Erik laughed at that. "Somehow I don't see Elfreda ever giving up her independence, much less becoming subserviant to someone!"

"She didn't," Gordon acknowledged with a half-smile. "But she still had to deal with people who thought she had. Fortunately, she took an endless joy in . . . 'educating' those people in the folly of their thinking."

"I'll just bet she did," Erik said with a grin, then raised his glass in toast. "To Elfreda!"

"To Elfreda," Gordon echoed, his voice a touch hollow.

After they both had drank, Erik's face became serious. "Now the important question. Did she ever come back to you?"

Gordon was silent so long Erik thought he wasn't going to answer at all, but then finally Gordon whispered a single word. "Yes."

"You planning on elaborating on that?" Erik eventually asked into the silence that followed.

"Drink your beer, Erik," Gordon answered with a sigh.

Erik smiled in sad understanding. "I'll drink mine if you drink yours."

"You couldn't stop me if you tried," Gordon told him.

They said nothing more for a long, long time.

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