“Listen to me,” Iris said again. “If we attempt this piece, we willbe massacred.”“By whom?” Daisy asked.Iris just looked at her, completely unable to articulate a reply.“By the music,” Sarah put in.“Oh, you’ve decided to join the discussion, then,” Honoria said.“Don’t be sarcastic,” Sarah snipped.“Where were the two of you when I was trying to picksomething out?”“They were moving the piano.”“Daisy!” all three of them yelled.“What did I say?” Daisy demanded.“Try not to be so literal,” Iris snapped.”

“It’s because she doesn’t have eyelashes,” Daisy said.Iris turned to her with complete calm and said, “I hate you.”“That’s a terrible thing to say, Daisy,” Honoria said, turning onher with a stern expression. It was true that Iris was extraordinarilypale, with the kind of strawberry blond hair that seemed to renderher lashes and brows almost invisible. But she’d always thought Iriswas absolutely gorgeous, almost ethereal-looking.“If she didn’t have eyelashes, she’d be dead,” Sarah said.Honoria turned to her, unable to believe the direction of theconversation. Well, no, that was not completely accurate. Shebelieved it (unfortunately). She just didn’t understand it.“Well, it’s true,” Sarah said defensively. “Or at the very least,blind. Lashes keep all the dust from our eyes.”“Why are we having this conversation?” Honoria wonderedaloud.Daisy immediately answered, “It’s because Sarah said shedidn’t think Iris could look venomous, and then I said—"“I know,” Honoria cut in, and then, when she realized Daisy stillhad her mouth open, looking as if she was only waiting for the rightmoment to complete her sentence, she said it again. “I know. It wasa hypothetical question.”“It still had a perfectly valid answer,” Daisy said with a sniff.”

“That sounded good,” Daisy said with surprise.“It sounded like a fish vomiting,” Sarah said into the piano.“A charming image,” Honoria remarked.“I don’t think fish do vomit,” Daisy remarked, “and if they did, Idon’t think it would sound like—”

“Do you really think anyone saves our programs from one yearto the next?” Sarah asked.“My mother does,” Daisy said.“So does mine,” Sarah answered, “but it’s not as if she pullsthem out and compares them side by side.”“My mother does,” Daisy said again.“Dear God,” Iris moaned.”

“We are going to pick up our instruments and play Mozart,”Honoria announced. “And we are going to do it with smiles on ourfaces.”“I have no idea what any of you are talking about,” Daisy said.“I will play,” Sarah said, “but I make no promises about asmile.” She looked at the piano and blinked. “And I am not pickingup my instrument.”Iris actually giggled. Then her eyes lit up. “I could help you.”“Pick it up?”Iris’s grin grew positively devilish. “The window is not far . . .”“I knew I loved you,” Sarah said with a wide smile.”

“Why is everyone complaining?” Daisy asked impatiently. “Thisis exciting! We get to perform. Do you know how long I have beenwaiting for this day?”“Unfortunately, yes,” Sarah said flatly.“About as long as I have been dreading it,” Iris muttered.”