The Tracys eat dinner

Brains escorted Lou to the table in the dining room. She looked and felt uncomfortable. Her arms and face and neck were smeared with a blue goo, and she still had the I.V. port in her right hand. She wore a pair of dark blue sweatpants, and a t-shirt that said "Laguna Beach" across the front, or across what you could see of it since it was mostly covered up by a cotton paisley dressing gown. Kyrano had tried to launder what few clothes she had on her, but the seawater had ruined her blouse, and, as she told Brains and Tin-Tin, she had shed her slacks because they weighed her down when she swam for the life raft. Her panties had come through the laundry cycle pretty much intact, but her brassiere, unfortunately, had shrunk a bit too much for her to wear. And as she had ditched her shoes in the sea as well, she was barefoot.

"Welcome, Lou," Scott said as he rose to pull her chair out for her. She thanked him and sat down, nervously looking around the table.

"Lou, this is my brother, Virgil, and my other brother, Gordon, and my other brother, Alan," Scott said with a mischievous smile. "You've met Tin-Tin and Brains already. This," now he indicated the man serving the food, "this is Kyrano, Tin-Tin's father, and the man who helps us keep our bodies and souls together."

"Hello, Ms. Myles," Kyrano said formally. "It is a pleasure to have you at our table."

"Thank you, Kyrano," Lou responded. The brothers had each responded with a murmured "hello" when Scott introduced them; Alan's greeting preceded by a rolling of his blue eyes and a shaking of his blond head.

"I'm glad to see you looking a whole lot better than you did when we found you on the beach," Gordon remarked. "How are the clothes?"

"They're fine, thank you," Lou answered quietly. "Thank you for lending them to me. And for finding me on your beach."

"No problem," Gordon said genially. "Glad to be of assistance."

"I have to admit, Lou, when Scott and Gordon told us they'd found a woman on the beach, I had no idea she'd look like you," Virgil said around a mouthful of Thai baby corn.

"What exactly did you expect? Uh, it's Virgil, right?" Lou asked.

The brothers laughed, and Tin-Tin and Brains both chuckled.

"Did I say something funny?" Lou asked again, concerned.

"Yes and no, Lou," Alan began to explain. "You see, we are all eligible bachelors, sons of one of the richest men in the world. Every six months or so, a beautiful young woman shows up on our beach, hoping to snare one of us. It's almost impossible to get them to leave! They don't get it that we'd rather do the chasing ourselves."

"Oh, is that so? I suppose that means I'm not beautiful. Or is it young?" Lou quipped, before taking a mouthful of steamed tilapia. She chewed and swallowed, then took a sip of water. "Well, you don't have to worry about me. I'll be leaving as soon as... Brains... gives me the okay to go."

She applied herself to her food, but her gaze kept straying to Virgil. God, he's her image.

He looked up, saw her looking at him intently and, smiling, asked, "What's wrong, Lou? Do I have something in my teeth?"

She chuckled and looked down. Busted! "No, Virgil. You just remind me... of an old friend, that's all."

"Ah." Virgil nodded. He exchanged glances with Scott, his look puzzled, then shrugged and went back to eating.

"So, are you named for the poet?" Lou asked politely, recovering from her faux pas. Virgil rolled his eyes. Lou saw this and asked, "Is that a question you get a lot?"

"Yes, it is," Virgil replied, sighing.

"Yeah, Virge here is named after someone a whole lot more recent and daring than that moldy old poet," Gordon said, an eyebrow raised cockily and watching his older brother out of the corners of his eyes.

Scott intervened. "Our father named us all after the original Mercury astronauts, the first Americans in space during the twentieth century. I'm named for Scott Carpenter. Virgil is named for Virgil 'Gus' Grissom, Gordon for Leroy Gordon Cooper, and Alan for Alan Shepherd."

"That means that your first name must be Leroy," Lou said to Gordon. He sputtered and choked on a sip of wine, and Alan whacked him on the back.

Virgil grinned. "No, Father preferred Gordon."

"Ohhh," Lou said. "Now I understand." She looked around. "Where is your father? I'd like to meet him."

"Oh, Dad's in the States right now, Lou," Alan said.

"Yes," Tin-Tin piped up, glad to have a part in the conversation. "He took his mother to a funeral of one of her oldest friends. She was to stay and visit with other friends while he went on to Tracy Industries headquarters for a couple of weeks."

"Ah. Too bad," Lou said with regret. "I'll have to find some way to thank him for his hospitality. And tell him what wonderful sons he has raised."

Kyrano came in to serve dessert. "I hope you have enjoyed your meal, Ms. Myles," he said with a gentle smile as he served her a slice of cheesecake, a cherry compote poured over its center.

"Oh, yes! Everything is delicious... Kyrano, right? Thank you so much!" she gushed. He smiled again, and continued serving the rest of the table.

"So, Lou, what is it you do?" Scott asked. "Or rather, what did you do? I understand you're retired. Or retiring, as your sister put it."

Uh oh. I was afraid of this. But I can get through this. I don't have to give it all away.

