tell me again what the deal is,” Darcy said. “Your piece looks like the teacher's piece and you're here learning from the teacher, so this is a problem why?"
"It's a problem because I didn't copy her work or anyone else's. Someone has to have copied mine."
"If you're learning a certain skill set from a teacher, isn't it likely that everyone who takes the class will end up with something that looks similar?"
"We're studying machine embroidery, and hand dyeing our fabric. Selestina gave us a theme, but beyond that we could do anything. My piece didn't look like any of the other students'. And Selestina certainly never gave us any indication she was working on her own piece."
"Couldn't she have made something similar without copying your work?” Darcy persisted.
Lauren stood up. “Come on. Since you can't seem to comprehend what I'm telling you, come look. You'll see what I mean. My piece is still hanging in the exhibit hall.” She looked at the group seated around the table. “Anyone else want to come?"
Harriet and Robin got up.
"I don't need to join the drama,” Sarah said. “I'm going to go read my teacher's book on the creative use of thread."
"Whatever!” Lauren shot a dark look at Sarah's back as she retreated up the stairs.
The women made a quick, silent trip through the woods to the fiber arts building.
"This way.” Lauren led them around the display hall. “Arghhh!” she screamed.
Harriet, Robin and Darcy reached her and looked at the empty wall where her piece had hung the day before.
"Calm down,” Darcy said. “Screaming isn't going to help anything."
"I'm sure there's a perfectly reasonable explanation,” Harriet added. “Don't they send them to London to be evaluated at the textile guild? Maybe they took yours down so they could pack it for shipping."
"Okay, genius,” Lauren snarled, fire in her eyes. “Why are all the others still here? Do you think they started in the middle of the exhibit? You do know they send everyone's work, right? They don't pick one person's work to send. They all go.” She looked away in disgust then turned back. “Why are you defending them, anyway?"
Harriet held her hands up, palms out in placation. “Hey, leave me out of this."
"Why don't you go to the office and ask what happened?” Darcy suggested. “Come on, I'll go with you.” She put her arm around Lauren's shoulders and turned her back toward the door then glanced back at Harriet and Robin and rolled her eyes skyward.
"Doesn't it seem a little strange that if only one piece has gone missing it would turn out to be Lauren's?” Harriet wondered aloud once they were gone.
"It's pretty convenient for Selestina. Or it would be if she wasn't beyond caring."
"That's the part that doesn't make sense.” Harriet was quiet for a moment. “Maybe we're making this more complicated than it is. If Lauren has been her usual charming self in class, maybe she offended a classmate and they took her quilt in retaliation."
"Would her teacher know?"
"I'm not sure. I know she and Connie have been taking classes together, but the two-year students have some kind of advisor as well. Let's go see if any teachers are in the offices."
Harriet opened the next door they came to and led Robin into the honeycomb of offices and work spaces that made up the center of the building. In the third cubicle they went into they found three teachers sitting at a small table with coffee mugs and a plate of chocolate chip cookies in front of them.
Harriet explained only that her friend Lauren had been upset at lunch and was worried she'd offended some of her classmates. A large woman in baggy black corduroy pants and a purple felted vest over a red silk blouse leaned back in her chair.
"You either got some bad soup at lunch, or there are two Laurens here and we haven't met the second one.” She looked over the top of her black-rimmed half-moon reading glasses. “The Lauren we know has raised offending classmates to an art
"It's a problem because I didn't copy her work or anyone else's. Someone has to have copied mine."
"If you're learning a certain skill set from a teacher, isn't it likely that everyone who takes the class will end up with something that looks similar?"
"We're studying machine embroidery, and hand dyeing our fabric. Selestina gave us a theme, but beyond that we could do anything. My piece didn't look like any of the other students'. And Selestina certainly never gave us any indication she was working on her own piece."
"Couldn't she have made something similar without copying your work?” Darcy persisted.
Lauren stood up. “Come on. Since you can't seem to comprehend what I'm telling you, come look. You'll see what I mean. My piece is still hanging in the exhibit hall.” She looked at the group seated around the table. “Anyone else want to come?"
Harriet and Robin got up.
"I don't need to join the drama,” Sarah said. “I'm going to go read my teacher's book on the creative use of thread."
"Whatever!” Lauren shot a dark look at Sarah's back as she retreated up the stairs.
The women made a quick, silent trip through the woods to the fiber arts building.
"This way.” Lauren led them around the display hall. “Arghhh!” she screamed.
Harriet, Robin and Darcy reached her and looked at the empty wall where her piece had hung the day before.
"Calm down,” Darcy said. “Screaming isn't going to help anything."
"I'm sure there's a perfectly reasonable explanation,” Harriet added. “Don't they send them to London to be evaluated at the textile guild? Maybe they took yours down so they could pack it for shipping."
"Okay, genius,” Lauren snarled, fire in her eyes. “Why are all the others still here? Do you think they started in the middle of the exhibit? You do know they send everyone's work, right? They don't pick one person's work to send. They all go.” She looked away in disgust then turned back. “Why are you defending them, anyway?"
Harriet held her hands up, palms out in placation. “Hey, leave me out of this."
"Why don't you go to the office and ask what happened?” Darcy suggested. “Come on, I'll go with you.” She put her arm around Lauren's shoulders and turned her back toward the door then glanced back at Harriet and Robin and rolled her eyes skyward.
"Doesn't it seem a little strange that if only one piece has gone missing it would turn out to be Lauren's?” Harriet wondered aloud once they were gone.
"It's pretty convenient for Selestina. Or it would be if she wasn't beyond caring."
"That's the part that doesn't make sense.” Harriet was quiet for a moment. “Maybe we're making this more complicated than it is. If Lauren has been her usual charming self in class, maybe she offended a classmate and they took her quilt in retaliation."
"Would her teacher know?"
"I'm not sure. I know she and Connie have been taking classes together, but the two-year students have some kind of advisor as well. Let's go see if any teachers are in the offices."
Harriet opened the next door they came to and led Robin into the honeycomb of offices and work spaces that made up the center of the building. In the third cubicle they went into they found three teachers sitting at a small table with coffee mugs and a plate of chocolate chip cookies in front of them.
Harriet explained only that her friend Lauren had been upset at lunch and was worried she'd offended some of her classmates. A large woman in baggy black corduroy pants and a purple felted vest over a red silk blouse leaned back in her chair.
"You either got some bad soup at lunch, or there are two Laurens here and we haven't met the second one.” She looked over the top of her black-rimmed half-moon reading glasses. “The Lauren we know has raised offending classmates to an art
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