“Her husband is that new vet, over by MacDonald’s Farm. She’s very horsey herself. She’s almost always in riding togs.”
“Who’s the lady with those adorable twins? I’ve seen her around town.”
“Bonnie Burkhart. Her husband is the new guidance counselor at the middle school and he also coaches football. Sara babysits for the twins, Belle and Belinda. She says they’re really sweet.”
“They sure look cute in those matching outfits.”
“Who wears matching outfits?” Rachel had let herself in the kitchen door, along with Libby, the Stone family’s Lab. Libby was wiggling ecstatically, which Rachel took as a compliment, but Lucy suspected her enthusiasm was directed at the tray of cookies Rachel was carrying. Lucy grabbed the dog and hauled her outside to the kennel. When she came back, Rachel and Pam were arguing.
“You shouldn’t dress twins alike,” said Rachel. “It stifles their individuality.”
“Lots of twins like dressing alike,” said Pam. “Some even do it as grown-ups.”
“They even go to special twin weekends,” added Lucy. “I saw it on TV. Weird.”
“I agree,” said Rachel. “I don’t think it’s healthy.”
“I was just filling Rachel in on the neighbors,” said Pam. “Who’s the hot lady with the VW convertible?”
Rachel’s eyebrows shot up. “She’s your neighbor? The one who always wears high heels and spandex?”
“I haven’t made her acquaintance,” said Lucy, raising an eyebrow, “but Bill has. He says her name is Frankie LaChance and she’s very friendly.”
“Ooh,” chorused Pam and Rachel.
Lucy shrugged. “Just because she has a fabulous figure and she’s divorced…”
This time the oohs were louder and longer.
“She has a daughter Sara’s age. Renee. She’s 14 and thinks she’s terribly sophisticated.”
“Sounds like a handful,” said Rachel.
“Who’s sophisticated?” Sue had arrived, along with a tray of miniature cream puffs.
“You are,” said Lucy. “These look delicious. Did you make them yourself?”
“I did. I wanted to impress the new neighbors.”
“These certainly ought to,” said Lucy. “Even Pear and Apple’s mom.”
Sue’s eyebrows shot up. “Pear and Apple?”
Lucy nodded. “Sara babysits for them, too. One is three and the other is almost a year old. She says they’re very serious children.”
“No wonder, with names like that,” said Sue.
“Poor things will get teased when they go to school,” said Rachel.
“Don’t worry about them. They’ll be at the head of the class. Chris is one of those supermoms. There’s absolutely no TV in their house, they only have classical music and Sara has to play educational games with them.”
“What kind of educational game can you play with a one-year-old?” asked Pam.
“Beats me,” said Lucy, as the front door bell chimed. “Well, girls, it’s showtime!”
Willie was at the door, dressed tonight in a linen shift with a silver brooch in the shape of a horse’s head pinned to one shoulder, along with Chris, Pear and Apple’s mom. Chris was dressed in a sleeveless top and a pair of tailored slacks; it looked like a business outfit without the jacket.
“Lucy, I don’t know if you’ve met Chris Cashman,” said Willie.
“We haven’t met but I have heard about your babies from my daughter Sara,” said Lucy. “She says they’re remarkably intelligent children.”
“I hope they are,” said Chris. “We’re certainly doing our best to give them every advantage. Of course you have to, these days, with the global economy and all. They’re not going to be competing for jobs with American kids who majored in binge drinking, oh no. They’ll be up against those Indian children who learn computer programming in preschool and Chinese kids who can do calculus and play the violin while figure skating.”
Lucy chuckled appreciatively, hoping Christine was joking, but doubting that she was.
“I know what you mean,” said Sue, proffering her hand and introducing herself. “It’s a different world now and we have to prepare them for it. Are you a full-time mom?”
“I sure am. It’s a full-time job, isn’t it? I mean, I used to think I was busy when I was working but that was nothing compared to motherhood. I’m on call twenty-four/seven now.”
The women smiled and nodded knowingly.
“What did you do before you had the kids?” asked Rachel.
“Investment banking.”
“Wow. That’s a big change. Do you miss working?” asked Pam.
“Oh, no!” exclaimed Chris, a bit too quickly. “Motherhood is my job now, and nothing is more fulfilling, right?”
“I’ve never found it so,” said Willie. “But maybe that’s just me. I prefer horses to people. You always know exactly where you stand with a horse.”
Nobody quite knew how to respond and Lucy was relieved when the doorbell rang announcing a new arrival. Bonnie Burkhart was standing on the stoop with her hands together, wearing a flowered dress with a prim little collar. Her white pumps were spotless.
“Everybody, meet Bonnie Burkhart,” said Lucy. “She’s the mother of those adorable twins we’ve all seen around town.”
While the women clustered around Bonnie, peppering her with questions about what it was like to have twins, Lucy slipped into the kitchen to get the coffee. She was returning with the tray when the doorbell rang once more and Frankie LaChance breezed in. She hadn’t waited for Lucy to open the door; she’d opened it herself.
“Hi! I’m Fran?oise LaChance but everybody calls me Frankie!” she said, introducing herself.
Conversation stopped as everyone turned to greet Frankie, who was wearing a figure-hugging striped top and a pair of equally tight short-shorts. Her shapely tan legs ended in a pair of espadrilles with long laces that wrapped around her ankles.
“Coffee?” said Lucy, breaking the awkward silence.
As the women took coffee and helped themselves to baked goods they fell into two distinct groups. Lucy’s friends were clustered at one end of the living room sofa while the Prudence Path women had formed a loose circle at the refreshment table. Frankie was out in the cold until Sue noticed and drew her into the conversation. Lucy, taking her role as hostess seriously, joined the Prudence Path group.
“It’s too bad Mimi couldn’t make it,” said Bonnie, biting into a piece of blueberry cake.