Chapter 11
Her roommates were asleep when Eleanor tiptoed into the room and hastily undressed. Her flesh tingled from the feel of his fingers, and she hugged herself narcissistically as she stood in the bathroom studying her reflection in the cabinet mirror. "It's going to be fun taking him down a couple of pegs, Eleanor girl," she told herself triumphantly. "So he knows about your making a fool out of Tom Jenkins, only he doesn't know who the guy was. And of course he's so smugly superior, he's sure it couldn't happen to him. I'm going to teach him not to take me for granted because I happen to be a girl, that's what. Life around here is going to be interesting, after all."
She crept into bed on the couch, still smiling with anticipatory victory. If she acknowledged the pangs of denial-which Mark Torrance's stimulating kisses and caresses had engendered in her psyche-she could dismiss them as a small price to pay for the greater triumph in store for her. And the next step would be to quash any hopes that goody-goody little Kathy Edwards had in Mark's direction. She was willing to bet that dreamy-eyed little Kathy was cherishing ideas of making Mark take notice of her as a female not just as an honor student. Well, once she put the sign of "Hands Off" on Mark, Kathy and everybody else would know what the score was.
Three Fridays from now, DGT would hold its initiation ceremonies. She looked forward to them. Since the prexy of DGT herself, Deeana Mason, would sponsor her as Big Sister, she was going to confide in Deeana. She was going to make Deeana see to it that when Kathy Edwards got initiated, they would be much harder on her than usual. She knew how she would do it. She would strike up a sudden friendship with Kathy, and then report to Deeana that Kathy had griped about some of the members of the sorority or the rules or something. And then just wait till Kathy had to go through the paddle line!
Hugging herself, with a happy smile on her small ripe mouth, Eleanor Landers drifted off into dreamless sleep...
After breakfast on Sunday morning, Eleanor, who had put on the casual attire of black satin toreador pants and white satin short-sleeved blouse and sandals, began her campaign against Kathy Edwards. As the brunette rose to leave the table, Eleanor quickly pushed back her chair and asked Deeana, who sat next to her, to excuse her. The sandy-haired senior smilingly nodded assent, then turned to chat with Marian Johler.
"Kathy, wait a second, honey," Eleanor called.
"Oh-sure, Eleanor. How're things?" Kathy asked pleasantly.
"Fine, fine, couldn't be better. You know, I'm afraid I've been so terribly busy with classes and trying to get pledged here that I've ignored you dreadfully, dear. Can you forgive me?"
"Of course," Kathy was lovely when she smiled; it was generous and natural. She adjusted her harlequin glasses, continuing to smile. "I suppose, too, you're keeping in touch with Chicago."
"Naturally. My parents expect at least one long letter a week. But then they think I'm a social butterfly. Of course, around here, there isn't anything like that. Don't you find it dreary, really, after a big city?"
"Oh, no. The kids are so nice and friendly, really. And I just love this sorority. Of course, I never dreamed they'd pledge me. I have to pinch myself to make sure I'm not dreaming. Because I never was-well, you know, Eleanor. The popular kind. Back home, when we were kids, you were about the only friend I had."
"And I still am, dear," Eleanor purred as she took Kathy's arm. "Come on, let's walk off that big breakfast. Or better still, since it's nippy out and I don't feel like going upstairs for a coat, how about a game of ping pong down in the recreation room?"
"Okay, sure," Kathy readily agreed.
"You take first serve," Eleanor proffered as she planted herself on the table side nearest the farthest wall. She was mentally comparing Kathy with herself and finding the latter at a considerable disadvantage. Without the glasses, Kathy's face had a shy innocence to it, and that wasn't the quality a sophisticated man like Mark Torrance would go for. Oh, the girl had a decent enough figure, but her clothes weren't smart and didn't emphasize her good points. like that casual shirred-collar blouse Kathy was wearing; it was loose-fitting and hardly showed off her breasts. And the tweed skirt was a bit too bulky to mould out her hips. Her thighs looked to be a bit too short. And the way she did her hair today was just ghastly; an upsweep and a ribbon, of all things. Made it look stringy, and there wasn't much glint to it. Almost mousy. No, she didn't have to worry about Kathy's being competition with Mark Torrance.
