She opened her eyes and said, “I feel much better.” Elsie obediently took her hand away and wondered if she could steady herself with small goodnesses.
She heard May and the boys at the front door. Elsie went to open it. She kept her eyes on her hand on the doorknob and said, “I’m just leaving. Miss Perry was a little bit undone by the heat.”
May said, “You boys wait here. I’ll go see to her.”
“I think she’s fine,” Elsie said. “But maybe you could call—or Charlie or Tom could call when you leave. I’ll be at home.”
Charlie said, “Sylvia Teixeira usually comes over with supper. I could stay till she gets here.”
Elsie heard the note in Charlie’s voice, looked up to see May look hard at Charlie. Elsie left. She wanted a closed door between her and May’s thinking of yet another female coming near. If she were May she would peck all calling birds to death.
Elsie got home in plenty of time for Mary Scanlon to get to work. Elsie said, “I won’t stick you with a Saturday morning again. Did I leave enough milk?”
“Oh, Rose and I were fine. I think my giving her a bottle’s making my tits bigger. And how’s Miss Perry?”
“Oh, God. I’ll tell you everything in a minute.” Mary’s breezy talk about her tits jangled, but when she sat down, she felt the comfort of being able to say to Mary, “I’ll tell you everything.”
chapter four
F or all her talk about letting Rose cry, Mary Scanlon was an indulger. While Mary’s room was being built, Elsie went to stay at Jack and Sally’s cottage on Sawtooth Point. Mary began her job at the Wedding Cake only a hundred yards away. Before she started cooking, Mary spent an hour carrying Rose up and down the point while Elsie took a nap. Elsie would wake up to the sound of Mary’s crooning as the pair of them came in the door. Mary had a store of old songs she’d inherited from her father. She also had a taste for the Lucky Strike
Hit Parade
from her earliest childhood. She apparently remembered everything she’d ever heard. Elsie had only the vaguest memory of anything before rock, but then she had more of an ear for a heavy beat than for a tune.
At six or so Mary sent one of the waitresses over with a tray of food and a bottle of dark beer, which Mary said was good for nursing mothers.
At ten Mary would show up again for a few minutes before going back to check the cleanup. She usually brought another dessert for Elsie. Elsie felt like a queen ant, pale, inert, and swollen.
The low point was at eleven. Mary was gone. Rose was sleeping. Elsie couldn’t concentrate enough to read. It was too late to exercise. She wasn’t as physically tired as Sally said she’d be, but her brain was dull. She could barely remember herself outdoors, moving through the woods and marshes.
Years before when she’d been having supper with Jack and Sally, Jack had asked one of his massive questions: What’s the best thing in your life? It was the sort of thing Jack liked to bring up, though not for extended discussion. He preferred quick answers, which he took in with a grunt of approval or disapproval. Jack himself said, “Providing,” and grunted with approval. Elsie said, “Adventure. Love and adventure.” Jack tipped his head, meaning that was no more than what he expected. Sally said, “Grace.” Jack lifted his eyebrows and said, “Yes.” Sally beamed. Sally went on to say, “Moments of grace … I was listening to Jack Junior—” Jack lifted his hand and said, “Grace was just right. Let’s not adorn it.” Elsie had actually heard the word
pompous
inside her head. It had swelled from ear to ear, and for an instant she’d been afraid she was going deaf.
Now she heard her own voice saying “Adventure. Love and adventure.” What glib twitter.
At the first sound from Rose, Elsie felt her mind blur. Just as well, it wasn’t a necessary part of nursing Rose.
Outside, it was high summer. She knew the blackberries were ripe, the
She heard May and the boys at the front door. Elsie went to open it. She kept her eyes on her hand on the doorknob and said, “I’m just leaving. Miss Perry was a little bit undone by the heat.”
May said, “You boys wait here. I’ll go see to her.”
“I think she’s fine,” Elsie said. “But maybe you could call—or Charlie or Tom could call when you leave. I’ll be at home.”
Charlie said, “Sylvia Teixeira usually comes over with supper. I could stay till she gets here.”
Elsie heard the note in Charlie’s voice, looked up to see May look hard at Charlie. Elsie left. She wanted a closed door between her and May’s thinking of yet another female coming near. If she were May she would peck all calling birds to death.
Elsie got home in plenty of time for Mary Scanlon to get to work. Elsie said, “I won’t stick you with a Saturday morning again. Did I leave enough milk?”
“Oh, Rose and I were fine. I think my giving her a bottle’s making my tits bigger. And how’s Miss Perry?”
“Oh, God. I’ll tell you everything in a minute.” Mary’s breezy talk about her tits jangled, but when she sat down, she felt the comfort of being able to say to Mary, “I’ll tell you everything.”
chapter four
F or all her talk about letting Rose cry, Mary Scanlon was an indulger. While Mary’s room was being built, Elsie went to stay at Jack and Sally’s cottage on Sawtooth Point. Mary began her job at the Wedding Cake only a hundred yards away. Before she started cooking, Mary spent an hour carrying Rose up and down the point while Elsie took a nap. Elsie would wake up to the sound of Mary’s crooning as the pair of them came in the door. Mary had a store of old songs she’d inherited from her father. She also had a taste for the Lucky Strike
Hit Parade
from her earliest childhood. She apparently remembered everything she’d ever heard. Elsie had only the vaguest memory of anything before rock, but then she had more of an ear for a heavy beat than for a tune.
At six or so Mary sent one of the waitresses over with a tray of food and a bottle of dark beer, which Mary said was good for nursing mothers.
At ten Mary would show up again for a few minutes before going back to check the cleanup. She usually brought another dessert for Elsie. Elsie felt like a queen ant, pale, inert, and swollen.
The low point was at eleven. Mary was gone. Rose was sleeping. Elsie couldn’t concentrate enough to read. It was too late to exercise. She wasn’t as physically tired as Sally said she’d be, but her brain was dull. She could barely remember herself outdoors, moving through the woods and marshes.
Years before when she’d been having supper with Jack and Sally, Jack had asked one of his massive questions: What’s the best thing in your life? It was the sort of thing Jack liked to bring up, though not for extended discussion. He preferred quick answers, which he took in with a grunt of approval or disapproval. Jack himself said, “Providing,” and grunted with approval. Elsie said, “Adventure. Love and adventure.” Jack tipped his head, meaning that was no more than what he expected. Sally said, “Grace.” Jack lifted his eyebrows and said, “Yes.” Sally beamed. Sally went on to say, “Moments of grace … I was listening to Jack Junior—” Jack lifted his hand and said, “Grace was just right. Let’s not adorn it.” Elsie had actually heard the word
pompous
inside her head. It had swelled from ear to ear, and for an instant she’d been afraid she was going deaf.
Now she heard her own voice saying “Adventure. Love and adventure.” What glib twitter.
At the first sound from Rose, Elsie felt her mind blur. Just as well, it wasn’t a necessary part of nursing Rose.
Outside, it was high summer. She knew the blackberries were ripe, the
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