So,
sadly, we never find out who, exactly, moved the turkey. I mean it
was probably Flora or Annie. Anyway, Conrad apparently can't stay
away from Marine for too long, so he wanders into the kitchen to get
himself coffee. He and Marine look in the fridge for the turkeys,
but don't find them. Flora suggests they look in the freezer. Well
crap. You can't cook frozen meat. Apparently, there's a risk of
food poisoning then. I had no idea. Anyway, Marine is able to
overcome this by defrosting the turkeys in the microwave.
Oh,
and remember that ham they got? Yeah, me neither. It's been cut up
into pieces for cold cuts and such and not saved for the fabulous
Christmas dinner than Marine wanted to provide. Well, shit happens.
Marine spends most of the day working on dinner, while occasionally
checking on Eva. She's got a secret recipe for the stuffing and
she's chopping all of the fruits, veggies, and bread for that today.
Apparently, Flora and Annie are kind of nice to her. They make her
tea and a sandwich for lunch. Huh. Interesting. Oh, and while
Marine is working, many of Conrad's guests come in and chat with her.
Some even help chop things. She's a bit bewildered by this, but I'm
guessing that Conrad's friends know what's going on and they want to
vet this new woman he's attracted to. I still have an issue with
Conrad cheating on Helena the Hunter, even though she's a bitch. But
that's another matter.
We
jump ahead to the late afternoon when Marine is setting the table,
using the best linen, china, and silverware. All told, there will be
twenty-four for dinner. Remember that number, folks. Marine also
chats with the gardener and finds some flowers that are perfect for
the room, time of year, etc. It's all so perfect, clean, and
beautiful. Marine is excited to give Conrad and Eva the Christmas
dinner they should have been having for all of these years. That's
sweet of her. What about everyone else? I kid, I kid. She barely
knows everyone else.
Marine
checks on the turkey and veggies one more time, then heads upstairs
to get Eva and herself ready for dinner. They've already picked out
Eva's dress and bathed her, so they just have to put her in her dress
and put just a touch of makeup on her. Then Marine goes to her room
to take a bath with Conrad's bubble bath and dress herself up all
fancy. She gives herself a once-over in the mirror and thinks,
essentially, “Damn, girl. You look good.” I'm reminded that
this was a different time by this sentence: “She was delicate and
fragile looking but she was far from thin.” Ignoring the probable
contradiction here, I had almost forgotten there was a time when
beauty wasn't seen as being able to count women's ribs. It's kind of
nice.
Anyway,
after checking herself out, Marine heads into the kitchen and the
dining room one more time to look everything over. Everything looks
good in the kitchen. As Marine surveys the dining room, she is
overtaken by the beauty. Then, she is struck by something amiss.
There are only twenty-two place settings. Remember how earlier there
were twenty-four? Marine plays the scenario out in her head:
everyone files in for dinner, they're short two places, Eva offers to
sit out, which means Marine would offer to sit out, Conrad would get
mad and demand they add two more places, and the whole thing would be
ruined. Also, Conrad would blame Marine. So, Marine quietly adds
two more place settings and hangs out in the dining room for as long
as she dares.
Then
she heads upstairs, not minding the faceless guests who are coming to
the lounge for pre-dinner drinks. Oh, hi Conrad. Yes you look
fantastic, and so does Marine. Oh, he makes this interesting
comment: “'Every male in the house will have his eyes on you,' he
growled, not sounding very pleased at the prospect.” Well,
someone's a little insecure. Then again, she has no obligation to
Conrad so it's not her problem if guys flirt with her and if she
feels like flirting back. Gee, if only there were some way that
Conrad could reasonably expect Marine to turn down people's advances.
Some sort of commitment they could make to only be intimate with
each other. Huh. Too bad Conrad doesn't know of anything like that.
Oh,
also he's struggling with his tie and Marine ties it for him. Then
he's worried about who she learned that from. A boyfriend!? Dude,
calm yourself. Also, she learned it from her mom to help her dad in
case Mom wasn't home. Wow. I'm impressed at Marine's knowledge.
I've worn ties a few times, and I still don't know how to tie them.
Anyway, Conrad gets over his jealousy fit, but only for the moment.
He offers to escort Eva downstairs and Marine is very happy about
this because she knows Eva will love it. Sometimes I forget that
Marine is genuinely worried about Eva's happiness, as well as making
goo-goo eyes at Conrad.
As
Marine is about to open Eva's door, Helena the Hunter leaves her room
and she looks absolutely amazing. Like, she could be a movie star,
apparently. Sick with jealousy, Marine resolutely doesn't look at
them and has to actually calm herself down after she steps into Eva's
room. Also, she apparently didn't notice that she was jealous
before. Gee, if only there were a way she could expect Conrad to be
true to her. But there doesn't seem to be.