"Good shot!" Occupied as she was with her disparaging appraisal, Eleanor let a stinging backhand go past her without any attempt at return.
"Just lucky," Kathy modestly countered.
"No, you're real good. Now, let's see if you can get that serve past me this time-uh uh, right back at you!" Eleanor crashed it towards her partner, and Kathy managed to flick it up at the last second and send it spinning towards the net. It trickled over and Eleanor made an ineffectual swipe on it and sprawled forward on her side of the table. Furious at herself, she raised her head to catch Kathy giggling, and a savage swirl of rage stormed through her. That four-eyed brunette would pay for laughing at her expense-just wait till Hell Week!
Mastering her anger, she strove to keep her voice airily level: "You're too good for me. Give me a second to catch my breath and then I'll show you." Won't I just, Kathy girl, you watch and see, she greedily promised herself.
"So you like it at the DGT house, Kathy?" she cagily resumed after a new serve had put the ball back and forth in easier, more relaxed lobs between the two girls.
"Oh, it's very nice. Of course, it'd be lots more comfy to have a room all by oneself, but I don't expect it."
"I've got three roommates myself, you know. How's the food?"
"Mrs. Emmons is a perfectly wonderful cook, don't you think so?" Kathy countered as she leaned over to take a backhand cut at an angling ball to her left.
"Fair. You know, two weeks from Friday, we pledges get initiated. Maybe then you won't be so happy about joining up. I hear they paddle you pretty good."
"Oh, it can't be too bad, Eleanor. The school authorities wouldn't allow any really drastic initiations. And I can stand a little paddling. I'm pretty well padded."
Eleanor frowned. She hadn't yet induced her former chum to say anything damning about DGT. "But don't you think it's a perfectly awful rule about not letting any pledge date a fellow till after Hell Week?"
"I suppose," Kathy laughed, "if I was stuck on a fellow and couldn't see him for two months, I'd resent the rule. But as it happens, I don't have that problem."
"Don't you really, dear?" Eleanor cattily purred. "I thought you'd have at least four or five boys mad about you by now."
"Oh, no," Kathy was blushing now as she started to serve. "I really don't know anyone at Marwell. And there wasn't anyone really serious back home. But you're the siren on campus, Eleanor, from all I hear."
"Oh? What exactly do you hear, honey?"
"I don't like to repeat gossip."
"You mean about that silly senior who climbed the drainpipe to my room, don't you?"
"Well, yes, now that you mention it. Ruth Jorgenson told me. Wasn't it awfully daring?"
"Yes, I suppose it was," Eleanor said loftily. "It got me pledged here, didn't it? So it was worth the gamble. And nothing happened, of course."
"I'm sure not, though it's none of by. business," Kathy gently replied.
"True," Eleanor haughtily responded as she lobbed the ball back, "but I just want you to have your facts straight. How do you like your classes?"
"They're marvelous. I like the teachers very much. It's better being at a small college, because you get more individual attention."
"Yes, I've noticed. Especially in English lit. You're Professor Torrance's star pupil, looks like, the way he keeps reading everything you write."
"Why, he's very generous, really. I don't think I'm as good as that. But English lit was always my best subject, even in high school."
"Of course, they probably didn't have such a good-looking man teacher for it then," Eleanor couldn't help remarking, and narrowly watched Kathy blush again.
"He-he's very competent at the subject, and I enjoy the group discussions."
"Especially when he calls on you all the time."
"Eleanor, you know that's not so."
"I'll bet you're stuck on him, that's what."
Kathy swung wildly at an easy lob and knocked it into the net. "You're hateful to say a thing like that, Eleanor Landers," she sniffled, and the redhead gloated to see tears glinting in her eyes. "I think he's a very fine person, but he doesn't even notice me apart from being one of his students, and that's the way it's supposed to be."
"Now don't take it so hard, I was only teasing, honey," Eleanor feigned solicitude. "Besides, he's not my type anyway, so you're welcome to him." She crossed the forefinger and middle finger of her left hand behind her back. "Only it just occurred to me that the rule about new pledges not dating till after Hell Week wouldn't apply to professors, only frat men or unattached fellows on campus." She had known that rule in advance before having accepted a date with Mark Torrance, and her three roommates had faithfully promised not to say a word about her having gone out-though of course she hadn't told them with whom it was to be.
