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Dear Pru,

The other day while putting clothes away, I walked past a shirt my husband had hanging on the door knob. He had worn it to work the day before. The cologne on the shirt made me stop and smell the shirt. It was quite potent. He is a truck driver and does not go to work with cologne on. When I asked him why his shirt smelled of cologne, he got very defensive and asked if I was accusing him of something. Do you think I should be suspicious?

—Not Sure

Dear Not,

Oh my—circumstantial evidence is always difficult, isn't it, because there's always a lingering doubt: What if it's not the way it looks? Given your husband's profession, however, and his general habit of not wearing a scent on his rig, and his defensiveness, you may have a problem ... and he may have a girlfriend. Time will undoubtedly give you the answer. Be alert to how he behaves toward you and if his habits change. For the time being, he may stop using cologne ... so you will have to use your woman's intuition. Good luck.

—Prudie, nosily

Dear Pru,

I was a severely overweight woman. A very low-carbohydrate/high-protein diet (Atkins) has been my lifeline. My problem is that the conventional wisdom says my diet is bad for your health. Believe me—being as fat as I was and still am is worse! I am under the care of a physician, and all is proceeding quite well. My problem is that as soon as people comment on my shed tonnage, they ask me how I have done it. When they hear the approach I am using, they immediately tell me how bad it is for my health and how I will just gain it all back eventually. I must admit my responses to this repeated question are getting sharper and snippier. I've always felt guilty about being fat. Now people make me feel guilty for eating a steak instead of pasta salad. HELP ME!

—Skinny-Minnie To Be

Dear Skin,

It is a too common failing that, for some reason, people feel it is their right, if not their duty, to comment on all kinds of things that are not their business. If you can accept this, you will be less annoyed. As for a retort, simply say that you are under a physician's care and are making real progress. Should the dietitians-at-large pursue the conversation, then ask them why they are sticking with a subject you plainly have no interest in discussing. This will put the burden on them—where it belongs. Prudie wishes you continued progress.

—Prudie, healthily

Dear Prudence,

I have fallen in love with a man whom I have dated for about eight months. We normally don't see each other much because he travels for his job once a month, and each trip lasts about two weeks. He is often out of the country. But when he is not traveling, we see each other once or twice a week, and when we are together, we enjoy each other tremendously. Here's the problem. He is expected to be transferred either to another city or more probably, another country. Moving with him wherever he is assigned is out of the question. But I do love this man and don't want to lose him. I'm very depressed whenever I think about him being out of my life. He admits that we do have a great relationship, but when I tell him I love him, his reply is: "You don't love me. You think you love me." So what does that mean?