Her confident expression lasted less than five seconds.
“I’m sorry?”
The laughter around the patio faded.
She turned away from us and pressed one finger to her opposite ear.
“No, I understand what you’re saying. I just don’t understand why.”
A breeze stirred the striped umbrella above the table. Somewhere beyond the fence, a lawn mower started and stopped.
Vanessa’s shoulders became rigid.
“There must be a mistake. My membership was approved last month.”
Eric lowered the grill lid.
“What happened?” he mouthed.
Vanessa held up a hand.
“The president called me personally,” she continued. “I supplied every reference your committee requested.”
Her face lost color.
“What conduct?”
Lily stopped moving the net.
All the adults were watching Vanessa now.
“I have never mistreated staff,” she said. “Whoever made that allegation is lying.”
She listened.
“This happened today?”
Her gaze moved slowly across the backyard.
For one brief second, her eyes stopped on Lily.
Then they found me.
“I’m at a private family gathering,” she said. “You can’t seriously be suggesting that something happening on my own property is subject to club review.”
I lifted my lemonade and took a sip.
Vanessa’s voice rose.
“Pending review? What exactly does that mean?”
The person on the other end answered.
Vanessa pressed her lips together.
“No. You cannot suspend my credentials. I have a dinner tomorrow night with senior partners from my firm.”
Another pause.
“What do you mean the suspension is immediate?”
The call ended.
Vanessa stared at the screen.
Nobody spoke.
Finally, Eric asked, “Well?”
“They suspended us.”
“What?”
“My membership credentials are inactive pending a conduct review.”
Nolan laughed uncertainly.
“That has to be an administrative error.”
“It isn’t.”
Vanessa turned toward me.
“What did you do?”
I placed my cup on the table.
“Why are you asking me?”
“Because you’ve been sitting there staring at your phone with that expression.”
“What expression?”
“That calm little expression you use when you think you know something everyone else doesn’t.”
My father stepped between us with both palms raised.
“Let’s not jump to conclusions.”
My mother approached Vanessa.
“Call them back.”
Vanessa did.
The call went directly to voicemail.
She tried again, then used Eric’s phone, but the result was the same.
Her breathing quickened.
“This is insane. They can’t do this without hearing my side.”
My phone buzzed.
I didn’t look at it.
Vanessa noticed anyway.
“Who are you texting?”
“A professional contact.”
“About me?”
Before I answered, her phone rang again.
She almost dropped it in her rush to pick up.
“Hello?”
A man’s voice was faintly audible, calm and measured.
Vanessa paced toward the hedge.
“Yes, I’m listening.”
Her free hand tightened around the fabric of her dress.
“No, I did not force a child to perform labor.”
Lily flinched at the word child.
Vanessa glanced at her and corrected herself.
“I asked my niece to help with a simple household task.”
The voice continued.
“I did not deny her food. The food was right here.”
I stood and walked to Lily.
The water had made dark spots on the front of her T-shirt. Her palms were red from gripping the pole.
I took the net from her.
“You’re finished,” I said.
Vanessa covered the phone.
“She is not finished.”
“Yes, she is.”
“You don’t make the rules in my home.”
“No,” I replied. “But I make the rules concerning my daughter.”
I led Lily toward the food table.
Vanessa’s conversation grew more frantic behind us.
“Falsified references? I have no idea what you’re talking about.”