"I-I wouldn't think of pushing myself forward to him, Eleanor, and I know he'd never date one of his pupils," Kathy shakily responded. "I-I don't think I want to play any more. Thank you for the game."
"Oh, you're very welcome," Eleanor was grinning nastily, knowing she had at last got under Kathy's skin. "Only I don't think you've much sporting instinct, dear. And this sorority doesn't like quitters."
"I don't know what you're talking about!" Kathy flashed as she laid the ping-pong paddle down and started to walk away.
"No, I guess not," Eleanor sneered, "you're so high-minded. I'm talking about men, darling, and Mark Torrance in particular. And if you don't want him, I'll be glad to take him off your hands."
Kathy bit her lips and stared at the redhead, frustrated anguish in her widened eyes. "Oh ho, so little Miss Innocent really does have a yen for that big handsome curly-haired professor after all," Eleanor gleefully exclaimed. "Well, you're not his type, take it from me. You're much too wishy-washy, if you want to know. So much so that I'm willing to bet you'll drop out when Hell Week starts getting a little rough on your tender hide."
"I can take it every bit as much as you can," Kathy shakily declared, but her lips were trembling. "And
I'd be very grateful to you if you'd stop that nasty, malicious talk about Professor Torrance. Yes, I do like him very, very much, but that doesn't mean what you're trying to imply. And I won't stay here any longer and listen to such talk."
Eleanor watched her go up the winding stairs to the main floor of the sorority house, her eyes sparkling with venomous delight. "That's right, run away, fraidy-cat," she murmured. "I'll make you wish you'd never tried to be a copycat and get into DGT. Or into the same class with Mark Torrance."
There was time, Eleanor calculated, for just two more Friday evening dates with the handsome English literature professor before the opening of Hell Week. And by that time, she had decisively planned, Kathy's goose would be cooked at DGT as well as with Mark Torrance. On Monday after the English lit class-during which she gave no sign of having graduated to a greater degree of intimacy with him than any other pupil in the classroom-she closeted herself with Deeana Mason on the pretext of wanting to find out in advance what she would be expected to wear and how she was to schedule her time for the weekend during which the DGT initiation ceremonies began.
Deeana had just finished a long letter, which she had begun over the past weekend, to her advertising copywriter in Chicago, and was sealing the envelope as Eleanor sauntered into her room, which the DGT prexy shared with Marian Johler.
"Oh, hi, Eleanor. Something I can do for you?"
"Uh huh. Can I talk to you for a few minutes, Dee?"
"Of course. Sit down. Well, how're things going?"
"Just fine, thanks. I love it here. I can hardly wait to be an official member."
"That'll start two weeks from this coming Friday, as you know, Eleanor. And as a rule, we don't disqualify many pledges once they go through initiation."
"Oh, I wasn't worried about that. I won't even ask the usual questions about what you'll put us through. I can take it. No, I wanted to ask, is there any special outfit we ought to wear-you know-for Hell Week?"
"Just casuals. I wouldn't wear that silver lame" dress if I were you," Deeana laughed pleasantly.
"Don't worry, I won't! I wouldn't dare bend over in it, it's tight enough anyway. Okay, so maybe toreador pants and blouse, okay?"
"Good enough. Oh-by the way, I suppose you've kept the rule about not dating any boy on campus till you're officially initiated, Eleanor?"
"Oh, sure, Dee. I did go out last Friday night, but I met a-a relative in Hanneford. No Marwell man. I know the rules and I want to abide by them."
"Fine. I'm glad you told me of your own accord that you'd gone out. We work on the honor system here. It so happens that Cissy saw you leaving the house and getting into a car, and she noticed that imagine dress of yours, that's why I said what I did about the silver lam‚."
"Oh, yes, I know. You see, Dee, I own a Thunder-bird, but I store it in a garage in Marwell. So I asked Dave Vandenburg would he pick me up and drive me to the garage so I could get my car and drive to Hanneford. That's the gospel."
"I believe you. So forget it," Dee laughed. "Anything else on your mind?"
"One more thing. About Hell Week. How long does it last?"
"Well, we've only got the seven pledges including you to initiate, so generally speaking I'd say we'd finish up Friday evening. Sometimes, though, it gets carried over through Saturday night. