sheet of stone.
'Young lady, we do not have all day.'
Mrs Cooper had that horribly snooty way of talking
that Charlotte had heard on occasion while manning
fundraising tables outside the Goondowi Country
Club.
'Perhaps you could nail the book to her head,'
offered Emma.
Charlotte swung around and glared at her.
Mrs Cooper seemed to consider the suggestion for
a moment but then the head shook and the eyebrows
rattled and rolled.
'No. You girls must learn to walk with poise. Now
let's try it again.'
It was the fourteenth attempt when Charlotte finally
made it across the studio, a large room sparsely
furnished and dominated by a chandelier. Her legs
wanted to collapse, her neck ached, she wanted to just
jump on Leila and ride into the sunset. Unfortunately,
Table Manners was no less intimidating. Charlotte
found herself staring down at her plate on which
resided some evil prehistoric creature that looked like
a massive cockroach. She had no idea what she was
supposed to do with the array of instruments placed
next to the plate. It reminded her of the dentist.
'People eat this?' she asked Hannah in disbelief.
'Not your sort of people,' chimed in Lucinda.
Hannah whispered behind her hand, 'It's lobster.'
Charlotte had often wondered what lobster looked
like. When she'd been burned from staying too long
in the sun her father had often told her she was as red
as a lobster.
Mrs Cooper dinged the rim of a crystal glass with
a fork.
'Ladies, begin.'
Charlotte was dimly aware of those around her
selecting from the steel implements. Suddenly the
air was alive with the sound of cracking and sucking.
She got the gist. You had to get into the shell for
the meat.
'Do not suck, ladies. A plughole sucks. We place
the lobster meat delicately on our tongues.'
Charlotte was fretting. She felt Mrs Cooper's
shadow fall over her. With no better idea Charlotte
reached for a fork and one of the lobster legs. It was
like trying to grab hold of a rosebush.
'Yow,' she yelped as the horny shell pricked her in
several places. She tried a different angle with no
better result. Her thumb began to bleed.
Emma laughed, 'Careful, Charlotte, the lobster
might bite off your nose.'
Charlotte turned as red as a lobster without even
venturing into the sun.
'Come on, Richards, get cracking,' urged Mrs
Cooper.
Seeing Charlotte's predicament, Hannah slid across
a lobster leg which she had already broken open.
Charlotte thanked her with her eyes and attacked it
with a fork. Even though the shell had been cracked
it was still tough. She levered hard, applying increasing
pressure.
'No, Charlotte, you do not use the fork ...'
That's as far as Mrs Cooper got. There was a mighty
crack like a rifle shot and lobster meat sprayed
everywhere, including all over Mrs Cooper's dress,
and worse, in her perfectly coiffured hair.
Charlotte would have gladly crawled under the
table but she caught sight of Rebecca signing a big
'L' for loser on her forehead for Charlie's benefit. She
had been befuddled by what the long thin skewer
in front of her was for but she figured she knew now.
It must be to poke out the eyes of people who made
fun of you trying to eat lobster. She gripped it ready
to inflict pain. Hannah's hand landed on top of hers
and her eyes urged her to desist. Charlotte let the
impulse fade. Mrs Cooper took herself off to clean up
and Charlotte was forced to endure the loser signs
from The Evil Three. Her fingers had begun to sting
from the many pricks they had suffered. She prayed
this torture would soon be over.
Not knowing where she was headed terrified Leila.
The only thought that kept her going was that
Charlotte would find her, if she were still alive to be
found. Who knew what this guy was planning? When
they finally stopped, Leila waited in the float, legs
trembling. She heard the bolt pulled back, the door
opened and there he was, staring at her.
'Hello, meal ticket.'
Leila's head was buzzing too loud for her to hear
properly. Did he just
'Young lady, we do not have all day.'
Mrs Cooper had that horribly snooty way of talking
that Charlotte had heard on occasion while manning
fundraising tables outside the Goondowi Country
Club.
'Perhaps you could nail the book to her head,'
offered Emma.
Charlotte swung around and glared at her.
Mrs Cooper seemed to consider the suggestion for
a moment but then the head shook and the eyebrows
rattled and rolled.
'No. You girls must learn to walk with poise. Now
let's try it again.'
It was the fourteenth attempt when Charlotte finally
made it across the studio, a large room sparsely
furnished and dominated by a chandelier. Her legs
wanted to collapse, her neck ached, she wanted to just
jump on Leila and ride into the sunset. Unfortunately,
Table Manners was no less intimidating. Charlotte
found herself staring down at her plate on which
resided some evil prehistoric creature that looked like
a massive cockroach. She had no idea what she was
supposed to do with the array of instruments placed
next to the plate. It reminded her of the dentist.
'People eat this?' she asked Hannah in disbelief.
'Not your sort of people,' chimed in Lucinda.
Hannah whispered behind her hand, 'It's lobster.'
Charlotte had often wondered what lobster looked
like. When she'd been burned from staying too long
in the sun her father had often told her she was as red
as a lobster.
Mrs Cooper dinged the rim of a crystal glass with
a fork.
'Ladies, begin.'
Charlotte was dimly aware of those around her
selecting from the steel implements. Suddenly the
air was alive with the sound of cracking and sucking.
She got the gist. You had to get into the shell for
the meat.
'Do not suck, ladies. A plughole sucks. We place
the lobster meat delicately on our tongues.'
Charlotte was fretting. She felt Mrs Cooper's
shadow fall over her. With no better idea Charlotte
reached for a fork and one of the lobster legs. It was
like trying to grab hold of a rosebush.
'Yow,' she yelped as the horny shell pricked her in
several places. She tried a different angle with no
better result. Her thumb began to bleed.
Emma laughed, 'Careful, Charlotte, the lobster
might bite off your nose.'
Charlotte turned as red as a lobster without even
venturing into the sun.
'Come on, Richards, get cracking,' urged Mrs
Cooper.
Seeing Charlotte's predicament, Hannah slid across
a lobster leg which she had already broken open.
Charlotte thanked her with her eyes and attacked it
with a fork. Even though the shell had been cracked
it was still tough. She levered hard, applying increasing
pressure.
'No, Charlotte, you do not use the fork ...'
That's as far as Mrs Cooper got. There was a mighty
crack like a rifle shot and lobster meat sprayed
everywhere, including all over Mrs Cooper's dress,
and worse, in her perfectly coiffured hair.
Charlotte would have gladly crawled under the
table but she caught sight of Rebecca signing a big
'L' for loser on her forehead for Charlie's benefit. She
had been befuddled by what the long thin skewer
in front of her was for but she figured she knew now.
It must be to poke out the eyes of people who made
fun of you trying to eat lobster. She gripped it ready
to inflict pain. Hannah's hand landed on top of hers
and her eyes urged her to desist. Charlotte let the
impulse fade. Mrs Cooper took herself off to clean up
and Charlotte was forced to endure the loser signs
from The Evil Three. Her fingers had begun to sting
from the many pricks they had suffered. She prayed
this torture would soon be over.
Not knowing where she was headed terrified Leila.
The only thought that kept her going was that
Charlotte would find her, if she were still alive to be
found. Who knew what this guy was planning? When
they finally stopped, Leila waited in the float, legs
trembling. She heard the bolt pulled back, the door
opened and there he was, staring at her.
'Hello, meal ticket.'
Leila's head was buzzing too loud for her to hear
properly. Did he just
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