MOTHER THEN DECIDED THE FIRST FABRIC HAD BEEN RIGHT, AFTER all. At least she thought it was. I had to chauffeur her and half a dozen friends to half a dozen fabric stores before we were sure, though. Back home with the original five bolts of fabric. Mrs. Thornhill the younger called to up the ante on her offer. I refrained, with difficulty, from resorting to unladylike language. No word from Dad. After Mother went to bed, I snuck down to Pam’s house with the five bolts of blue fabric and asked her to hide them. While I was there, I asked her if she’d seen Dad.
“Only in passing,” she said. “He’s behaving very oddly.”
“What do you mean oddly?”
Pam thought for a moment.
“Furtively,” she said at last.
Great.
I only managed to stay up till midnight before falling asleep over Samantha’s beastly new envelopes.