Unfortunately for Mrs Tillman, Simone's quick mind was starting to put two and two together. She knew that the very likeable Kristen who'd been the first to welcome Annabelle to the school had a little daughter which spoke of under-age sex of the heterosexual kind and of Catherine Pegrum, whose drummer father was in a drug rehabilitation unit and who kept her daughter supplied with pot and bottles of Jack Daniels. She knew above all that the Catholic High School had, except for Military School, had the most fearsome reputation for straightening out wayward teenagers. The combination of the verbal skirmishes and the growing smile on Simone's face and meaning look in her eyes prompted Mrs Tillman to tread carefully but for all that Simone daren't underestimate this political poker player, who did her best to conceal her thoughts and remain impassive. Enlightenment dawned in Annabelle's mind as to how her mother really operated and she exchanged looks with Simone as to which card to play next. Simone was ready for this and reached inside her shoulder bag for the letter.
"We've had some really good news through the post, Annabelle's graduation results. Perhaps you've heard of them being so well connected?" Simone said with a broad smile
"I saw the letter. I don't expect the news to be good which is why I sent on to you. It's bound to set the seal for years of tribulation you've brought on the family," Mrs Tillman said with chilly formality, for once in her life guessing completely wrong.
"But it isn't. Perhaps you ought to read it out to your mother if you want to," Simone smirked. Annabelle's hand gesture graciously let the former teacher sing her praises on her behalf, while admiring her lover's persistence in pushing her luck.
"Let me see, C minus in performing arts and mathematics," Simone clearly declaimed while Annabelle put her hand in front of her mouth to conceal the grin on her face at her lover's feint move as of a skilled verbal fencer."Straight C in science, B minus in French and social science and A minus in English. How about that"
Mrs Tillman's face was a picture. Her sources of information or her attention span had not prepared her for the rapid progress her daughter had made in school. She knew very well that public expectation required of her at least the appearances of being a proud mother yet it would simultaneously require her to eat humble pie. How often she'd bemoaned her wayward daughter's behaviour in all its facets yet after being expelled twice and the inevitable disruption in changing schools, she'd perversely stolen a march over her limited expectations at the last minute. It was almost as if her daughter had deliberately set out to cheat her.
"This moves us onto the next item," Simone continued, unreeling her agenda while Annabelle sat back."With such a distinguished academic record, Annabelle has every right to go to the graduation ceremony. I've checked around and it takes place in four days from today, on Wednesday, at 2pm at St Theresa's. Obviously, you've got every right to go along with your husband."
Annabelle's face remained impassive though her insides were churning. She hadn't discussed it with Simone but she definitely didn't want her parents to go but wanted with all her heart for Simone to accompany her. She looked intently at her mother's expression and was pretty sure that, for once in her life, their preferences at least partly coincided.
"I must consult my diary and that of my husband. We lead such busy lives as you must appreciate,"Mrs Tillman said stiffly. She moved over to her bureau in the corner from which she extracted her laptop. Balancing it on her knees, she raised up the flap and clicked on the machine. She made a show of glancing at various screens and databases while Annabelle and Simone exchanged glances. Now they'd got stuck into this deadly cut and thrust confrontation, they felt themselves propelled onwards and forwards.
"I'm afraid it's not possible. Both of us have appointments we can't possibly get out of. The trouble with public life is that it places demands which as citizens we cannot escape however much both of us would have liked to see you enjoy your moment of triumph. I'm not sure if you, Ms Bradley, had thoughts of taking our place on this occasion. You will of course run the embarrassment of meeting your old colleagues and the risk of wagging tongues. It's entirely your choice but you must appreciate what you're letting yourself in for."
"Talking about public duty, it would be a real sin if I weren't at the graduation ceremony with Annabelle. I'll face up to whatever comes my way. Ultimately, it's Annabelle's choice," Simone responded promptly.
Annabelle's throat was dry as she was suddenly and brutally confronted by the choice that she and Simone had been idly speculating about. A vision arose before her eyes of all her classmates, all the proud parents who would travel miles to accompany their offspring as opposed to her mother's cynical betrayal of her, the very same woman that she knew they'd have to be very nice to to extract the trust fund money from. This was all becoming too much as she was sitting in the settee in the house that spelled unhappy memories. Only Simone sitting next to her was her anchor of bedrock security, the kind of motherly figure she should have had except they were lovers more than anything else. Her head was spinning round. Everyone wanted an answer on the spot from her yet she owed it to Simone not to show weakness. Finally, she found her voice.
