"Stephen Goldin - Scavenger Hunt" - читать интересную книгу автора (Goldin Stephen)

"Personal affairs became a little too pressing, I'm afraid," she excused
herself simply.

"And speaking of personal affairs, dear," Nillia said, lowering her voice
to a just-between-us-girls tone, "I know it's none of my business, but have
you gotten married yet?"

You know damn well I haven't, you old busybody. Nothing in the
Galaxy happens without your finding out about it. "Now don't be silly.
You know I wouldn't do anything like that without inviting you to the
wedding. You shouldn't worry about it so."

"I know, dear, but I can't help it. I did promise your mother that I'd
look after you, you know."

There it was, the old promise that Nillia kept dragging out of mothballs
at every social occasion to proudly display, like some old soldier emerging
from the attic wearing a uniform that threatened to burst at the seams.
Perhaps it gives her some kind of thrill to think that she's responsible for
me, Tyla thought. Just once, I'd like to get all the way through a party
without its being mentioned at all.

"You must admit that it's not normal for someone your age not to have
been married at least once," Nillia continued, blithely unaware of the
younger woman's annoyance. "You're completely wasting your best years.
Youth is the time for experimentation, you know."

"I thought I'd been doing quite a bit of experimentation, myself."

Nillia dismissed that with a wave of her hand. "Those were affairs,
dear, not marriages. All shallow. You need something deeper, a lasting
relationship, something more than just a week or two."

"I've yet to find a man I'd even want a lasting relationship with."

"It wouldn't have to be forever, you know," Nillia persisted. "A year or
two would be fine for your first marriage. You just haven't been looking
hard enough. Even your brother was married once, and Space knows
he's…" She caught herself in a faux pas and let her voice drift off
awkwardly.

" 'Odd'?" Tyla supplied, enjoying the feeling of putting her inquisitor on
the defensive for the moment.

"No, of course not, dear, I was going to say 'eccentric.' But if even he
could find a marriage partner, there's certainly no reason why you can't.
Look around the hall tonight. Every eligible, desirable man in the galaxy is
here. And in that outfit of yours, you should certainly have no trouble
attracting the man you want."