meant. Pulling her coordinating clutch toward her, she pulled out a lipstick. After applying the glossy red sheen liberally to her full mouth, she recapped the gold tube and dropped it back into her bag.
Her task complete, she turned my way. “So, Elizabeth, tell me all about you and Peter. How long have you two been dating?”
“Since January,” I replied.
“That’s nice.” She twirled a long strand of her raven hair around her finger. From the way she covertly studied Avery from beneath her long lashes, I suspected that her words were mechanical and her mind was actually miles away from theconversation. “Are you two talking about marriage yet?” She patted Avery’s hand and continued. “I can tell you, once you find the right man, it’s wonderful.”
Avery seemed not to have heard. Staring off in the distance, his face wan and drawn, he didn’t look like the poster child for a promarriage campaign. Roni noted her husband’s silence and her brow furrowed as she twisted in her seat to peer at his face. “Avery? Honey, are you all right?”
At the sound of her voice, he jumped slightly and raised vague eyes to hers. “I’m sorry, dear, did you say something?”
“I was just telling Elizabeth how wonderful marriage can be with the right person.” She smiled expectantly at him.
Avery turned back to me. “Yes,” he said slowly, “that’s true. Whatever you do, make sure you find the right person. It can make all the difference.” From underneath her long lashes, Roni shot him an uneasy look and let out a nervous trill of laughter. “Avery! You sound so dire! Goodness, what’s gotten into you tonight?”
Avery shook his head and gave her a half smile. “I’m sorry, dear. I guess I’m a little more tired than I realized.” At these words, Roni cooed and fussed over him. She was certainly playing the part of the dedicated wife, I thought, but as her phone call earlier had made clear, it was just that—a part. While it would be gratifying to see Roni unmasked, I couldn’t reveal what I’d heard. Telling Avery would be akin to kicking a puppy, and telling either Bridget or Elsie would be akin to dropping a match into a bucket of gasoline. All things considered, silence seemed my best option. Someone else had heard Roni’s conversation on her phone earlier. I wondered if that person plannedon spilling the beans. My ruminations were interrupted by the arrival of Millie. In her starched uniform, she was the only woman other than Bridget wearing white. She stuck out like a luminous moth. She bent low and quietly whispered something to Avery. He looked at his watch and nodded his head. “Okay, Millie. I guess you’re right. I am tired. I must have overdone it today.” Patting Roni on the arm, he said, “I’m going to turn in now.”
“Oh,” she replied, her eyes wide. Her voice hesitated slightly as she added, “Do you want me to come, too?”
“No. There’s no need for you to miss out on the fun. I’ll see you later.”
Roni smiled and jumped up from her seat. Carefully running her hands over her shapely hips to smooth out the folds of her snug pink dress, she kissed him lightly on his cheek and said, “I won’t be long. I think I’ll just go and see where Megan is. I’ll pop in and say good night to you when I get in.” I wondered at this. Given her earlier poisonous exchange with Megan, I doubted that she was really interested in finding her. So where was she going? Was she going to make another phone call to her “love”?
Turning to Millie, Roni added, “Millie, I leave him in your capable hands. Make sure you take good care of him for me!” Blowing an airy kiss to Avery, she sashayed toward the dance floor, gliding across the lawn like a pink snake. She passed near Claire. Claire hesitated a moment and then turned to follow her. Reaching out, she grabbed Roni’s shoulder and whirled her around. I couldn’t hear what they were saying, but their body language spoke
Her task complete, she turned my way. “So, Elizabeth, tell me all about you and Peter. How long have you two been dating?”
“Since January,” I replied.
“That’s nice.” She twirled a long strand of her raven hair around her finger. From the way she covertly studied Avery from beneath her long lashes, I suspected that her words were mechanical and her mind was actually miles away from theconversation. “Are you two talking about marriage yet?” She patted Avery’s hand and continued. “I can tell you, once you find the right man, it’s wonderful.”
Avery seemed not to have heard. Staring off in the distance, his face wan and drawn, he didn’t look like the poster child for a promarriage campaign. Roni noted her husband’s silence and her brow furrowed as she twisted in her seat to peer at his face. “Avery? Honey, are you all right?”
At the sound of her voice, he jumped slightly and raised vague eyes to hers. “I’m sorry, dear, did you say something?”
“I was just telling Elizabeth how wonderful marriage can be with the right person.” She smiled expectantly at him.
Avery turned back to me. “Yes,” he said slowly, “that’s true. Whatever you do, make sure you find the right person. It can make all the difference.” From underneath her long lashes, Roni shot him an uneasy look and let out a nervous trill of laughter. “Avery! You sound so dire! Goodness, what’s gotten into you tonight?”
Avery shook his head and gave her a half smile. “I’m sorry, dear. I guess I’m a little more tired than I realized.” At these words, Roni cooed and fussed over him. She was certainly playing the part of the dedicated wife, I thought, but as her phone call earlier had made clear, it was just that—a part. While it would be gratifying to see Roni unmasked, I couldn’t reveal what I’d heard. Telling Avery would be akin to kicking a puppy, and telling either Bridget or Elsie would be akin to dropping a match into a bucket of gasoline. All things considered, silence seemed my best option. Someone else had heard Roni’s conversation on her phone earlier. I wondered if that person plannedon spilling the beans. My ruminations were interrupted by the arrival of Millie. In her starched uniform, she was the only woman other than Bridget wearing white. She stuck out like a luminous moth. She bent low and quietly whispered something to Avery. He looked at his watch and nodded his head. “Okay, Millie. I guess you’re right. I am tired. I must have overdone it today.” Patting Roni on the arm, he said, “I’m going to turn in now.”
“Oh,” she replied, her eyes wide. Her voice hesitated slightly as she added, “Do you want me to come, too?”
“No. There’s no need for you to miss out on the fun. I’ll see you later.”
Roni smiled and jumped up from her seat. Carefully running her hands over her shapely hips to smooth out the folds of her snug pink dress, she kissed him lightly on his cheek and said, “I won’t be long. I think I’ll just go and see where Megan is. I’ll pop in and say good night to you when I get in.” I wondered at this. Given her earlier poisonous exchange with Megan, I doubted that she was really interested in finding her. So where was she going? Was she going to make another phone call to her “love”?
Turning to Millie, Roni added, “Millie, I leave him in your capable hands. Make sure you take good care of him for me!” Blowing an airy kiss to Avery, she sashayed toward the dance floor, gliding across the lawn like a pink snake. She passed near Claire. Claire hesitated a moment and then turned to follow her. Reaching out, she grabbed Roni’s shoulder and whirled her around. I couldn’t hear what they were saying, but their body language spoke
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