… just fell asleep. I was hanging out at the festival with a bunch of my friends and we crashed in someone’s tent.”
“Someone’s tent ?” Eleanor sounded horrified. “ Whose tent?”
Francesca didn’t answer. Instead, James heard the rattle of silverware.
“I asked you a question, young lady.” Eleanor’s tone was strained. “In case you’ve forgotten, you are still living under my roof. I work my fingers to the bone each and every day, and the money from this inn pays for your clothes, your cell phone with the dead battery , and your contest entry fees. So when I tell you to be home by midnight, you’d better be home by eleven fifty-nine!”
“I don’t want you to pay for those stupid contests! I’ve never once asked you to spend money on them!” Francesca snapped. “I told you. I want to spend my free time tutoring disadvantaged kids. I want to be a teacher—not win a stupid makeup or modeling contract.”
“We’ve been over this a thousand times.” Eleanor was exasperated. “You can be a teacher after you’ve entered the Miss America contest. The judges will love your passion to help those little needy—” She broke off and then whispered fearfully, “Sweet Jesus! Are those love bites on your neck, Francesca?”
“They’re called hickies, Ma. Get with the program, will you?”
James heard the crash of dishes. “That’s just great, Francesca! Are you trying to drive me to an early grave? So you were out all night with some boy, doing God knows what, and now your neck is full of blemishes, your eyes are red, and you’ve got purple bags beneath them. You’re supposed to be a princess today! Not some roll-me-in-the-hay teenage tramp!” Eleanor drew in a ragged breath. “Oh, that’s right. You weren’t in hay with a boy, you were in some filthy, mildewed tent .”
There was a moment of silence and then Francesca calmly replied, “Who said I was with a boy? It could have been a man . An older man.”
“Good Lord.” James could almost visualize Eleanor grabbing onto the counter for support. “Please tell me that it wasn’t that disgusting barbecue man, Jimmy Lang.”
“I can’t kiss and tell.” Francesca goaded her mother.
“I’ll kill him!” Eleanor raged. “So help me, I will! I’ve got plenty of pesticides and poisons to rid this world of that fat, nasty pest! Oh, the thought of him touching my beautiful girl! Franny, how could you?” Eleanor wailed, and then the sound was cut off as she covered her mouth.
“Don’t worry, Ma. I’ll still be ready for my enviable car ride with a pig , but I’m not going to follow your life plan for me much longer. I mean it!”
Seconds later, the front door slammed and Francesca appeared on the porch. She looked at James, keenly aware that he had listened in on the entire exchange with her mother.
“Coffee’s ready,” she told him nonchalantly and then headed off toward one of the nature trails.
From inside the kitchen, James could hear the muffled yet pained sounds of Eleanor weeping.
Over a breakfast of sausage rolls, strawberries, and hunks of aged cheddar cheese, James told his friends about the altercation he had overheard.
“Francesca and Jimmy Lang?” Lindy asked and then gave an involuntary shiver. Glancing around to make sure that none of the other guests were listening, she lowered her voice. “That’s too gross to picture.”
Gillian examined the dregs of tea at the bottom of her china cup and frowned. “Do you think Eleanor was serious about having poison around the inn? I’d have thought she’d use harmless, natural pesticides. Maybe I shouldn’t accept any more of her herbal tea blend
recommendations.”
“Just ’cause the woman has a nature trail doesn’t mean she’s down with all that goin’ green mumbo jumbo,” Bennett informed Gillian.
“Mumbo jumbo?” Scowling, Gillian regarded Bennett with disdain. “We only have one planet to call home, and if we don’t take care of
“Someone’s tent ?” Eleanor sounded horrified. “ Whose tent?”
Francesca didn’t answer. Instead, James heard the rattle of silverware.
“I asked you a question, young lady.” Eleanor’s tone was strained. “In case you’ve forgotten, you are still living under my roof. I work my fingers to the bone each and every day, and the money from this inn pays for your clothes, your cell phone with the dead battery , and your contest entry fees. So when I tell you to be home by midnight, you’d better be home by eleven fifty-nine!”
“I don’t want you to pay for those stupid contests! I’ve never once asked you to spend money on them!” Francesca snapped. “I told you. I want to spend my free time tutoring disadvantaged kids. I want to be a teacher—not win a stupid makeup or modeling contract.”
“We’ve been over this a thousand times.” Eleanor was exasperated. “You can be a teacher after you’ve entered the Miss America contest. The judges will love your passion to help those little needy—” She broke off and then whispered fearfully, “Sweet Jesus! Are those love bites on your neck, Francesca?”
“They’re called hickies, Ma. Get with the program, will you?”
James heard the crash of dishes. “That’s just great, Francesca! Are you trying to drive me to an early grave? So you were out all night with some boy, doing God knows what, and now your neck is full of blemishes, your eyes are red, and you’ve got purple bags beneath them. You’re supposed to be a princess today! Not some roll-me-in-the-hay teenage tramp!” Eleanor drew in a ragged breath. “Oh, that’s right. You weren’t in hay with a boy, you were in some filthy, mildewed tent .”
There was a moment of silence and then Francesca calmly replied, “Who said I was with a boy? It could have been a man . An older man.”
“Good Lord.” James could almost visualize Eleanor grabbing onto the counter for support. “Please tell me that it wasn’t that disgusting barbecue man, Jimmy Lang.”
“I can’t kiss and tell.” Francesca goaded her mother.
“I’ll kill him!” Eleanor raged. “So help me, I will! I’ve got plenty of pesticides and poisons to rid this world of that fat, nasty pest! Oh, the thought of him touching my beautiful girl! Franny, how could you?” Eleanor wailed, and then the sound was cut off as she covered her mouth.
“Don’t worry, Ma. I’ll still be ready for my enviable car ride with a pig , but I’m not going to follow your life plan for me much longer. I mean it!”
Seconds later, the front door slammed and Francesca appeared on the porch. She looked at James, keenly aware that he had listened in on the entire exchange with her mother.
“Coffee’s ready,” she told him nonchalantly and then headed off toward one of the nature trails.
From inside the kitchen, James could hear the muffled yet pained sounds of Eleanor weeping.
Over a breakfast of sausage rolls, strawberries, and hunks of aged cheddar cheese, James told his friends about the altercation he had overheard.
“Francesca and Jimmy Lang?” Lindy asked and then gave an involuntary shiver. Glancing around to make sure that none of the other guests were listening, she lowered her voice. “That’s too gross to picture.”
Gillian examined the dregs of tea at the bottom of her china cup and frowned. “Do you think Eleanor was serious about having poison around the inn? I’d have thought she’d use harmless, natural pesticides. Maybe I shouldn’t accept any more of her herbal tea blend
recommendations.”
“Just ’cause the woman has a nature trail doesn’t mean she’s down with all that goin’ green mumbo jumbo,” Bennett informed Gillian.
“Mumbo jumbo?” Scowling, Gillian regarded Bennett with disdain. “We only have one planet to call home, and if we don’t take care of
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