Part 28

"I know it may be hard to understand, Joanna," Quinn was saying. "But I've never felt so happy in my life. His wanting to take me all the way there just because he was there without me."

"It's sort of like you taking him to your great-grandfather's old street, or to Notre Dame," Joanna said.

"Yes. It's so far for him to do the same things."

"It's sweet. It is very sweet."

"I guess I didn't think how easy it is for me. It's natural he should be around my parents, or my brother, or my godfather. It didn't take an effort."

"He's had a strange life, as you say."

"Speaking of that, how is AJ?"

Joanna laughed. "Getting heat from the family, for bailing on his sister."

"What? They think it was better to keep up lying?"

"Yeah, I guess they admire the original plan much more."

"Poor AJ. Poor you. I guess Glen is gone."

"And Glen has a pretty nice family, too."

"But you decide on dealing with the Mansons."

"I can't help myself."

"And I really think, no matter what Zander says, that the Mansons are so much worse than the Kan-ish-chevs."

"You really are in love! You learned to pronounce that? Have you tried to write your name that way?"

Quinn giggled. "I think I even have to add an "a" to the end of it."

"As if it didn't already have enough letters!"

"In Russian one letter takes care of four of those. You won't believe how much Russian I already know. I'm amazed myself. Zander really can explain things well. I think there is something in this teacher theory."

"You're just so gone for the teacher, you'll listen to anything he says."

"You must be gone yourself, or you'd be running from the Manson Family. They'll actually come to you and bug you for influencing him. You got him to commit a mortal sin. Fail to protect Little Emily. You have to really be gone for AJ! You'll have Little Emily in your life all the time. This is no ordinary little-sister-of-the-boyfriend. You must adjust your life and his for her protection."

"I'll be in a position to warn you. My whole relationship with AJ is undertaken only to protect you from Little Emily."

"Oh, right! I don't have to ask you if you went to bed with him again."

"I can't help myself."

"Love has its way, logic or none."

"And cannot be controlled."

"Yeah," Quinn said, a little dreamily.

Joanna was nervous, driving up to the Quartermaine's. She'd been invited for dinner.

A servant showed her into a large living room. This was even more intimidating. She was alone in there.

Suddenly a door opened. Sean Monroe walked in, as if he owned the place.

"Hi!" he said. "So you're here, too?"

"No, I'm still at the hospital."

"Hahaha," he said. "How's Quinn?" he asked her.

"She's in love."

"Awwwww. And I haven't even seen her since the day in court."

"Not with you!" Joanna laughed.

Sean laughed too. "Oh, heck," he said. "With Mr. Kan-ish-chev? That's not going to last. He's doomed. Especially with me around," he added, adjusting his collar as though to say, "I'm so incredibly irresistible."

"You're doomed," Joanna asserted.

"Well, we will see," he answered.

AJ came into the room. "Hi, Joanna," he went over to her and hugged her. "I'm sorry you waited down here. I meant to be down here before you got here. I see you have some company."

"She doesn't mind," Sean said, grinning. "I'm one of her favorite people."

"One of my favorite people to be amazed at the inanity of," she said.

"Ouch!" Sean said. "But you love me for my inanity. Oh, Emily, hello."

Joanna said hello to Emily.

"We were just talking of Quinn's undying love for Mr. Kan-ish-chev."

"At least you can say it," Joanna said. "But she's so happy. He said he wanted to take her to Russia, which is a real sign of true love. He already took her to Florida and there is some great meaning in some barn he took her to."

"A barn?" Sean asked, laughing. "If I had only known that was the way to Quinn's heart! There are plenty of those down in Kentucky."

Emily looked struck.

"What's the matter, Emily?" AJ asked.

"Russia?" was all she said.

"His parents are from there. He lived there a little while," Joanna explained.

"I never knew that," Emily said.

"Another thing you didn't know," Sean said, patting Emily on the back. "Well, don't worry, Emily. Quinn is just more persistent in getting facts."

"I'll say," Emily said, a little sarcastically.

"How's the community service coming along?" Joanna asked Emily, just a bit icily.

Fortunately, Emily's parents and grandparents came in just then.

"Well, Mr. Kan-ish-chev should be happy now," Sean said.

"Well come, let's go in to dinner," Edward Quartermaine said. "And no discussion of that Russian pirate. Or his deviant son."