She looked furious now, but it was a contained fury, the kind designed not to disturb makeup or photographs.
“This is ridiculous,” she said. “I didn’t throw her out.”
Margaret’s expression did not change.
“No,” she said. “You only asked her to disappear where she couldn’t spoil your pictures.”
“Mom,” Daniel warned quietly.
Margaret sat down again, but she did not apologize.
Daniel faced Emily.
“Did you tell her to sit in the back?”
Emily looked toward our mother.
Linda lowered her eyes.
Then Emily looked toward our father.
Mark’s mouth tightened.
Neither gave her the rescue she wanted.
“I asked her to move,” Emily said at last. “That’s all.”
“Why?”
She hesitated.
That hesitation hurt more than the answer.
“Because everything was arranged a certain way.”
Daniel stared at her.
“What does that mean?”