"I do want to go to the graduation as I've worked hard for it. It's a shame that you and dad can't make it but I'm sure Simone will look after me,"Annabelle said in a croaky voice, feeling like a hypocrite.
"Have you got something to drink?" Simone asked.
"I certainly don't feel that we can offer you alcohol. You know how strict the rules of the house are," Mrs Tillman said disapprovingly.
"I want a cup of tea more than anything else."
"Tea?" Mrs Tillman exclaimed, genuinely surprised."I remember you drinking coke by the jugful. If it wasn't that, you'd drink strong black coffee."
"Since I've been at Simone's, I've got used to drinking tea. The Boston Tea Party took place over three hundred years ago, you know," Annabelle retorted defiantly
"I've no objection, Annabelle. I didn't think it went with your rebellious image, that's all. I see you've got rid of that nose ring and that streaked hair as well," Mrs Tillman said disdainfully.
"You've got to understand that I only rebel against something that's worth rebelling against. I've gone past the outward forms of rebellion, that's all. Simone's like that as well,"swiftly regaining control.
In a more congenial atmosphere, Simone would have burst into a round of applause at her lover's incisive observation or at least squeezed her lover's hand. This chill atmosphere killed off any little spontaneities of feeling, let alone action. She could feel the tension in Annabelle rising up all the time as much as when the Mother Immaculata reprimanded her while Simone's teacher status paralysed her from sticking up for her.
"I'd like a cup of tea as well, Mrs Tillman," put in Simone with a touch of defiance which she made impossible to ignore. The other woman's lips tightened as she reached for her pager, her electronic bell.
"I used to catch Annabelle out drinking Jack Daniels and come down still hungover from the previous night. It was such an embarrassment when our friends were present. Everyone noticed of course," Mrs Tillman sneered.
"I really disapprove of drunkenness myself. It is so undignified. I always try to discourage it amongst my pupils," Simone put in with almost exaggerated enthusiasm. This remark really threw Annabelle for a loop as, for the first time, her mother looked at Simone with a faint look of approval. The one thing that she thought that she could depend on was Simone by her side and here she was, acting like some temperance nut. What the hell was she playing at. The memory crossed her mind when she, Cat, Kristen and Colins were passing a bottle of Jack Daniels around, playing this '"I Never' game which was when she'd first openly confessed to being a lesbian. She was sure that Simone had smelt the alcohol and her disapproval was understandable at the time but she hadn't expected this reaction, not now that her lover had loosened up so wonderfully. It unsettled her just when she needed to be strong as she sensed how the cards would fall for.
Time hung heavy on the air as they waited for the maid to serve tea. Finally, the maid returned and the tea served in bone china cups and delicate saucers tasted way too strong and bitter to Annabelle. Where was Simone's soothing and relaxing cup of tea that she loved so much? The clinking of teaspoons in the cups sounded unnaturally loud and this didn't feel like home. Finally, Annabelle lay her cup and saucer on the side. She couldn't wait any longer.
"There's one other thing we need to discuss, mother,"Annabelle said with deliberate formality, hoping the wire taut tension within her didn't show on her face or in her voice. She really needed to be in top combative form to screw the trust fund money out of her mother's avaricious claws. She saw the raised eyebrows and decided to go for broke.
"Last time I was here, I found out that my grandfather settled on me a trust fund income to take effect from my eighteenth birthday and you and my father are joint executors. Well, since I'm due to turn eighteen, I want to get this show on the road."
The chilly atmosphere suddenly turned thunderous as Mrs Tillman's eyes turned cold and her intense effort to keep a poker face without revealing her feelings didn't quite succeed in concealing the guilty knowledge she possessed. Annabelle knew instantly that she was right on the mark
"I don't know what you're talking about, Annabelle. You'll be provided for in our will as our only daughter- if you merit it."
"Don't give me that shit, mother. I even know how much the trust is worth and how much you are supposed to pay me. I'm only asking for what's legally mine."
"So you really think you can sit back at your ease with your...companion... and not do a single day's work. You've got another think coming," Mrs Tillman said, finally erupting and wagging her finger at Annabelle.
"So at least you admit the existence of the trust? My sense of grammar tells me that your late father in law entrusted you to administer the terms of the trust,"Simone interposed in her soft voice.
