Out of the Blue by Sarah Ellis

Author:Sarah Ellis
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Groundwood Books Ltd
Published: 2013-08-18T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Ten

AFTER DINNER MUM DID an unheard-of thing and left the dirty dishes on the table. Usually she was whipping them out from under you while you were still swallowing dessert. “Let’s go into the living room for coffee, shall we?”

Natalie made some noises about helping with the dishes, but Mum said, “Oh, no, the dishwasher will do them.” As though the dishwasher cleared the dishes and scraped and loaded itself, thought Megan. Natalie must know that as well as anyone. Lying again. Or was that a “convention,” too? She tried to catch her co-dishwasher’s eye, but Betsy was off on cloud nine somewhere.

There was more chat, during which Megan concentrated on eating as many after-dinner mints as possible. She looked at people’s mouths talking and let her mind wander, until a change in Natalie’s tone of voice caught her attention.

Natalie set down her coffee cup and sat up straighter. “So, I have a favor to ask you two girls. For my wedding in July—well, it’s not going to be a big elaborate event, Franklin and I don’t want that — but I would like . . . but I was wondering if you would be my flower girl and bridesmaid.”

“Flower girl! Me?” Betsy flung herself backward onto the couch cushions. “Miranda was a flower girl and she got to wear lace gloves and nylons. Would I get to?”

“We’ll see,” said Mum.

Usually “we’ll see” drove Betsy nuts, but instead she threw her arms around Natalie. “I’ve wanted to be a flower girl all my life.”

Natalie smiled over Betsy’s head. It was funny. Betsy had only heard about flower girls a few months before. Megan could have shared Natalie’s look. But she didn’t.

“How about you, Megan?” said Natalie.

“No, thank you. I would rather not.” Megan smiled pleasantly at Natalie. She saw an abrupt movement from Mum out of the corner of her eye.

A shadow crossed Natalie’s face, but she recovered. “I can understand that. It might be more fun for you at the wedding if you didn’t have to be on show. Sometimes when I think of it, I wish I could come as a guest, too. But if you want to think about it a bit, Megan, that’s fine, too.”

“No, I’ve made up my mind. But thanks for asking me.” Megan kept her voice bright and perky.

“How come you don’t want to, Megan? It’ll be fun.” Betsy grinned.

“I would just prefer not to.”

“Silly,” said Betsy happily. “Do I get to wear a long dress?”

“If you like,” said Natalie

“Good. My feet would show even if I had a long dress, so I think I really should wear nylons. Do I get to?”

Megan glanced over at Natalie. How was Natalie going to handle this? Natalie didn’t know how stubborn Betsy could be, or how she could lose it in a second. Natalie was looking at Mum in a “help me” sort of way. She raised her eyebrows and wrinkled up one corner of her mouth.

In that instant there was Mum, looking out of Natalie’s face.

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