"Before this episode, she would have gladlytalked about it. Now, I think she is so mad she would scratchsomeone's eyes out if you asked her. I guess they were married verybriefly. And he is based out of the city and travels around forbook tours and stuff. Nancy wanted someone who came home everynight. I don't know if she didn't trust him. I'm guessing shecertainly doesn't now."
Elizabeth agreed. "I certainly wouldn't. It ishard when you are misled. On the other hand, if they're longdivorced, and she's remarried, then it really shouldn't bother herthat he's with someone else."
Julia winced a little. "But it's herex-husband. You don't go there without talking to your friendfirst. And since this person is one of us, I would consider her a'friend,' probably. She should have talked to Nancyfirst."
"Maybe she didn't know that he was Nancy'sex-husband, if she knew him from high school, and just randomlyshowed up–" she trailed off. Oh my God. Elizabeth's heart hit herstomach. It couldn't be. She swallowed the bile down. She could notthrow up now.
"And to make matters worse, he dedicated thebook to this woman. That's how we know she is real. Nancy is hurtthat he didn’t dedicate it to her, after basically using her forresearch."
Elizabeth rubbed her eyes, dragging her handsdown her cheeks and over her mouth. Finally she swallowed and wasable to say, "So, who is it dedicated to?"
"That's the thing. It's not a name that seemsfamiliar to anyone here. Lauren or maybe Lesley, something likethat."
Elizabeth breathed a sigh of relief. She triedto cover her own inner turmoil. "I don't know any Laurens orLesleys from PTA."
At that moment, Nancy walked into the libraryand scowled, her arms folded acrimoniously across her chest.Elizabeth quickly jumped up from her perch. She felt guilty, like ateenager who was caught smoking. And then it occurred to Elizabeththat she should feel resentful that Nancy made her feel that way.That she, taking a break after hours of hard work, was somehowdoing something wrong.
Nancy's bad mood was now much more evident. "Itake it you've finished everything, since you're both sitting inhere gabbing and gossiping?"
Elizabeth straightened her shoulders. "No,Nancy. We were taking a short break. The gym is finished, as is thelibrary. We're about to head into the cafeteria, to make sure thatFred has it under control in there. We've been working hard andhave it under control. Julia and I are quite capable of doing this,you know."
Nancy visibly bristled. Her hands were now onher hips in an aggressive pose. "Well, see that it gets done, then.The Summer-Kick-Off Carnival is one of our most profitablefundraisers. If it is not successful, I guess we'll know who toblame. Julia, I need you to come to the main office with me todouble-count the initial cash boxes."
Julia hung her head and followed Nancy out,like a child who had been scolded. Elizabeth squared her shouldersand marched into the cafeteria. She had a moment of clarity. Nancywas just a woman, a mother, with a past and character flaws, justlike the rest of them. Why did Elizabeth try so hard to win thiswoman's approval? Why did Nancy get to set the standards and passjudgment on the rest of them? Sure, she had money, but it was herhusband's money, not anything she herself had actually earned. Itstruck Elizabeth with startling simplicity that Nancy was a womanwho achieved her status by standing on the shoulders of giants,rather than by earning it herself. She rode her husband andex-husband's coattails and used her position to manipulate andcontrol. Elizabeth could not believe how she had been groveling thepast two weeks, apologizing about missing the event. If Nancy haddeemed Elizabeth her equal, she would have understood and not givenElizabeth a hard time. Nancy did not respect the other PTA mothers;that was now clear.
Elizabeth moved on into the cafeteria andhelped Fred finish setting up in there. Before she knew it, thedoors were open and people were flooding in. Despite the rain, thekids and their parents came. The publicity of well-crafted andvaluable raffle baskets and the debut of the yearbook seemed todraw people in. Those were two new ideas that Elizabeth and Juliahad come up with, in addition to a whipped-cream pie throwingcontest. Many kids jumped at the chance to throw a pie in theprincipal's face. There were a few parents in line for that onetoo.
Elizabeth was in the cafeteria, working herhour shift in there when Peter came through with Teddy and Sydney.Syd had her face painted so that her whole face resembled a tiger.Teddy had a moustache and beard, and thick eyebrows painted on. Helooked like a miniature version of Peter. The face painter waswonderful, and her booth always had a line from the time she openedto the closing of the carnival.
"How's it going in the gym?" She asked Peter,handing him his change.
"Good. Crowded. The kids seemed to havefun."
"Anything look bad?"
"A poster fell down off the wall, and the linefor the face painter is pretty long."
"It always is. She takes her time, but does anawesome job. Make sure to get a picture of Syd. She looks socute."
"She already made me take her picture." Peterwas good about the camera. He enjoyed documenting the kids'adventures.
"When I'm done here, I want to get a picture ofyou and Teddy. He's a mini-you."
Peter nodded, and with that, they were off toeat their hot dogs and cotton candy. Elizabeth watched her familyeat and felt detached. She wished she could sit down and share inthe family time, but she had to work. That was how she always felt.That she had to work twice as hard just to keep things going, tokeep things together. She was grateful that Peter took pictures ofthe children having fun, because that was often the only way shegot to see it. She was always too busy helping out, volunteering,working, running from here to there.
Standing there, in the Cherry Road cafeteria,making change at the cash box, Elizabeth began to feel the despairslip back into her life. It was clouding the perimeter of herthoughts. It was pushing her down, as it did that night in themountains when she got the
