Rachel Goddard 01 - The Heat of the Moon

her shoulder hard enough to make her wince. “I want to talk to you.”
    “Rachel—” She squirmed out of my grasp.
    Dr. Morse’s big eyes got bigger.
    I leaned close and whispered in Michelle’s ear, “You little rat. You told her, didn’t you?”
    Michelle’s face went red. The tip of her tongue flicked over her lips, catching a stray crumb at the corner of her mouth. “Not everything,” she whispered back.
    But enough to do damage, I’d bet. I left Michelle and maneuvered through the crowd to the sliding doors. When I pushed one open, Mother broke off before I could catch anything she was saying. Theo stood with his head bowed, one hand clutching his cane and the other raised to his mouth.
    “Rachel,” Mother said, “you’re interrupting a conversation.”
    “About me?” I wasn’t going to slink away and be a good girl. I shoved the door shut, catching a glimpse beyond it of Luke’s puzzled face and behind him Michelle, both of them moving toward the kitchen.
    “If you want to berate somebody,” I told Mother, “then pick on me. Leave Theo alone.”
    Her mouth opened and I saw a flash of pure amazement on her face. But her words came out as a gentle reproach. “Rachel, really, what’s gotten into you?”
    Her tone made me wonder momentarily if I’d misunderstood. But Theo’s tear-filled eyes told me I hadn’t. “Mother, I don’t know what Michelle told you, but Theo was trying to help me.”
    “And you thought you had to keep it a secret from me.” Soft, sad voice and expression. She was infinitely disappointed and hurt by her daughter and her friend.
    The door slid open and Luke stepped in, followed closely by Michelle. Mother made a little noise of exasperation. “Dr. Campbell, would you mind letting us have some privacy?”
    Luke ignored her, asking me, “What’s going on?”
    “It’s none of your business!” Michelle cried.
    “I think I should go,” Theo said.
    I laid a hand on his arm. “No, please don’t.”
    “I think it’s best.” He patted my wrist, but his sorrowful gaze was on Mother. “Judith, I would never do anything intentionally to hurt you, and you should be well aware of that after all these years. I was simply trying to help this dear girl.”
    Mother regarded him icily. He waited through a moment’s silence, then said, “If I might use your telephone to call a taxi—”
    “I’ll drive you home,” Luke said.
    Theo protested a little, but weakly, before accepting the offer.
    Luke took my hand, and I cut him off as he was about to speak. “I’ll be fine,” I said. “Really I will.”
    “Call me later. Or come over to my place.”
    I nodded, and he kissed me lightly. When he stepped away I saw Michelle roll her eyes. Mother’s mouth was a thin line. 
    “Shall we go out the front way?” Theo said, and I realized he didn’t feel sufficiently collected to stop and say goodbye to everyone on the patio.
    I was left standing in the kitchen with my mother and sister, the two of them side by side, united against me.
    “We still have guests,” Mother said. “We’ll talk about this later.”
    When Mother decided it was time for guests to go, she could get the idea across firmly without lapsing for a second from her perfect hostess act. She’d move among the men and women on the patio, telling them how much she’d enjoyed seeing them, that she hoped they’d be back next year, and they’d have no choice but to leave.
    ***
    I waited in the kitchen, scraping leftovers into the garbage disposal, slamming plates and silverware into the dishwasher, trying to decide what I’d say to Mother. I wanted to run away, but I couldn’t do that anymore. It was time I stood my ground and got some answers.
    Under my defiance I harbored the hope that it would all make sense in the end, that Mother would explain, make me understand.
    ***
    When the last guest left it was nine o’clock, nearly full dark. In the distance I heard the crack and boom of the fireworks display getting started at Langley High School.
    Mother and Michelle gathered the remaining dishes and brought them in. We scraped and rinsed in silence. After we’d stacked the dishwasher for the first of two cycles that would be needed, Mother told Michelle, “You’re the birthday girl, you’ve done enough work. Go on upstairs and relax now. Rachel and I need to talk.”
    Michelle’s eyes widened. “Don’t you want me to stay?”
    “Please, Michelle.” A firm order, not a