“Look, Romeo, we have no quarrel with you, but this is our town and we’ll run it as we see fit. You find your little corner of the world and rule ...t with an iron fist, or rather however these ladies tell you to do so. It’s clear that you’re just a pussywhipped pretty-boy, while I am Colonel Arliss, commandant of the garrison and military governor of Twin Lakes. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have trash to take out,” the self-appointed ruler of Twin Lakes announces himself.“What’s your given name,. That she was standing on the hill with the boy from the desert, who had touched her. The girl would take the weeds over the enchantment of this garden with its fragrant peony and cymbidium flowers any day of the week, even though she enjoyed their scent and even though she had become familiar with it. But the night breeze brought a different scent, one that whirled with labdanum and spicy notes of cinnamon. Her body felt aroused by this new scent. She knew it was him. He drew close, battling. There it was! Another flash! He was watching me, I realised, and with binoculars too! What else would make the glints of light, but a reflection off a lens of sorts! I stayed there a while, taking it in. As I thought about it, I realised I wasn't totally revolted by the idea.. it was flattering in a way, to my teen mind! Well.. let him look, I decided. I swam a little, now aware of my movements. I giggled to myself.. this was crazy. I decided then to tease him a little, and my tummy tingled. Remember I told you how she saved Jack’s life when he lay in a coma?”I managed to draw enough breath into my lungs to speak.“This is Lilian Skinner, Mimi my love. Remember how I told you how she brought me out from the pit of despair after the death of my family?”Smiles lit up both girls’ faces.“Of course,” Mimi said, “and I said I would greet her as a sister if ever we met.” She walked over to Lillian and planted a kiss on her lips.Lillian, no less magnanimous, replied. “And I recall Jack.