by the time she 'd folded the last of her towels , elyna had learned a nifty trick to get lipstick out of washable silk ; that there was a scary-looking man who washed his clothes on tuesdays who was a retired marine , horribly shy , and a dear , sweet man , so she was n't to let him frighten her ; and that there was a local man , someone 's cousin 's sister-in-law 's nephew , who was a contractor .