Hidden Jewel (Landry 4)

I didn't want to tell her about the prank my socalled friends had pulled on me in the bathroom. "I was so nervous. Didn't it show?"

"Not a bit. I told you that once you got started, the words would roll off your tongue. And they did," Mommy declared.

In the limousine, the twins teased me about the way I had shifted my eyes after certain phrases in my speech, but Mommy chastised them, and they smothered their giggles. My stomach wasn't filled with butterflies anymore. Now it felt positively cavernous. I couldn't wait to get something to eat. I had been too nervous to eat much of anything all day.

Some of our guests were already at the house, and the musicians had already begun to play by the time we arrived. The atmosphere was festive. I hurried upstairs to change into my party dress and repair my hair. By the time I descended the stairs, the other guests had begun arriving, all bearing

graduation gifts. A corner in one of the sitting rooms had been designated for the presents, and the twins eyed the pile, eager to satisfy their curiosity by tearing through the wrappings. Mommy warned them to stay away, and they shot off to play with their friends.

An army of servants began to serve hot and cold hors d'oeuvres with glasses of champagne. Daddy's business friends gathered in the ballroom, and Mommy greeted some of the important members of the art community, including other artists and gallery owners. The crowd was a Who's Who of the society pages.

My portrait remained covered on an easel, near the four-foot-high layer cake with "Good Luck, Pearl" written on it in red icing. Both the portrait and the cake were under a spotlight. Daddy wanted to make the unveiling a special moment after all of the guests had arrived.

Claude came late with Lester Anderson and some of his other friends, and I knew immediately why they were delayed. I saw from the way they swaggered and laughed that they had already had something alcoholic to drink, and when Claude came over to kiss me, I smelled the whiskey on his breath. "Is the punch spiked?" he asked me.

"Of course not," I said. He winked at Lester, a tall, lanky boy who always looked as if he had just done something mischievous. Lester idolized Claude and would do most anything he suggested.

"Should I?" Lester asked me and revealed a pint of rum in the inside pocket of his jacket.

"Lester Anderson, don't you dare," I warned. All the boys laughed. Claude put his arm around my waist and tried to kiss me on the neck.

"Claude, stop. Some of my father's friends are looking at us."

"Let's step into the den for a few moments," he whispered. "I haven't congratulated you properly."

"No. Just be patient," I said. He was

disappointed, but he retreated and behaved.

A short while later, Daddy asked the musicians to stop playing for a few moments, and he took center stage to announce the unveiling of my portrait.

"We have a special present for Pearl tonight," he began. "Actually, this is all my wife's doing, but one of the reasons I married her was that I knew she was talented and would be able to do these sorts of things."

Everyone laughed. I gazed over at Aunt Jeanne, who appeared to be exchanging secret glances with Mommy. Daddy took hold of the cloth covering the painting, and I felt my heart pounding. It was almost as nerve-racking a moment as I'd had rising to make my graduation speech.

"Pearl," Daddy said. I stepped out and the guests applauded. Mommy stayed beside Daddy when he went over to the portrait and, with a little drum roll from the band, slowly pulled away the cloth to reveal a painting that took my breath away. Mommy hadn't just painted a portrait of me in my graduation outfit. Behind me she had painted another portrait, this one with me dressed as a doctor, a stethoscope around my neck.

There was a gasp of appreciation, and then everyone applauded, some rushing over to shake Mommy's hand.

"It looks like twins," Pierre cried.

"Just like us, there are two of you," Jean squealed. Everyone laughed.

"It's beautiful, Mommy," I said when we hugged. "I hope I live up to it."

"You will, honey."

"You better," Daddy said and kissed me, too.

After that, the party went into full swing. The musicians paraded around the house as if it really were a Mardi Gras, celebration. The food was brought out and set on the tables. There were platters of turkey and roast beef, baked stuffed shrimp in oyster sauce, shrimp Mornay, and stuffed crabs as well as crawfish dtouffee. Everyone was impressed with our elaborate spread, and when the desserts were wheeled out on serving wagons, the guests uttered exclamations of joy and hovered about the tarte aux peches, banana nut bread, crepes, pecan pie, orange creme brullee and chocolate rum souffle. My graduation cake was cut as well, and wedges of it were served.

The grand menu added to the festive atmosphere. People were dancing everywhere, even in the hallways. I circulated as much as I could and spoke to many of Mommy's and Daddy's friends. Suddenly, when I paused in the ballroom to catch my breath, I felt someone come up behind me.

"Good time to slip out of here," Claude whispered, his hands on my hips.

"I can't yet, Claude." I stepped away.

"Why not? You were here for the big event: your unveiling. And we've all gorged enough on the food." He paused, his blue eyes fixed on my face suspiciously. "Didn't you tell your parents you were going to another party?" He waited a moment and then quickly added, "You didn't, did you?"