"Well then, fine," Belinda said taking the other suitcase in hand. "I certainly don't want to stay here a moment more than I have to," she quipped as if she were the one who had demanded to leave.
Mrs. Landford followed us out the side door. Daddy was sitting in the car, staring ahead. When he saw us coming, he jumped out quickly and opened the trunk. I handed him the first suitcase.
"Hi, Daddy," Belinda said handing him the other. He said nothing. He took it and then the bags Mrs. Landford was carrying.
"Get in the back, Belinda," he ordered and she did so, pausing before she closed the door and turning to Mrs. Landford.
"Good-.bye, Mrs. Landford. I'm sorry if I caused you any embarrassment."
"If?" I said. "If'?"
Belinda widened her smile and got into the car.
"Good luck, dear," Mrs. Landford told me, squeezed my hand and returned to the dormitory. I turned to Daddy, half expecting him to go into some sort of rage, but he just shook his head.
"Let's just go," he said and hurried around to get into the car.
He didn't say a word until we left the grounds and were heading for the highway.
"So, Belinda, are you satisfied?" he asked.
"I hated that place, Daddy. I told you I did. I don't care about being expelled."
"How could you . . ." He stopped himself and pressed his lips together as if he had to lock the words back into his throat.
"What were you thinking, Belinda?" I asked. "Didn't you care what this would do to our family's reputation? No matter what, this is going to get out. The other girls will tell their families and friends."
"They're no better. They're all a bunch of stuffy snobs, but they all do things, too. They just don't get caught," she said in her own defense.
"Right. I'm sure they're all exactly like you," I commented dryly.
"Well, they are!"
"Never mind," Daddy finally said. "I don't want your mother knowing about this. When we get home, you'll simply tell her . . you were unhappy there."
"That's not a lie," Belinda followed.
"Of course it's a lie," I charged. "It's not why you're being brought home."
"Well, you lie sometimes, Olivia. You're not a perfect angel," she wailed.
"The difference, Belinda, is you're comfortable with a lie." I turned and looked back at her. "I'm not. Your life is practically one big fat lie."
"I knew it. I knew you'd hate me now," she moaned. "Just stop the car and let me out on the road somewhere. I'll find a new home and a new family."
"To terrorize and destroy?" I asked.
"No. Just stop the car!"
"Let's not do this," Daddy said. "It only prolongs the agony and we've got to think about your mother, Olivia. Please."
"Sure," I said. "Let's sweep something else under the carpet and let her get away with another gross act. We're not doing her any good, Daddy," I insisted.
"I'll take care of it," he said. It was an empty promise.
I could almost hear the echo inside it. But I let him hold on to it, and I simply stared out the window most of the way home. Belinda fell asleep in the back, a tight smile of content and satisfaction on her face. Once again, she had gotten what she had wanted.
Whether Mother could see through the falsehoods or not, she went along with it. She even felt sorry for poor Belinda, who ate up the sympathy, milking the situation and taking advantage until I glared so angrily at her, she stopped and went to her room. The next day Daddy concluded that the only thing to do, at least for the time being, was to find her something to do at the office.