My father and I were halfway down the aisle in the final run-through when I saw Frank’s face go white and rigid. We continued on, but Frank kept looking past us to the rear of the church. The minister cleared his throat, then spoke Frank’s name. Frank recovered himself, but when he stepped up to me I could see his eyes were wild, his hands trembling. The second we were finished I turned around and saw a man and woman sitting in the last pew. Frank didn’t move. He kept his back to them and muttered, “God damn her, God damn her!”

“Frank! Who is it?”

“Vivian,” he gritted.

“Who’s Vivian?”

“My sister. She found out. I knew she would, I knew she would!”

“So she found out, so what? Come on, you’d better introduce me.” He wouldn’t budge. “Frank, what’s the matter with you?”

His voice cracked. “She’s the worst! And now she’s here, she just walks right in!”

“And whose fault is that? I imagine she feels pretty insulted. Are you afraid she’ll make a scene?”

“Yes, yes!”

“We can’t just leave her sitting back there. Now come on.”

By this time, everybody was staring at the couple. I took Frank’s hand and started down the aisle toward them. The man’s face was expressionless, but the woman was smiling, first at Frank, then at me. Although she seemed a good deal older than Frank, there was no mistaking that she was his sister. Her features were similar to his, but stronger, her eyes larger, her mouth slightly fuller. Like Frank, she was quite tall, but well built instead of gangly, and her squared shoulders contributed to her impeccably confident posture. A solitary streak of gray hair among the dark brown lent a dramatic touch to her striking appearance.

The man stood up, still expressionless, and offered his hand to Frank. Frank only glowered at him.

“Hello, I’m Vivian Snell, Frank’s sister. This is my husband, Leo.”

Leo turned his hand to me and I shook it. Then Vivian offered hers. There was a momentary silence. Finally, I spoke. “I really don’t know what to say.”

“And neither do I.” Vivian smiled. “Maybe Frank has something to say.”

If Frank’s eyes had been bullets, Vivian would have been dead on the spot. “I have nothing to say to you. There’s no reason for you to be here.”

Her smile disappeared but she remained unruffled. “Frank,” she said softly, “if you choose to walk out on your family, that’s your business. But I think we all have the right to know who you’re going to marry.”

“You have no right. How did you find me?”

“There are other people in Ridgeway who go to the university. The word got back to us.” She turned to me. “You’re very pretty. Very pretty. Have you known Frank long?”

“A little more than a year.”

“Oh, then it wasn’t a whirlwind courtship?”

“No, it wasn’t.”

“I’m glad. The two of you had plenty of time to get to know each other. Are those your parents down there?”