Chapter 12
Dr. Balakrishna arrived once more, though this time not in his self-contained suit. He officially cleared the Ben sisters to leave and all other persons in the house from quarantine. LizE was impatient to get back to home and a routine, her own bed and especially her own clothes. They sent word to their family of their release but Fancy commed them back to say that Bob was still not fixed and that Tom actually was using the electric car so that they might need to hang out at Chaz's house a bit longer. LizE was furious with her mother and would have taken Juno home on Rowan's saddle behind her if Juno had not been just recovering from an illness. LizE pushed Juno to ask for transportation and Chaz cheerfully agreed to drive Juno home. LizE and Rowan planned to make their way back home as soon as Juno was packed and she could say goodbye to all, including Cassandra.
Will Darcy was happy to have LizE go. The horse-riding, teasing woman had been around and underfoot long enough. She attracted him more than he liked; and Caro was rude to her and more teasing than usual to himself. Caro, for her part found that her jealousy and dislike of one sister much exceeded her liking for the other. The morning that all of the plans were worked out Darcy resolved he show no sign of his infatuation for her, certain that if he did it would encourage her. At one point during breakfast, though they were alone together for twenty minutes, he scarcely spoke ten words to her.
LizE shook hands in parting from all the party in the liveliest of moods. She embraced only Cassandra and returned the borrowed clothes, cleaned already as she was in her riding pants and pajama top. Juno's parting a half hour later was on the sweeter side. Lois and Caro hugged her tenderly, declaring profusions of friendship, even as they separated. Chaz was the most cut up to have his guests go.
Fancy was not happy to have them home. She had hoped for Juno to have a completed a week at Chaz's house. This did not stop her fussing over Chaz in driving her home to a degree that made him embarrassed. He kissed Juno on the cheek and let her family bundle her into the house, declining Fancy's invitations to stay.
Fancy was worried that they had given too much trouble by asking Chaz to bring Juno home.
"It would really have been too much trouble for us to stay an extra day," remarked LizE as Juno headed upstairs to her own room but she did not attempt to argue any more with her mother.
Tom had missed his daughters. He was keen on his topics of discussion, his views of the world, which his daughters were privy to and, for the most part, subscribed to. So often there was intelligent conversation at the house when Juno and LizE were at home. But when they were gone, other subjects cropped up. Mara and Mark either got along, or fought incessantly, and so could be pulled either intelligently along by adult conversation, or pulled down by such topics as the high school students favored.
Dinner that evening was lively. Fancy was extracting an exact recount from Juno of her stay, needling her for any details about any sparks of romance between Juno and Chaz, and Juno was attempting to avoid sharing those very details. Mara and Mark badgered LizE with questions about their Uni project as they needed to turn in an aspect of it the following week. KitE and Luna barraged both sisters about how Lois Hurst lived. What did she do all day, what did she wear during the day, evening? At night? There was also militia news to share. Two people had been detained up in the hills (though neither turned out to be a cyborg), a new recruit had gone AWOL, and there were rumors that Col. Forster was getting married. This turned out to be the hottest neighborhood news because her long-time partner was not someone in the militia, apparently, which surprised many. They had been dating for many years and she lived back East, but was to come join Jane Forster after the wedding. She was moving from North Carolina but nobody knew what she did for a living.