“Go shopping, of course,” Phyllis said.
“In New York City, not here in town,” Doris added. She was looking around for an ashtray. Audrey stood and fetched a saucer from the kitchen. Nearly five years in the Army, yet neither she nor Eve had ever smoked. “Thanks, dear,” Doris said. “All the good stores are there—Lord & Taylor, Saks, Bergdorf Goodman. You and Audrey should join us for lunch next week and we’ll shop together.”
Audrey could think of nothing she would hate more. Besides, she didn’t have any money. “Do either of you work outside the home?” she asked. Her question was met with laughter.
“Why would we want to do that?”
She recalled the vicar’s question “What might God be asking you to do?” and didn’t think the answer would be Play tennis and shop in New York City. She disliked these women and had a hard time imagining Eve as their friend, especially the vivacious, free-spirited Eve Dawson she’d once known. If Audrey resumed her rightful place as the Barretts’ daughter-in-law, would she have to befriend Phyllis and Doris and be part of the country-club life? She would hate it as much as Robert had.
“Do you know if Audrey remembered to register Robbie for sailing lessons?” Doris asked. “The class fills up quickly, you know.”
“I have no idea. . . . Isn’t Robbie a bit young to sail?”
“Not at all. Our children live on sailboats in the summertime, almost from the time they can walk.”
Audrey longed to tell them the story of how she and Eve had sailed into a war zone on rough seas in the middle of the night. She wanted to be that woman again.
The ladies finished their iced tea. Eve still wasn’t back. They decided not to waste any more time waiting. “Tell Audrey to call me,” Phyllis said as she waved goodbye.
“And let us know if you can play tennis on Thursday,” Doris added.
Audrey closed the door behind them and leaned against it in relief, glad to be rid of them.
“Where did my mommy go?” Robbie asked. Audrey had no idea.
“She’ll be here soon. Let’s read another story.” But before Audrey had time to sit down and open a book, the doorbell rang. Phyllis and Doris were back.
“I need to use your telephone,” Phyllis said. “My car has a flat tire.”
Audrey stifled a groan. She didn’t want to be stuck in the house for another hour with these women, waiting for a mechanic. She looked past them at the car. “Is it a puncture? A slow leak?”
“How in the world would I know? That’s why I need to call a mechanic.”
“Let me have a look.” Audrey slipped past them and went out to the driveway, the two boys trailing behind. The front tire was definitely flat. “It shouldn’t be hard to change,” Audrey said after looking it over. “Have you a spare tire?”
“Probably. But you . . . you certainly can’t expect me to change it myself.”
“I can change it for you.” Audrey savored the look of astonishment on Phyllis’s face.
“You’re joking.” Doris snorted.
“No, I’m not. I changed lorry tires all the time during the war. So did Princess Elizabeth, the king of England’s daughter. Set the hand brake for me, please. Then open the boot.”
“The brake and the . . . what?” Phyllis asked. She opened the car door, somewhat reluctantly, Audrey thought, and set the brake.
“Now the boot.” Audrey walked around to the back of the car and pointed. “I need to see if you have a jack and a spare tire.”
Phyllis stepped to the rear on her pointy heels and opened it. “Wouldn’t it be easier to just call a repair truck?”
Audrey didn’t reply as she pulled out the jack and lug wrench. “It’s a bit different from the lorry jacks I’m used to, but I believe I can figure it out.” She hauled out the spare tire with a grunt and set it on the ground. Audrey hadn’t changed a tire in five years, but she remembered her training. “It’s best to remove the hubcap and crack the lug nuts before jacking up the car,” she said as she worked. “Otherwise, the tire simply spins around, making them impossible to unscrew.” Two of the nuts were screwed on so tightly she had to jump on the wrench to loosen them. “Ha! Got them!” she said in triumph. The look of surprise and admiration on her son’s face as he watched her nearly brought tears to her eyes.
Audrey assembled the jack and set it beneath the bumper. The car slowly rose as she pumped the handle up and down. The women watched Audrey as if observing a new species of animal. She enjoyed shocking them. Doris and Phyllis would certainly rescind their shopping invitation after this. The offer to join the tennis league, too. But Eve would have loved it—the old Eve, that was.