Too late, Mrs Tillman kept her mouth tight shut and glowered at the two women. The cat was well and truly out of the bag. Annabelle couldn't repress a grin at this smart move and gave Simone a grateful sidelong glance. She reached for the next card to play with confidence.
"Shall we do things the easy way or the hard way?"
"What do you mean? I don't like being threatened," Mrs Tillman blustered. Both women saw right through her.
"You set up the payments into a bank account with perhaps a cheque to start with, right,"Annabelle said with deliberate patience."In return, we'll set off to have a quiet life, no more headlines in the Los Angeles Tribune. I don't suppose you read the celebrity mags butt you check out the children of famous parents who do the spoiled kid routine with drugs and alcohol, pictures snapped by papparazzis getting up to all sort of stupid things. You want to be this famous politician that everyone admires and, who knows, you might even be our next President with biographies written about you. Maybe Hollywood will make a film about you with Sharon Stone going for a serious role. Simone and I will be happy to be written out of your history and just do our thing together and you'll have no hassle."
"Or?" Mrs Tillman said in hard, tight tones.
"Oh, in that case," Annabelle said in the deadliest and softest of voices, her grey eyes boring into her mother's eyeballs in a way which was far more discomforting than the way she had once flirted with Simone in class."It looks to me that a smart lawyer might snap up a case like mine and improve on the terms of the original trust. It might be prized right open like a clam being taken apart. Then think of the bad publicity. Remember, I'm now a distinguished scholar. 'Feminist politician kicks reformed daughter financially in the teeth. All this talk of a better America and what do we get as a personal example?' The headlines write themselves."
The words hit home. Both women could see that the consummate politician had been out-generalled and was on the ropes. She was only left with a few feeble punches with which to defend herself.
"And all because your girlfriend has been busted as a teacher and will never work again. Those who can, do. Those who can't, teach. What hope is there for you, Ms Bradley," she said with spiteful zeal.
"You're probably right about me teaching in future. You have no right to put me down this way. I am a respected teacher and a lot of former pupils of mine know what I've done. What have you done with your life? Doing commercials for a political party that makes empty promises," retorted Simone with fire and righteous indignation.
"All right," Mrs Tillman said, putting her hands to her ears knowing that her sword was finally knocked out of her hand."I suggest a deal. I'll do as Annabelle suggested and I'll add an amount on top as your eighteenth birthday present but on one condition. I insist that as Ms Bradley has a proven track record for handling money much though I deplore her morals that payments go into her bank account to administer on your behalf. If during the course of the next six months I hear that nothing untoward has happens, maybe I'll transfer payments over to you. You should know that you can't get something for nothing and if you don't like this, I dare you to take it to the press or a lawyer. They'll laugh you out of the front door."
This was a development neither woman had anticipated. Both women saw it as a final calculated stab at them, possibly to split their forces. Annabelle's instinct to lash out blindly conflicted with Simone's sense of powerlessness. Neither woman could speak in front of their enemy and finally, Simone framed the words.
"All right, we accept," she spoke, rousing Annabelle's anger mostly at her mother but partly at Simone for undercutting the protest she was about to voice. Their forces were now hopelessly split to fight the matter further."So long as you write out the cheque here and now."
Mrs Tillman got up and went to her bureau. In the tense atmosphere, the maddening woman seemed to take ages to find the chequebook. She brought it back and carefully wrote out the cheque on a big fancy J.P Morgan chequebook and passed it over. Simone slipped it into her handbag, making Annabelle feel more disempowered than ever.
"And now I really don't think we have any more business to discuss. I need your bank details, of course to set up the financial arrangement," Mrs Tillman said stiffly, passing her an expensive silver biro and a writing pad. Simone got her chequebook out of her pocket and wrote in as clear a hand as she could manage, her bank details. It made Annabelle feel like a helpless onlooker.
"My maid will show you out," were Mrs Tillman's parting words. Both women were trembling all over at their mixed emotions as they were politely ushered out of the front door which clicked behind them. Annabelle started silently marching with rapid strides in the direction of the gates, not looking at the life she was irrevocably leaving behind. Sure enough, the gates opened at just the right time when Annabelle approached and closed just after Simone passed through a few minutes said everything about their welcome.
"Give me the car keys. I want to drive," Annabelle said abruptly to Simone. She snatched them abruptly when they were passed over. During the drive away from the family home, the car howled like a banshee as it skidded round the corners and cut across traffic in a truly dangerous fashion. Looking in retrospect, Simone didn't want to remember any details of the journey.