Leah sighed. “There was this story I once read called The Beast in the Jungle by Henry James. It was about this person who was always afraid something terrible was going to happen to him, that some beast would pounce on him at any moment. So he never did anything in his life. And then, when he got old, he realized that none of the things he feared had ever happened. What had ruined his life was the fear itself, which kept him from living; the fear was the beast in the jungle.”

“I am trying! That’s why I spent time with Duvie. He wasn’t even nice to me most of the time, to tell you the truth.”

“What do you mean?”

“He made fun of me. Called me a baby. All he wanted was to touch me.”

Oh no. Leah took a deep breath. “Did you let him? Did you want to?”

Shaindele looked across at her defiantly. “Sometimes.”

Oy vey. “What, exactly—”

“I don’t want to talk about it! But I never let him do anything I didn’t want. And in the end, I decided I didn’t like him, after all, and I walked away. Isn’t that enough?”

“But you do know, right, about the birds and the bees?” Even that I can’t be sure of with this kid and the kind of education she’s gotten in this place, Leah thought, furious.

“Oh, the things they teach you in bride school, right?”

Leah’s heart skipped a beat. “Right.”

“I wouldn’t do that. What for? That’s between me and my husband, if I ever have one. If I wanted to do that, I’d go to the shadchan and find someone to marry.”

Leah felt the breath come back inside her lungs. “But he, Duvie, wanted to?”

She nodded. “He was always pushing me to try things. But I didn’t do what he wanted if I didn’t think I’d like it.”

“But some things you liked, you tried?”

She nodded.

“Okay, it’s good that you kept control, because that is your right as a woman. What you say goes when it comes to your body.”

“Even when I’m married?”

“Of course!”

“That’s not what I heard.”

“What did you hear?”

“That on your wedding night you have to do exactly what he wants. Otherwise, you’re a ‘rebellious wife,’ and he can divorce you.”

“Now you listen to me, Shaindele Lehman. You never, ever have to let anyone use your body in a way you don’t like. Period.”

The girl looked relieved. “Are you going to tell Tateh?”