"My sister was right. I've retired. My last duty for my employer was to fly that plane to Guam. Then I would be free of the daily grind," Lou said with a smile.

"So, you're a corporate pilot? Or you were one?" Virgil asked, curious.

"That was part of my duties, yes," Lou said, taking a sip of water.

"You mean you aren't a secret agent, on the run from 'mysterious forces' that threaten your family?" Gordon asked in a voice that made him sound like he was narrating a thrilling movie.

Lou blinked and gave him a puzzled look. "I beg your pardon?"

Gordon laughed, joined by the rest of the people at the table. He tilted his chair backwards, balancing it two legs.

"That's one of the standard stories we get from the women who wash up on our beach," Virgil explained. "We can't contact their families because that would 'endanger' them. Mostly they say that because if we did call their families, we'd learn the truth about them."

"Y-Yes," Brains added. "U-Usually they're some young woman with, uh, a need for money and a good friend who has a b-boat."

"Though we have gotten the occasional tabloid reporter, too," Alan said, wiping his mouth with his napkin.

"She can't be one of those mysterious women, Gordon. I've talked to her sister," Scott said with a wink.

"And she's all the family I have, too," Lou said. "Aside from her children and if you don't count my cats."

The conversation steered to Lou's cats, and Alan's pygmy alligator, as coffee was served and consumed. Scott kept looking at her surreptitiously. When the meal was over, and everyone had excused themselves, Scott collared Virgil as soon as Lou was out of earshot.

"Well? Do you recognize her?"

"I... I'm not sure, Scott. I feel like I should. Something about her voice, I think. But I can't place her right now."

"It's driving me crazy! It's on the edge of my memory and it just won't surface!" Scott blew out a breath in frustration. "Well, if anything comes to you, let me know."

"I will, Scott."

Virgil headed up to the lounge, intending to put in some piano practice. He was startled to see Lou standing in the middle of the room looking around. She turned at his entrance, and smiled sheepishly.

"I'm sorry. I seem to have taken a wrong turn on my way back to your infirmary."

"No problem, Lou." Virgil settled himself on the piano bench. "When you want to go back to the sick room, just let me know. I'll be happy to escort you."

"Thank you, Virgil." Lou made a tour of the room, examining the artwork. When she reached the wall that contained the Tracy sons' casual portraits, she turned to Virgil.

"Who is this?" She indicated John's portrait.

"That's our middle brother, John," Virgil answered. "Scott and I are older than he is while Gordon and Alan are younger."

"What astronaut is he named for?" As if I didn't already know.

"He's named for John Glenn, who was later a U.S. Senator," Virgil answered.

"Oh, that's interesting. Where is he, if you don't mind me asking?"

"He's away on company business."

Lou smiled at him, laugh lines evident beside each eye. She moved over to the portrait of the rocket taking off. After a few moments perusal, she turned to Virgil, who was arranging his sheet music.

"Who painted this? I see the initials, 'VGT'. Is that you?"

Virgil nodded. She gazed at it again, then turned to say, "It's very good."

"Thank you," he answered simply. He began to play, watching her over the sheets of musical score. She bypassed the desk with just a glance and walked over to the portrait of Penelope.

"Now, I've seen her before. She models for François Lemaire, doesn't she? Her name's Penelope something-or-other, isn't it?"

Virgil smiled. "Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward. She's an old friend of the family."

"Does she live here?"

"No. She makes her home in England."

"Oh. Very interesting." Good. I wouldn't want to meet up with her here and now. That would ruin everything.

Having looked at everything in the room, Lou made her way over to the piano. She smoothed one hand along its curved edge.

"You play very well." Just like she did. She came over to peer at the music.

"Do you play?" he asked.

She shook her head. "No. I can read music, but I've never learned to play. Never sat still long enough to practice."

"Do you sing?" Virgil asked again, smiling.

"In the shower. In the car. Along with the radio. At home, sometimes. Where there's no one to hear me," Lou answered with a chuckle. "Even my cats run away when I start to sing."

Virgil chuckled, too, thinking, That tears it. No way can she be one of those mysterious adventuresses that we are inflicted with. Most of them claim to be overachievers when it comes to music.

He tuned back in to hear Lou say with a grin, "I'd probably be one of those 'messy sopranos' you hear of."

"Oh! A Victor Borge fan! He was such a card!" Virgil exclaimed. He began to play the "Third Man Theme" to Lou's delight. His playing tapered off when he saw Lou hide a yawn behind a hand.

"Excuse me, Virgil, but I think I'd better get some more rest," she said apologetically.

"I understand. Let me escort you down to the sick room," he said. As he rose to do so, Brains walked in from the study.

"Th-There you are! Time for some more, uh, sunburn salve, L-Lou," the scientist said.

"I'm coming... Brains. Virgil, thank you very much for the music." Lou turned to follow Brains.

"You're welcome, Lou. Maybe I can play again before you leave."

"I'd like that." She glanced over at her new escort. "See you around."

"Right." Virgil said as medic and patient left together. He sat back down, thinking over the conversation he had just had. Scott's right. There's something definitely familiar about her. I wish I could put my finger on it.