“Mommy, you shouldn’t talk that way,” Brooke admonished her.

“I’m sorry, dear. I’m very angry.”

“Mrs. Santorini, it’s not my place to say this, but you shouldn’t take this from him.” Her assistant spoke with authority. “He’s a real prick.”

“What’s a prick, Mommy?” Brooke asked.

“When you prick your finger with a needle.”

“Like Sleeping Beauty.” The child was intrigued.

“Yes, that’s right,” Clarice answered, pulling herself together in front of her child.

“So who’s like Sleeping Beauty?” Brooke wouldn’t let it go.

“Me. I’m like Sleeping Beauty, darling.” Clarice patted her daughter’s hair.

“I thought she said he’s a prick.”

“Katherine made a mistake. You’re right, Brooke. She shouldn’t have said that.”

“I’m sorry, Mrs. Santorini,” the devoted assistant apologized. “But you don’t have to put up with this.”

“Katherine, I’ll deal with this when the dust settles.” Clarice deliberately changed the subject. “Do you know Brookie was asked to demonstrate in ballet class today? And she did twelve piqué turns across the floor!”

After the Sleeping Beauty conversation Katherine never brought up the temporary living situation again. When Barry did sleep at home he would leave at 5 a.m. If he ran into Clarice in the kitchen between engagements he was always cordial. “Hello, howya doing. You look great.” And he’d leave the room.

During the next week, Clarice took Brooke to riding class, ballet class, French class, and to every playdate. She went shopping with Venice, took her to a Broadway show, and even got up at 6 a.m. to play tennis with her. She coexisted with Barry in their fifteen-room apartment overlooking Gracie Mansion that her father had bought them as a wedding present.

“I’ve gotten my girls the most fabulous math tutor. He’s gay, went to Brown, and he just makes it all so fun!” Judy confided to Clarice over an egg white truffle omelet with a splash of mesclun greens on the side.

“I’m teaching Venice Italian. I decided I could do it as well as any tutor,” Clarice said proudly.

“Are you crazy? These boys from Brown are so fabulous! They’re all smart as a whip and they all want to write screenplays and get into the movie business. They’d die to work for you and Barry. Unless you’re teaching Venice yourself just to impress your husband?” Judy asked, hoping to move the conversation toward some information that would make Clarice really valuable as a lunch partner.

“I majored in Italian and I’m hoping Venice someday will live in Italy.”