Jerry grumbled.
" Who the hell cares? " Reggie said. " She ' s dead now. That ' s what counts. "
Carla turned her head away. Shut up, Reg. Jesus Christ, shut up.
" Now, what exactly do you mean by that? " Tony ' s voice was smooth.
" Not a thing. " Reg shot him a glare. " But dead is dead. Hardly matters how you get there. "
Mundane chatter after this.
Jerry wondered where Mom ' s larger-than-expected fortune might have come from. Linda wanted to know if Mom kept anything of particular value hidden away for safety ' s sake. Nellie, Tony and Gina talked about a Rumoli game taking place tomorrow and would she like to join in? Ian huddled with Reggie by the desk, and when she looked their way, Reggie sent her one of his charming smiles. The old expression, " h e could charm the pants off you , " fitted him well.
Becki was quoting Albert Einstein . "' Nothing will benefit human health or increase the chances for survival of life on earth as the evolution to a vegetarian diet— '"
" If you ' ll excuse me, " Carla interrupted. " I ' m just going to pop into the washroom before we go in to supper. "
Phew! She shut the door of the main-floor powder room and plopped down on the upholstered chair facing the pedestal sink. She grabbed a copy of Chatelaine from the side table and idly read the subscription information.
Fiorenza Ferrero
123 Hawthorn Avenue
Langdon Hills , Ontario
She studied her reflection in the gilt mirror above the basin. She didn ' t inherit Fiorenza ' s dark eyes, dark hair or olive skin. But at least she, Carla Williamson, didn ' t tout tofu or quote Einstein, like Mom ' s can-do-no-wrong goddaughter.
She washed her hands, flicked off the light and exited.
On her way back to the library, she heard Reggie talking in the living room. Obviously on the phone. She was just about to enter the room and coax him into coming back with her when she noted his angry tone. She couldn ' t help but overhear a sentence or two.
" For God ' s sake! " he hissed. " Someone already saw us once. Fine! Tonight in the alley behind the house. "
Supper started at 7:00. Everyone took the same spot around the dining room table as at the kitchen table for breakfast. Like a real family or something. Nellie knew that ' s what real families did ' cause when she went to her friend ' s house for sleepovers, Abigail ' s father always sat at the head of the table and her mother at the other end of the table . Nellie and Abigail squeezed in on one side and Abigail ' s little brother, who was only four and a real pain in the butt, on the other side. That ' s how it worked.
But at Abigail ' s, they talked about cool things like the family ' s trip to the zoo in Toronto, and what her and Abigail ' s favourite cartoon was on TV, and what Mr. and Mrs. Spencer watched when they were little. Here, Nellie didn ' t get a chance to say much of anything, and when she did, they all stared at her like she was the same age as Abigail ' s little brother.
For example, when she demanded, " What is this? " She poked at her food with the tines of her fork.
" It ' s Tuscan p oached t ilapia with g reen b eans, " Ian said.
" Tuscan? " Nellie asked.
" As in Tuscany . A region of Italy. "
" Grandma was from Italy and she didn ' t make stuff like this. "
" Hmmm. "
Nobody seemed to want to discuss it. " What ' s tilapia? " she insisted.
Mom said, " It ' s fish, honey. Try it. You ' ll like it. "
" Don ' t eat fish. "
" I usually don ' t, either, " Aunt Becki said, " but it ' s good. You ' ll see. Tomatoes, olives…I bet even a little white wine. "
The wine drew Nellie ' s interest.
" Your cousin Ian ' s a man of many talents, " continued Aunt Becki.
" Like sticking his nose where it doesn ' t belong, " Father said.
" I called Karl again to explain I wasn ' t leaving until tomorrow after all, " Becki said during dessert. Why do I always feel responsible for prompting conversation?
" Was he very upset? " Carla asked.
" Oh, he never gets
" Who the hell cares? " Reggie said. " She ' s dead now. That ' s what counts. "
Carla turned her head away. Shut up, Reg. Jesus Christ, shut up.
" Now, what exactly do you mean by that? " Tony ' s voice was smooth.
" Not a thing. " Reg shot him a glare. " But dead is dead. Hardly matters how you get there. "
Mundane chatter after this.
Jerry wondered where Mom ' s larger-than-expected fortune might have come from. Linda wanted to know if Mom kept anything of particular value hidden away for safety ' s sake. Nellie, Tony and Gina talked about a Rumoli game taking place tomorrow and would she like to join in? Ian huddled with Reggie by the desk, and when she looked their way, Reggie sent her one of his charming smiles. The old expression, " h e could charm the pants off you , " fitted him well.
Becki was quoting Albert Einstein . "' Nothing will benefit human health or increase the chances for survival of life on earth as the evolution to a vegetarian diet— '"
" If you ' ll excuse me, " Carla interrupted. " I ' m just going to pop into the washroom before we go in to supper. "
Phew! She shut the door of the main-floor powder room and plopped down on the upholstered chair facing the pedestal sink. She grabbed a copy of Chatelaine from the side table and idly read the subscription information.
Fiorenza Ferrero
123 Hawthorn Avenue
Langdon Hills , Ontario
She studied her reflection in the gilt mirror above the basin. She didn ' t inherit Fiorenza ' s dark eyes, dark hair or olive skin. But at least she, Carla Williamson, didn ' t tout tofu or quote Einstein, like Mom ' s can-do-no-wrong goddaughter.
She washed her hands, flicked off the light and exited.
On her way back to the library, she heard Reggie talking in the living room. Obviously on the phone. She was just about to enter the room and coax him into coming back with her when she noted his angry tone. She couldn ' t help but overhear a sentence or two.
" For God ' s sake! " he hissed. " Someone already saw us once. Fine! Tonight in the alley behind the house. "
Supper started at 7:00. Everyone took the same spot around the dining room table as at the kitchen table for breakfast. Like a real family or something. Nellie knew that ' s what real families did ' cause when she went to her friend ' s house for sleepovers, Abigail ' s father always sat at the head of the table and her mother at the other end of the table . Nellie and Abigail squeezed in on one side and Abigail ' s little brother, who was only four and a real pain in the butt, on the other side. That ' s how it worked.
But at Abigail ' s, they talked about cool things like the family ' s trip to the zoo in Toronto, and what her and Abigail ' s favourite cartoon was on TV, and what Mr. and Mrs. Spencer watched when they were little. Here, Nellie didn ' t get a chance to say much of anything, and when she did, they all stared at her like she was the same age as Abigail ' s little brother.
For example, when she demanded, " What is this? " She poked at her food with the tines of her fork.
" It ' s Tuscan p oached t ilapia with g reen b eans, " Ian said.
" Tuscan? " Nellie asked.
" As in Tuscany . A region of Italy. "
" Grandma was from Italy and she didn ' t make stuff like this. "
" Hmmm. "
Nobody seemed to want to discuss it. " What ' s tilapia? " she insisted.
Mom said, " It ' s fish, honey. Try it. You ' ll like it. "
" Don ' t eat fish. "
" I usually don ' t, either, " Aunt Becki said, " but it ' s good. You ' ll see. Tomatoes, olives…I bet even a little white wine. "
The wine drew Nellie ' s interest.
" Your cousin Ian ' s a man of many talents, " continued Aunt Becki.
" Like sticking his nose where it doesn ' t belong, " Father said.
" I called Karl again to explain I wasn ' t leaving until tomorrow after all, " Becki said during dessert. Why do I always feel responsible for prompting conversation?
" Was he very upset? " Carla asked.
" Oh, he never gets
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