Also,
much to my surprise, Eva missed Marine's whole reaction. She comes
out of her dressing room, obviously upset. The diamond pendant that
they made such a stink over in the morning? It's gone. Raise your
hand if you think Helena the Hunter took it. Eva hates to think that
anyone took it and Marine can't imagine anyone who would. Helena the
Hunter's friends all like gaudy jewelry and Conrad's friends totes
have the money to buy five of those things if they wanted. Marine
advises Eva not to bring this up until after they've done a thorough
search. No sense in ruining the occasion. Just then, Conrad knocks
on the door.
Eva
tries to send Conrad ahead, saying that she and Marine will catch up
shortly, but he does that thing where he says they look great and
they need to go with him now. What if Eva genuinely wasn't ready
yet? Goodness. Anyway, Conrad compliments them both on their
appearance and Marine wonders if he said the same words to Helena the
Hunter just now. Probably. No need to come up with a billion
compliments if the ladies in question won't hear you saying it to
both of them. Marine, by the way, is ashamed of feeling jealous.
The feeling is fine, as long as you don't act spitefully because of
it.
They
head down to the lounge and once they're there, Marine tries to hang
back, well aware that she's there as an employee. But then Conrad
has to go and grab her hand, talking about how people love their
tree. Helena the Hunter sees the gesture and gets super pissed.
Okay, here's the thing I don't get. She either suspects Conrad of
cheating on her, or just doesn't like the attention he's giving
Marine. Why doesn't she blame him for this? Marine isn't
particularly inviting this behavior, well not in front of Helena the
Hunter, anyway. Conrad is the one with the wandering eyes and such,
so she really should be talking with him about this. Then again
that's assuming that they can talk about anything serious with each
other. I'm gonna go out on a limb and say they can't.
Marine
ponders the disappearance of the pendant some more, still unable to
come up with a suspect, and guessing that it's under the chair and
Eva just couldn't see it. Also, most of Helena the Hunter's guests
have left. Odd. I wonder if they just had somewhere else to be, or
if they were asked to leave. Anyway, in the hour before dinner,
Conrad hangs out with his grandma and Marine, and pays very little
attention to Helena the Hunter. You don't have to hang on the person
you're dating, but Helena the Hunter is more high maintenance than
this. Marine looks over and sees Helena the Hunter look like she's
gloating several times. Marine mentally resolves to watch Helena the
Hunter when she realizes there are twenty-four place settings again.
After
a bit, Marine steps out of the lounge into the kitchen because it's
about time to serve dinner. Flora is about to cut up the turkey in
the kitchen, but Marine insists that Conrad carve it at the table.
Flora accuses Marine of wanting to glory in her turkey, asking if
she's been telling everyone that she made the turkey. The way she
phrased it makes it sound bad, but why not take a little glory in
something you spent all day making? Marine replies that she hasn't
needed to because folks have come into the kitchen all day and helped
her make it. Boom. Flora, I thought you were becoming more
likeable, but I guess not.
Marine
places the turkey at the head of the table, where Conrad will be
sitting, and counts the place settings again. Still twenty-four,
although not the TV show, because that would be too much plot for
this book. Marine heads back into the lounge and sees that Conrad
and Helena the Hunter are talking. She reflects on how she
automatically looks at Conrad all the time and she can't help it.
Also, I found this detail odd. After Conrad walks away, Helena the
Hunter starts talking with one of her male friends. Well, the part I
found odd was that the book specified the gender of her friend. Does
Helena the Hunter not have female friends? Is this guy a possible
replacement for Conrad? Am I thinking about this too much?
Marine
lets Conrad know that they're ready for dinner. But while they're
talking, he puts his hand to her flushed cheek and asks if she's
overdone it even though he told her not to. Is that an “I told you
so”? Marine lies and says she's fine. You see, he's touching her
so she's crazy happy. Can you just level with him, Marine, and tell
him he needs to make a choice about you and Helena the Hunter?
Please? Oh, Conrad bends his head down to her level and says that he
knows how she's feeling. For a moment, Marine thinks her feeling
might be mutual, but he looks away before she can be sure.
Everyone
heads into the dining room, with Conrad and Eva in the lead. Helena
the Hunter's face goes from wickedly happy, to surprised, to pissed
off. Marine smiles innocently at her. This. This is the best kind
of getting back at her. Fixing the damage she's done and pretending
like you don't know a thing about it. Much nicer than sniping and
name-calling. Oh, also, Conrad is the one who brags about Marine
cooking the turkey and making the meal with only a bit of help. No
need to brag when others do it for you. So, everyone toasts Marine,
and then Eva because why not, and then the turkeys themselves.
That's enough toasts, let's bring on the turkey!
