Fifteen

The courthouse in downtown Sweet Valley was a fine, sprawling Colonial-style building. Elizabeth felt a little overwhelmed when she walked in and was directed to the press room.

“You mean reporters have their own room in the courthouse?” she asked the man in the information booth.

“Yes, young lady. Right down the hall, third door on the left.”

Elizabeth walked hesitantly to the press room and peeked inside. There were large desks around the walls, most of them piled high with newspapers and stacks of official-looking court papers. A few reporters were there, too. Maybe someday I’ll work here, Elizabeth thought.

Mr. Collins had told her to find Eric Garnet, a reporter he knew who worked for The Sweet Valley News.

“Hello, Mr. Garnet,” she said shyly.

“Ah, yes—the Barbara Walters of Sweet Valley High, I believe,” Eric Garnet said and smiled.

Elizabeth smiled and blushed. “Not exactly.”

“So, what can I do for you?”

“I’m here to cover the football field story.”

“The what?”

Elizabeth felt her face reddening again. She checked her notebook. “Oh, I mean, Fowler versus the Board of Education.”

He directed her to the second floor and wished her luck.

As she walked into the courtroom, Elizabeth noticed Coach Schultz and the principal, Mr. Cooper, sitting in the spectators section. Judge Robert Daly was already on the bench, wearing his black robes and looking stern and dignified.

There was George Fowler, sitting at a table with several lawyers in dark suits. He looked rather sinister and very determined. And at another table up near the judge’s bench was her father and his assistant, Marianna West.

Elizabeth felt an icy stab of anger go through her at the sight of Marianna. Her father was being so attentive, leaning over with his head next to hers, whispering heaven knows what into her ear. If her mother saw that, she would die!

At a third table were Henry Wilson Patman and two more lawyers. Altogether, there were enough lawyers in the courtroom to sue everyone in the state of California.

“Are both sides ready for oral argument in this proceeding?” the judge asked, looking up from a stack of legal briefs he’d been reading.

“Ready, Your Honor,” piped Marianna West before any of the others had spoken.

Elizabeth glared at Marianna West. That pushy creature didn’t even let her father—a partner in the law firm—speak up; she jumped right in!

Elizabeth had little time to simmer about it, though, because one after another the lawyers started talking, throwing around long legal words that left her bewildered.

First, one of George Fowler’s blue-suited lawyers got up and delivered a towering speech about how the Fowlers were entitled to the football field property because the lease held by the Sweet Valley Board of Education had lapsed and had not been renewed.

Then one of Henry Patman’s lawyers got up and delivered an even more impassioned speech about how a factory would deface Sweet Valley with smoke and pollution, and insisted the public had an interest in the matter.

Elizabeth felt her spirits falling as she listened to both convincing-sounding arguments. Still, she thought, her father hadn’t spoken yet. He was a wonderful lawyer. Maybe he could save the field for Sweet Valley High.

Elizabeth was stunned to see Marianna West rise to speak for the high school instead.

Marianna straightened the legal papers on the table in front of her, then began to speak. She addressed the courtroom in a clear, strong voice, arguing eloquently that the football field was “the heart” of Sweet Valley High as surely as the school building was its “mind.”

Elizabeth scribbled frantically, trying to keep up with Marianna’s powerful argument. She seemed to know everything about the matter, all right. Her father must have told her every detail.

Nevertheless, Elizabeth couldn’t help admiring the ease with which Marianna had handled a difficult situation. She found herself writing in her notebook: “Ms. West was very impressive in marshaling the arguments for Sweet Valley High.”

Elizabeth had begun to question her suspicions about Marianna West when the judge called a recess and the court retired to await his decision. She spotted her father in the corridor and rushed over to speak with him. She froze when she noticed that he had his arm slung around Marianna’s shoulders. In front of everyone! What was going on?

When Ned Wakefield walked over and introduced the two of them, Elizabeth could scarcely find her voice. Fortunately, Marianna didn’t notice. She was all smiles, bubbling over with her success in the courtroom. She greeted Elizabeth warmly.

“Ned told me what beautiful daughters he had,” she said, “but I had no idea…”

Elizabeth blushed, overcome with confusion. Marianna was no phony. She was even someone Elizabeth felt she could like—a thought that made her feel traitorous toward her mother.

The bailiff stuck his head out the courtroom door and announced that the judge was back on the bench. They all filed back in and took their places. Elizabeth felt as if the entire room were holding its breath as they waited for him to announce his decision.

Amid a nearly unintelligible babble of legal jargon, the last part of what the judge was saying rang clear as a bell: “Petitions by George Fowler and Henry Patman are denied. The property shall be leased to the Sweet Valley Board of Education.”

Coach Schultz, who was seated next to Chrome Dome Cooper, leaped to his feet and yelled, “Yea, Sweet Valley!”

Nobody heard the clerk calling for order in the ensuing din of cheers and excited conversation. Nobody noticed, except Elizabeth, as the Fowler and Patman entourages slunk out of the courtroom in sour-faced defeat.

