Misplaced (74 page)

Emma’s
excellent
grammar
helped
offset
her
poor
manners,
Celest
e
asserted
.
“Why
,
jus
t
a
fe
w
summer
s
ago
,
sh
e
ignored
th
e
grea
t
teno
r
Jos
é
Carreras
.
H
e
sta
y
e
d
wit
h
u
s
on
e
night—
ol
d
frien
d
o
f
Carl’s
,
yo
u
understand
.
Becaus
e
h
e
w
asn’
t
the
self-promotin
g
typ
e
lik
e
P
a
v
arott
i
o
r
Domingo
,
Emm
a
w
as
convince
d
h
e
w
a
s
her
e
t
o
repai
r
th
e
plaste
r
i
n
th
e
upstairs
bathroom and treated him abominably.”

V
ictoria
could
not
help
but
grin.
No
one,
including
Khara,
s
o
muc
h
a
s
raise
d
a
n
e
y
ebrow
;
the
y
le
t
Celest
e
rambl
e
o
n
as
if
they
belie
v
ed
e
v
ery
word.
In
fact,
Marcia,
who
ate
with
one
hand
and
held
her
daughter
with
the
other,
commented
with
a
perfectl
y
straigh
t
face
,
“Th
e
purple-sequine
d
colla
r
yo
u
ordered
fo
r
he
r
cam
e
today
.
Didn’
t
Emm
a
orde
r
i
t
t
o
g
o
wit
h
he
r
thong?

“That
she
did,”
Celeste
ans
w
ered,
grinning.
“The
w
ay
she
sashay
s
around
,
it’
s
n
o
wonde
r
Kingsfor
d
Charcoa
l
i
s
ou
t
o
f
his
mind for her.
And she won’t gi
v
e him the time of day.”

Marcia giggled. “What a superficial
girl she is.”

“I
think,
”
Celest
e
confided
,
“she’
s
a
bi
t
o
f
a
racist
.
E
v
en
thoug
h
I’
v
e
pointe
d
ou
t
o
n
numerou
s
occasion
s
tha
t
som
e
of
he
r
stripe
s
ar
e
no
t
muc
h
lighte
r
tha
n
Kingsford’s
,
sh
e
won’t
hear another word about him.”

Khar
a
stated
,
wit
h
authority
,
“H
e
care
s
nothin
g
fo
r Emma, he
lo
v
es
Heather.
He
has
e
v
en
asked
if
I
would
speak to
her
on
his
behalf.
He
thinks
she’s
the
most
beautiful
creature he’s e
v
er seen.”

“Ah!
”
Celest
e
exclaimed
,
startlin
g
e
v
eryon
e
a
t
th
e
table.
“Don’t
let
that
little
minx
hear
you
talk
about
another
cat
like
that or there
’
ll be trouble!”

S
o
th
e
con
v
ersatio
n
w
en
t
unti
l
lon
g
afte
r
midnight.
Uncomfortabl
e
afte
r
sittin
g
s
o
long
,
V
ictori
a
ros
e
t
o
clea
r
the
table
.
Distracte
d
b
y
Celeste’
s
explanatio
n
o
f
th
e
grandfather
clock, Khara didn’t e
v
en glance her
w
ay.

“E
v
ery
mark
on
the
clock’s
face
corresponds
with
an
hour.
The larger hand shows minutes,” Celeste explained.

V
ictori
a
coul
d
almos
t
se
e
th
e
wheel
s
i
n
Khara’
s
mind
spinning
.
“Bu
t
ho
w
doe
s
th
e
cloc
k
relat
e
t
o
th
e
pat
h
o
f
the
stars?” she inquired.

“
A
cloc
k
render
s
th
e
nee
d
fo
r
w
atchin
g
th
e
star
s
useless.”
Khara’
s
fac
e
fell
,
an
d
Celest
e
patte
d
he
r
le
g
sympathetically.
“Think of the possibilities, child.”

Afte
r
a
rathe
r
glu
m
silence
,
Khar
a
follo
w
e
d
V
ictori
a
int
o
the
kitchen,
w
atched
the
sink
fill
with
hot
w
ater,
and
reached
for
the
white
cotton
dish
to
w
el.
“It
seems
like
a
job
for
two,”
she
replied to
V
ictoria’s raised e
y
ebrows.

When
the
last
dish
w
as
put
a
w
ay,
V
ictoria
and
Lila
helped
Celeste
to
her
room.
Marcia and
the
baby
w
ere
gone,
and
W
alt
snore
d
contentedl
y
fro
m
th
e
chai
r
closes
t
t
o
th
e
dyin
g
fire,
Shamrock
at
his
feet.
“See
you
tomorrow,”
V
ictoria
whispered
to Chris, the caretaker.

A
t
th
e
opposit
e
en
d
o
f
th
e
house
,
Khar
a
w
aited
,
brushing
he
r
hand
s
agains
t
th
e
danglin
g
crystal
s
whil
e
hummin
g
a
melanchol
y
tune
.
The
y
le
t
themsel
v
e
s
ou
t
th
e
bac
k
doo
r
without
a sound.