Eliza knew that. But everyone knew popcorn wasn't really a food. And it tasted like sand without butter. "I'm getting butter on this and salt," Eliza said, grabbing the carton.
"Hey, get your own!" Mara said, nodding even less subtly at Madison.
"Why don't we just ask her what she wants?" Eliza said. "Do you want butter?"
Madison looked at the two au pairs. She really wanted butter, but Mara was giving her such an encouraging look, she didn't know what she wanted. It was Mara who had fixed the hair on her Barbies the other day, combing them until they weren't tangled up anymore. She didn't want to disappoint her.
"No," she replied, almost like a question.
"Good girl, Mad." Mara nodded. "Why don't you buy your own bag?" she asked Eliza in a conciliatory tone.
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"Forget it." Eliza frowned. She had already spent all her money and didn't have a penny to her name till the next pay period.
The lights dimmed, and the strains of the Walt Disney theme built to a crescendo.
While the kids were occupied with the movie, Eliza told Mara what had happened with Jeremy and her friends. "I swear, I totally didn't mean for that to happen! I was just so shocked, you know?" Eliza said, wanting to be consoled so badly. "He means more to me than any of them put together."
Mara nodded. That was a pretty wretched picture Eliza had painted, but Mara could see it was tearing Eliza up. "I'm sure he'll understand. You're only human."
In hushed tones she then told Eliza about the scene with Jim and Ryan, complete with a strip poker play-by-play.
"Jeez, what a jerk. I don't even know why you stayed with that white trash Jim for so long," Eliza said.
Mara was taken aback. That was pretty harsh. Granted, she wanted sympathy, but calling her boyfriend white trash was stepping over the line. Sure, Jim wasn't some heir to a brand-name fortune and he didn't drive a fancy car, and fine, he couldn't pronounce Quogue if his life depended on it, but he wasn't that bad. A little dim, maybe, a little overprotective, yes. And very bad tempered when he was provoked. But white trash? Combined with Eliza's callous comments the other night about Jeremy
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not "fitting in" with "this world," Mara felt extremely insulted. "You really are a piece of work," Mara said, glaring at Eliza. "Huh?"
"You know, I felt really bad about what happened with you and Jeremy, but now I think maybe you just got what you deserved."
"Wait a minute ..."
"Here's a piece of advice, Eliza: Maybe you should think about what you're saying before you open your mouth," Mara hissed, grabbing her bags.
"Why? What the hell?" Eliza asked, mystified. It wasn't like she'd had the best night either. C'mon, all her friends thought she was white trash now.
"Because you know what's really low class?" Mara asked, her color high and her voice defiant. "A total SNOB like you!"
And with that, Mara left all four sugar-crazed kids for Eliza to deal with on her own.
Mara returned to the estate in time to see Jacqui saunter through the front door.
"Where have you been all morning?" Mara demanded.
"I was signing up the kids for the regatta competition down in Shelter Island. I thought they might like it, and it's the last day," Jacqui explained.
Oh. She was actually doing something nice and responsible for the kids for a change. But instead of putting Mara in a
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good mood, it just made Mara feel worse about leaving them with Eliza.
"Well, you could have told us," she snapped.
"What's wrong with you?" Jacqui asked, a little hurt that Mara hadn't even thanked her for the idea.