*   *   *

Mr. Cooper and Coach Schultz drove Elizabeth back to the high school, where she was trailed down the corridors by Ken Matthews and the whole Gladiator football team.

“It’s OK,” she yelled. “We won!”

And then the entire backfield hoisted Elizabeth onto their shoulders and paraded her outside, down the steps, around the school, up the ramp, and through the cafeteria.

Afterward, as she wrote the story, kids kept dashing in to ask for more details.

“Did your father save us?”

“He was there, but Marianna West did the talking.”

Mr. Collins read over her story and nodded approvingly. “Good, Elizabeth. Very objective.”

Elizabeth sighed. She didn’t feel very objective.

After school, walking home, Elizabeth sunk back into her blue mood. How could she be happy when her father was about to leave them for another woman?

When she walked in the house, her mother said, “Liz, honey, could you set the table with the good dishes and silverware? We’re having guests.”

“Really?”

“Yes, and I know you kids are tired of your father and me not being home for dinner. This one will be for all of us.”

“That’s great, Mom,” Elizabeth said happily, giving her mother a hug and a kiss. “Who’s coming for dinner?”

“Marianna West!” her mother said, smiling. “And—”

She didn’t have a chance to say who the other guest was because Elizabeth interrupted. “Marianna West?”

“Yes! And your father has a very important announcement to make.”

“An announcement about Marianna West?”

“Yes!”

*   *   *

Jessica hardly knew what hit her when Elizabeth dragged her into her bedroom and closed the door.

“What’s the matter, Liz?”

“It’s the end of the world, Jess! Marianna West is coming for dinner, and Dad’s going to make an announcement. What do you think’s going on?”

“I know!” cried Jessica, collapsing in tears on her bed. “They’re going to announce they’re getting a divorce! Oh, I could just die!”

“Oh, that’s impossible. Dad would never make that kind of announcement,” Elizabeth said, but without much conviction.

“What difference does it make what he says?” sniffed Jessica. “He’s in love with Marianna West, isn’t he?”

“I don’t know.”

“Yes, you do.”

The enormity of this treachery had hardly sunk in when they heard Steven come bounding up the stairs. Jessica threw open the door.

“Steve, I didn’t know you were coming home tonight. Get in here! We’ve got a crisis! Dad’s in love with Marianna West!”

“What?” said Steven, astonished.

“He’s going to make an announcement at dinner,” said Elizabeth. “We’re not sure yet what it is, but under the circumstances, it’s got to be terrible.”

“Oh, no,” he said, falling into a chair. “But I’ve invited Tricia Martin to dinner! That’s why I came home tonight. We can’t let her be in on this.”

“This is the most horrible day in my entire existence!” Jessica raged, stomping out and heading for her room.

As the twins and Steven dressed for dinner that night, all were preparing for the worst.

Meanwhile, Alice Wakefield was busy preparing duck a l’orange, creamed asparagus, and a chilled parfait. The twins heard her humming as she worked.

“I can’t stand this!” Jessica muttered.

Looking thoroughly defeated, Steven came downstairs with Elizabeth and Jessica. He hadn’t been able to reach Tricia to tell her not to come. She would discover that she was not the only one whose family was a mess.

Plans to confront their father and head off the crisis didn’t succeed, either, because when they got downstairs Marianna was already there, looking positively radiant in an ice-blue suit. She was sipping a glass of white wine.

Not only that. Ned and Alice Wakefield were having drinks with her, and they were all laughing and smiling together.

Then Tricia Martin came in, looking shy and uncertain.

“Hello, Tricia,” Mrs. Wakefield said warmly.

“Hi, Tricia,” said Ned Wakefield.

They were all being so polite and civilized the twins thought they would throw up.

And then Mr. Wakefield raised his glass. “Listen, everybody,” he said. “I was going to announce this at dinner, but I just can’t wait.”

Elizabeth held her breath. Jessica stared daggers at her father. Steven looked as though he were going to run from the room.

“I offer a toast to Marianna,” said Ned Wakefield, “the newest partner in our law firm!”

Elizabeth stared at Jessica. Jessica stared at Elizabeth.

Marianna West looked first at Ned Wakefield and then at his wife. “What?”

Mr. Wakefield laughed. “They told me I could announce it tonight, Marianna. You’re a full partner as of now. All those extra hours we put in were worth something, after all.”

So that’s what Dad had been doing—helping Ms. West gain the promotion he thought she deserved. Elizabeth blushed, ashamed of her unfounded suspicions, while Jessica looked simply incredulous.

“Oh, my goodness!” Marianna West blurted out. “Oh, Ned, you’re terrific. I couldn’t have done it without your support!” She threw herself into Ned Wakefield’s arms and kissed him on the cheek. Then she kissed Alice Wakefield, too.

“Alice, you have the most wonderful husband in the world.”

“I know,” she said, smiling and taking Ned’s arm.

“Now that we’ve all heard the good news,” said Mr. Wakefield, “why don’t we adjourn—and sit down for dinner.”

Elizabeth linked arms with her sister and gave her brother and Tricia a brilliant smile, as they all practically skipped to the table.