This obviously stressed her out. She sat on the bed and twisted her hands together.

“All right,” Scarlett said. “It’s you now, Marlene. You have to convince Mom and Dad that you all need a family day out. Spencer and I won’t be going, so don’t stress the family togetherness thing too much.”

“This is easy,” Marlene said, cracking her knuckles.

Her confidence made Scarlett a little alarmed—but she was on board.

“I’ll go down with her,” Lola said. “To confirm the details.”

The two of them left—Marlene strutted, glad to be in the middle of it all, and Lola looked like part of the defeated army.

“Are we leaving my future with Marlene?” Spencer asked.

“Yes,” Scarlett replied. “We are.”

“I really want to see this now,” he said. “It’s like getting to find out how you’re going to die.”

THE PLAYERS ARRIVE

At ten the next morning, Scarlett waved off Lola, Marlene, and their parents…who had reluctantly accepted the offer of a day off. They were obviously wondering why Lola was willing to go on a day-long boat ride with her ex, but Marlene’s extremely skillful nagging did the trick. Plus, the prospect of a day in the sun and a catered picnic up the Hudson was appealing.

“You’re sure you don’t want to go?” her dad asked, as they got into the cab.

“Positive,” Scarlett said. “I’m just going to hang out. I have those school passes to the art museum. Spencer and I might go over later.”

Spencer had pretended to go to work that morning. In reality, he had long ago taken the day off. He was over at Trevor’s, helping to pack the props and stage components into a van.

Mrs. Amberson had been lingering down the block in a cab of her own. She pulled up as soon as the Martin family cab drove away.

“O’Hara,” she cried, stepping out. She was dressed in her dancer clothes again, and carried a small suitcase. “What a gorgeous day for a subterfuge. Though, it does look like it might rain a bit later. Perfect for Denmark! I was up all last night talking to Donna—so much to catch up on. Visits to other old friends to plan.”

“You mean Rick.”

“I do,” Mrs. Amberson said. “You’re always very quick with these things, O’Hara. But that is not a matter for today. Today, we do a show!”

At ten-thirty, they all began to arrive. Paulette and Leroy came first, squabbling about one of Hamlet’s cues. They dribbled in over the next half hour, filling the lobby with their many bags of costumes and supplies. Eric was one of the last to arrive, having come with the group in the van with most of the stage components and props. Scarlett herded them into the dining room, where Mrs. Amberson had taken position near the windows.

“Right!” She clapped her hands loudly. “We don’t have a lot of time, so this is how it’s going to go. Scarlett is in charge.”