“What’s the theme?”
Elaine wagged a manicured finger. “I’m not telling. You’ll find out when your invitation comes, but Iwillneed Jill and J.J.’s help with something.”
“Sure,” said Natalie, lifting her voice at the end of the word as if not quite willing to commit.
“The temple kids will come to the party with their parents, but for this to be a true success, I need kids from outside the temple to show up. And I have a plan. It came to me when Charles went to Ian Fielder’s bar mitzvah and got a Walkman as a party favor.”
Natalie whistled.
“That’s nothing.” Elaine pulled a shriveled petunia flower off its stalk and tossed it to the ground. “At Robbie Weitz’s, the boys got baseball gloves signed by Dave Righetti, and the girls got sterling silver bracelets. A few months ago, I would’ve sold the house if I thought I could get cassette tapes signed by Michael Jackson or lightsabers signed by aStar Warsactor, but I can’t. And that’s okay because our party favor is better than any of that stuff.”
“What is it?”
“An Atari 2600 system with two all-new games.Empire Strikes Backand something calledDonkey Kong. That game isn’t supposed to be out until August, but Benjamin knows someone at Atari, so Charles’s friends will have it before anyone else.”
Natalie was impressed. J.J. and Jill would be over the moon to be gifted a new gaming system. “Wow.”
Looking pleased, Elaine went on. “Ifyourkids are excited about going to the party, they’ll get their friends to go, and we’ll have a full house. Will they do that? For Charles?”
Seeing the naked need in Elaine’s eyes, Natalie said, “Leave it to me. Every kid in Cold Harbor will be running to theirmailbox, hoping to find an invitation. But what does any of this have to do with Mrs. Smith?”
After casting a furtive glance at the other women in the annuals section, Elaine said, “Let’s move over to ground covers. I need a few flats of pachysandra.”
Natalie pulled her wagon past tables of shade-loving plants until she and Elaine reached the section devoted to ground covers. Elaine walked all the way to the back, where rows of sedum, trailing periwinkle, and creeping juniper were packed tightly on a long table.
“I don’t want to spoil the surprise by telling you what I have planned for the party, but I can tell you it’ll be at the yacht club,” Elaine began. “Linda, the woman I’m working with at Premium Parties, called yesterday to let me know that Peter couldn’t sign off on the fireworks.”
Peter, the yacht club president, was one of the most congenial people Natalie had ever met. “What’s the problem?”
“Peter told Linda about a special clause in the bylaws. The club doesn’t own the land it sits on. They lease it from Mrs. Smith, and part of the lease agreement stipulates that she has to approve all club-related events that take place outdoors after ten at night. I guess she said no to the fireworks, because Peter denied my request.”
Natalie was taken aback by this news because Benjamin and Elaine were Commodores, the highest level of membership. Not only did they pay a king’s ransom in dues, but Benjamin’s company donated very generously to club fundraisers and sponsored several regattas each year. After all the Bernsteins had done for the club, how could Peter turn down Elaine’s request?
“He says his hands are tied,” Elaine said. “So, I contacted Mrs. Smith myself.”
“Really?”
“You know I’d do anything for Charles.Anything.This woman isn’t going to ruin my son’s big day.” Elaine smoothed her hair. “It’s not like I haven’t tried to be nice to her, either. Remember when we first moved in and I went over to introduce myself, but she never came to the door? Then I went back the next day with that potted hydrangea. It was a gorgeous plant.”
“I remember it turning brown on her front porch.”
Elaine scowled. “She came out to collect her newspapers—probably in the middle of the night, because I’ve never seen her do it—but left that plant out there to die.”
“It stayed there until one of her yard guys took it away.” Natalie’s gaze went glassy. “All these years we’ve lived next door to her, we’ve only seen the yard guys and the hot tub repairman pass through her gates.”
“And Don.”
Natalie’s mouth fell open. “What?Beth’sDon?”
“Yes. He strolled through the gates, casual as you please, and took an envelope taped to the front door.”
“When was this?”
Elaine shrugged a delicate shoulder. “A week ago. Maybe more. Benjamin saw the whole thing and didn’t think to mention it to me until today. Anyway, I called Beth to ask her about it, but she said she’d tell us tomorrow night at garden club.”
“Why would Mrs. Smith be writingDon?” Natalie was practically panting. This was the juiciest gossip she’d heard in ages.
“I don’t know, but if she can tape an envelope to the door for him, she can reply to my letter the same way.”
