Although she set a more sedate pace than Ellen, conversation was still difficult over the whistle of the wind through windows that had long since come loose from their rubber gaskets. Gigi napped all the way from the river to Powder Mill Hill, six miles east of Lawrenceburg, and Ellen took the time to prepare Dirk for what lay ahead. "Ruth Ann and Gigi will be staying with Uncle Mac, one of my dad's brothers." "He's not the uncle you said we'd be staying with?" Dirk hung over the front seat so he wouldn't have to shout to be heard. "No. We'll be with my Aunt Lollie and Uncle Vester, another of Dad's brothers. Gigi needs this time away from me. We try to give her family-type experiences away from the compound so that she doesn't become too dependent on me. Uncle Mac is the only one of my relatives who has facilities for Gigi, and besides that, she adores his children." "Her brothers and sisters?" "Yes." Ellen laughed. "Uncle Mac looks upon Gigi and Ruth Ann as a part of the family. He teaches psychology at Vanderbilt—one of the few of my relatives who isn't a farmer—and he looks forward to this visit as much as Gigi does.
