The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty Page B

circle, but she couldn’t do it again. Not now. She didn’t have the strength. It was like someone had cheerfully suggested she run a marathon when she’d just dragged herself out of bed after suffering from the flu.
    “Great,” she said. She would make up an excuse later.
    “I’ll make Liam a pirate costume,” said Tess’s mother. “An eye patch, a red-and-white-striped top, ooh, and a sword! You’d love a sword, wouldn’t you, Liam?”
    She looked around for Liam, but he’d run off and was using his stick like a drill against the back fence.
    “Of course, we’d love to have you at the party too, Lucy,” said Cecilia. She was highly irritating, but her social skills were impeccable. For Tess, it was like watching someone play the violin beautifully. You couldn’t conceive how they did it.
    “Oh, well, thank you, Cecilia!” Tess’s mother was delighted. She loved parties. Especially the food. “Let’s see now, a red-and-white-striped top for a pirate costume. Has he already got one, Tess?”
    If Cecilia was a violinist, Tess’s mother was a folksy, well-meaning guitarist trying her best to play the same tune.
    “I mustn’t keep you. I guess you’re off to see Rachel now in the office?” asked Cecilia.
    “We’ve got an appointment with the school secretary,” said Tess. She had no idea of the woman’s name.
    “Yes, Rachel Crowley,” said Cecilia. “So efficient. Runs the place like a Swiss watch. She actually shares the job with my mother-in-law, although between you and me and the gatepost, I think Rachel does all the work. Virginia just chats on her days. Not that I can talk. Well, actually, that’s my point—I can talk.” She laughed merrily at herself.
    “How
is
Rachel these days?” asked Tess’s mother significantly.
    Cecilia’s ferrety face got all somber. “I don’t know her that well, but I do know she has a beautiful little grandson. Jacob. He just turned two.”
    “Ah,” breathed Lucy, as if that solved everything. “That’s good to hear. Jacob.”
    “Well, it was so nice to meet you, Tess,” said Cecilia, fixing her again with her unblinking stare. “I must skedaddle. I’ve got to get to my Zumba class—I go to the gym down the road; it’s great, you should try it sometime, just hilarious—and then I’m going straight to this party supply place in Strathfield; it’s a bit of a drive, but it’s worth it because the prices are amazing, seriously, you can get a helium balloon kit for under fifty dollars, and that gives you over a hundred balloons, and I’m doing so many parties over the next few months—Polly’s pirate party, and the Year One parents party, which of course you’ll be invited to as well!—and then I’m dropping off a few Tupperware orders; I do Tupperware by the way, Tess, if you need anything, especially if you’re looking for some early Christmas present ideas. Anyway, all that before school pickup! You know how it is.”
    Tess blinked. It was like being buried in an avalanche of detail. The myriad of tiny logistical maneuvers that made up someone else’s life. It wasn’t that it was dull. Although it was a little dull. It was mainly the sheer
quantity
of words that flowed so effortlessly from Cecilia’s mouth.
    Oh God, she’s stopped talking.
Tess registered with a start that it was her turn to speak.
    “Busy,” she said finally. “You sure are busy.” She forced her lips into something she hoped resembled a smile.
    “See you at the pirate party!” called out Cecilia to Liam, who turned from drilling his tree to look at her with that funny, inscrutable, masculine expression he sometimes got, an expression that painfully reminded Tess of Will.
    Cecilia lifted her hand like a claw. “Aha, me hearties!”
    Liam grinned, as if he couldn’t help himself, and Tess knew she’d be taking him to the pirate party, whatever it cost her.
    “Oh my,” said Tess’s mother when Cecilia was out of earshot. “Her mother was exactly the