The
meal is awesomely wonderful and delicious. People ask Marine for her
recipe for the stuffing, but she won't tell them. Everyone agrees
that this is much better than a barbeque. At the end of the main
course, they toast Marine again. Helena the Hunter is, as you might
expect, uncomfortably pissed off. They move to the patio for dessert
because Christmas happens in the summer in Australia. (Sorry, I keep
forgetting this and then being surprised.) As you'd expect from how
everything else is going, it's beautiful outside! And they've got a
flaming Christmas pudding. Perfect. People are relaxing and having
a good time and whatnot. Then Helena the Hunter has to open her big
mouth: “'Conrad,' Helena [the Hunter] said in a falsely worried
tone. 'Don't you think your grandmother looks tired?'” Well, if
that question can topple a Prime Minister in England (at least, more
generally phrased and in a TV show), then it can certainly take the
wind out of the sails of the S.S. Christmas Party.
Eva,
unwilling to burden herself on the party, starts to leave, saying
that they probably don't want someone so old hanging around. Conrad
says that's bullshit and that Eva can totally stay. Some other folks
chime in and Eva sits back down. Good. Thank you for actually
caring about your grandma, Conrad. Then some dude sitting next to
Marine puts together that her father was a professor at Hamilton. A
professor of philosophy. The philosophy of fighting? They don't
specify, so I'll assume it's more general. Anyway, he ends his and
Marine's short exchange with: “'Fancy him having a beautiful
daughter like you!' he exclaimed to everyone's delight.” Firstly,
why is everyone listening and delighted that he called her pretty?
Secondly, not everyone is delighted. Marine brushes his compliment
off as no big deal, but Conrad is super jealous. Really,
double-standard man? You've got a girlfriend and whatever goes with
that, and Marine can't have dudes saying that she's pretty? Also,
did I mention Conrad's insecurities earlier? Because they're showing
again.
Anyway,
because of this compliment, Conrad moves the party inside. Marine
doesn't like the move, because it's so nice outside and in the lounge
everyone's cigarette smoke will just settle instead of being blown
away. Apparently, moving into the lounge makes Eva tired.
Interesting. Wasn't she totally fine about five minutes ago?
Whatever. Marine notices this, so she tells Conrad in an aside that
she's a little tired so she and Eva are going to head upstairs.
Conrad asks if she's all right and Marine tells him that she's fine,
but for a little headache. Then he tries to help Eva upstairs and
leave Marine downstairs. I can't tell if he's trying to be polite
and not have Eva's tiredness end Marine's evening prematurely, or if
this is more of “I can't let you out of my sight no matter how you
feel about it” -itis. Probably the second one.
Marine
knows that Eva is tired and that “nothing would be gained” by
staying. What would she gain from a party? I'm honestly confused.
Anyway, some folks are dancing and Helena the Hunter picks her way
over to them to ask Conrad to dance with her, but just by saying
“Dance?” and wrapping her arms around the back of his neck. I
don't know if she's drunk or just a victim of lazy writing, but
either way Marine and Eva take the opportunity to hightail it out of
there.
Eva
heads to bed without any description. Marine hangs out in her room
for awhile, waiting for the party to die down. It does, sooner than
she thought, and she heads out onto the beach to “try to unravel
the mysteries of her heart.” Good plan. You need to figure
yourself out, Marine, and a beach at night is one of the calmest
places to do that. Marine closes her eyes and lets herself sink into
the night around her. The peacefulness. The calm. Oh, hi Conrad.
Can you leave her alone for any length of time? Marine seems to be
okay with it because she walks into his hug and hugs him back. The
chapter ends with his dialogue: “Oh, Marine, I've been waiting for
you. I knew you would come.” Waiting where? She didn't see you
when she walked out onto the beach to begin with. Whatever. We just
had to have a cliffhanger before the final chapter, I suppose.
Possibly
not any warning signs of Conrad being abusive in this chapter. He
was obviously jealous of that guy's comment, but he didn't do
anything too extreme about it. I mean, with everything else, it's a
warning sign, but on its own, it's not too bad, I guess.
In
the next chapter, I predict that Conrad and Marine will finally admit
their undying love for one another, Helena the Hunter will leave in a
fit of hysterics and Conrad and Marine will make sweet, sweet love on
the beach. All right, now for the interesting story line. The true
reason Eva is worried about the diamond pendant is because she now
knows the mystical power it possesses. If one of Marine's parents
can get the pendant to share its power with them, they should be able
to defeat their foe. However, the trail of the magic leads them into
Helena the Hunter's room, where she's sleeping off her drunkenness.
They realize that Helena the Hunter has taken the power of the
amulet. Now they've got to figure out a way to get her to use this
power to defeat the evil that wants to take over the world, and not
to attack Marine. (As they learn, Helena the Hunter is used to
dangerous situations because she used to be a fire juggler.) Once
they convince her of what's happened, Marine's parents and Eva are
not sure how many times Helena the Hunter can use the pendant. If
she has any magic left over after she defeats their great foe,
they'll have to figure out what to do about that, too.
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