis.”
    The Prefect had the perfect little French goatee. Now, at closer quarters, she could also see his French governmental ribbons and badges of office. There was a twinkle in his eye. A slim woman beside him could only be his wife, and proved so upon introduction. She clung to Bishou’s hand, and released it gently.
    “Why, Louis, she’s lovely!” said Madame with a smile, then to Bishou, “You are American?”
    “Oui, Madame, from Boston, Massachusetts.”
    “Boston!” said the Prefect, “I have been there once. Shortly after the museum was robbed. Such a tragedy. Have they found the villains yet?”
    “No, Monsieur, not yet, but they are still looking.” That had been