Relationship between Belle Gentry and Frederica Virginia Heinicke (Ricky)

Belle Gentry and Frederica Virginia Heinicke (Ricky) are connected through Miles Gentry’s family, but the evidence presents no warmth between them. Belle speaks of Ricky with open contempt, and Ricky’s later fear of returning to the household Belle shares with Miles gives that hostility practical stakes. Their strained relationship helps explain both the difficulty of locating Ricky and her determination to leave her father’s home.

Family Connection and Belle’s Contempt

Ricky is Miles Gentry’s daughter, and Belle’s marriage to Miles places her inside the family circumstances that shape the girl’s life. When Dan asks Belle what became of Ricky, Belle calls her a horrible, impossible child and says she went to live with her grandmother. Belle does not know, or does not disclose, a dependable destination: she guesses at Tucson, Yuma, or Indio, treating the possible locations as interchangeable and dull. Her answer sends Dan searching without a clear lead.

The exchange makes Belle’s hostility more explicit when Dan presses for Ricky’s whereabouts and asks how Miles addressed letters to the girl and her grandmother. Belle accuses Dan of having been in love with Ricky and describes the child as a dirty little sneak, coupling the insult with a resentful reference to Pete. Dan reacts angrily at the mention of his cat but tries to suppress it and keeps questioning Belle. She first refuses to cooperate; then, appearing to sober almost instantly, she recalls that the grandmother’s name was Haneker, or something like it. Belle says she saw the woman only once, in court, when the family came to deal with the will. Her account offers one uncertain name and a glimpse of the legal setting, not a reconciliation or evidence of concern for Ricky.

Ricky’s Refusal to Return

When Dan later meets Ricky, she already knows that Miles married Belle; Miles had written to tell her. The news does not surprise her, but her response to the prospect of going home is emphatic. Ricky suddenly looks grim and insists that she will not go back there. Dan acknowledges that he does not want her to return and says he would take her away himself if he could, but points out that she is eleven and that Miles is her father. Ricky rejects that claim as decisive: Miles, she says, is not her real father, and her grandmother is coming to get her.

The contrast between Belle’s casual dismissal of Ricky’s whereabouts and Ricky’s grave refusal to return makes the family connection more than a matter of dislike. For Belle, the girl appears in conversation as an irritating subject she would rather avoid; for Ricky, the household she associates with Belle and Miles is somewhere she is determined to leave. The available evidence does not establish the full history of their conflict, but it does show that Ricky’s departure to her grandmother is an active choice she defends, not a destination Belle can confidently explain.

Belle as a Source of Suspicion

Ricky later asks Dan whether Belle has something to do with what is happening, becoming angry and visibly upset as she raises the possibility. Dan answers that Belle is not involved, though he qualifies the denial. Ricky then asks directly whether Belle is going to enter cold sleep with him. Dan shudders at the suggestion and says he would run miles to avoid Belle. Ricky seems somewhat reassured and admits that she had been very angry with him about Belle.

This exchange shows the relationship continuing to affect Ricky even after she has left Belle’s household. Belle’s presence is a source of suspicion in Ricky’s interpretation of Dan’s plans, and the possibility that Dan might share a future with Belle is upsetting enough for Ricky to challenge him about it. Dan’s reassurance eases the immediate tension, but the scene does not turn Belle and Ricky’s relationship into a repaired one: it remains defined by antagonism, Ricky’s refusal to return, and the consequences of Belle’s place in the family from which Ricky is trying to get away.