almost guilty, asked her how much longer they would be staying.
Anne smiled sympathetically at her teenage daughter, knowing full well how she herself would have reacted to being stuck in such a place when she was fifteen. “It seems likeweeks already, doesn’t it?” she asked. When Julie nodded, but said nothing, Anne sighed. “I don’t know what to tell you, darling. Your father keeps saying it’ll just be another day or two, but knowing how your grandmother is …” Her voice trailed off, and she could read the disappointment in Julie’s eyes.
“It’s just that there’s nothing to do,” Julie said softly. “Dad keeps finding things around here to fix—”
“Which could certainly take a year or so,” Anne observed archly, but Julie didn’t seem to notice her mother’s attempt at a joke.
“—and Jeff has Toby to play with, but I haven’t met anybody yet.”
Her aunt’s voice interrupted her. “I intend to fix that this very morning,” Marguerite said, stepping out onto the veranda. Julie flushed in embarrassment, but Marguerite tossed her niece’s discomfort away with an airy gesture. “My girls are coming this morning, and I thought you might like to join the class.”
Julie looked at her aunt uncertainly. “I—I don’t know. I’ve been taking ballet for three years, but—”
Understanding immediately, Marguerite squeezed Julie’s hand. “If you’re worried that you might not be good enough, you can stop,” she said. “Every now and then I get a really good student, but most of them are …” She hesitated, searching for just the right words. “Well, let’s just say they aren’t all quite as motivated as they might be, shall we?” She turned to Anne, winking. “Still, whatever I can teach them, I’m happy to do. And even if you don’t want to join the class,” she finished, turning back to Julie, “at least you can meet the girls.”
“I’d love it,” Julie replied. “And I’m sorry about what I said before. I didn’t really mean for you to hear it. It isn’t that I don’t like it here—”
“Enough!” Marguerite commanded, holding up her hand to stem Julie’s words. “You’re not the only one who doesn’t have anything to do around here, you know. That’s one of the reasons I keep teaching—it gives all the girls something to do. Besides—” But once again her words were interrupted bythe sharp sound of Helena’s buzzer, and almost automatically she turned and disappeared back into the stifling darkness of the house.
“I feel so sorry for her,” Julie said, her eyes filling with tears. “Aunt Marguerite’s so nice, and Grandmother’s so mean to her. Why doesn’t she just—” And then, before she spoke the word, Julie bit it back.
“Why doesn’t she just die?” Anne finished quietly, and Julie turned to face her mother, nodding unhappily.
“I wish I didn’t think that, but—”
“But you do,” Anne finished for her. “And so do I, if it’s any help. Of course, it would be nice if your grandmother was a sweet old lady we could all love, but the fact of the matter is that she’s not. So you mustn’t worry about what you might think of her.”
“I don’t even see why we came,” Julie said, releasing the anger that had slowly built inside her over the last few days. “Grandmother won’t talk to Jeff or me, and she hardly speaks to you. I don’t even think she cares that Dad’s here!”
“I know,” Anne sighed. “But we’re not just here for her. We have to think of your father too. If this visit will make him feel better about staying away so long, then it will be worth it. All right?”
Julie nodded, and Anne gave her a reassuring hug. “Now let’s go up and find you something to wear to Marguerite’s class. I think I have a running suit that’ll fit you, if you don’t mind dying of heat.”
“Shoes!” Julie exclaimed. “I didn’t bring any toe shoes!”
Anne smiled triumphantly. “Which is exactly what
Anne smiled sympathetically at her teenage daughter, knowing full well how she herself would have reacted to being stuck in such a place when she was fifteen. “It seems likeweeks already, doesn’t it?” she asked. When Julie nodded, but said nothing, Anne sighed. “I don’t know what to tell you, darling. Your father keeps saying it’ll just be another day or two, but knowing how your grandmother is …” Her voice trailed off, and she could read the disappointment in Julie’s eyes.
“It’s just that there’s nothing to do,” Julie said softly. “Dad keeps finding things around here to fix—”
“Which could certainly take a year or so,” Anne observed archly, but Julie didn’t seem to notice her mother’s attempt at a joke.
“—and Jeff has Toby to play with, but I haven’t met anybody yet.”
Her aunt’s voice interrupted her. “I intend to fix that this very morning,” Marguerite said, stepping out onto the veranda. Julie flushed in embarrassment, but Marguerite tossed her niece’s discomfort away with an airy gesture. “My girls are coming this morning, and I thought you might like to join the class.”
Julie looked at her aunt uncertainly. “I—I don’t know. I’ve been taking ballet for three years, but—”
Understanding immediately, Marguerite squeezed Julie’s hand. “If you’re worried that you might not be good enough, you can stop,” she said. “Every now and then I get a really good student, but most of them are …” She hesitated, searching for just the right words. “Well, let’s just say they aren’t all quite as motivated as they might be, shall we?” She turned to Anne, winking. “Still, whatever I can teach them, I’m happy to do. And even if you don’t want to join the class,” she finished, turning back to Julie, “at least you can meet the girls.”
“I’d love it,” Julie replied. “And I’m sorry about what I said before. I didn’t really mean for you to hear it. It isn’t that I don’t like it here—”
“Enough!” Marguerite commanded, holding up her hand to stem Julie’s words. “You’re not the only one who doesn’t have anything to do around here, you know. That’s one of the reasons I keep teaching—it gives all the girls something to do. Besides—” But once again her words were interrupted bythe sharp sound of Helena’s buzzer, and almost automatically she turned and disappeared back into the stifling darkness of the house.
“I feel so sorry for her,” Julie said, her eyes filling with tears. “Aunt Marguerite’s so nice, and Grandmother’s so mean to her. Why doesn’t she just—” And then, before she spoke the word, Julie bit it back.
“Why doesn’t she just die?” Anne finished quietly, and Julie turned to face her mother, nodding unhappily.
“I wish I didn’t think that, but—”
“But you do,” Anne finished for her. “And so do I, if it’s any help. Of course, it would be nice if your grandmother was a sweet old lady we could all love, but the fact of the matter is that she’s not. So you mustn’t worry about what you might think of her.”
“I don’t even see why we came,” Julie said, releasing the anger that had slowly built inside her over the last few days. “Grandmother won’t talk to Jeff or me, and she hardly speaks to you. I don’t even think she cares that Dad’s here!”
“I know,” Anne sighed. “But we’re not just here for her. We have to think of your father too. If this visit will make him feel better about staying away so long, then it will be worth it. All right?”
Julie nodded, and Anne gave her a reassuring hug. “Now let’s go up and find you something to wear to Marguerite’s class. I think I have a running suit that’ll fit you, if you don’t mind dying of heat.”
“Shoes!” Julie exclaimed. “I didn’t bring any toe shoes!”
Anne smiled triumphantly. “Which is exactly what
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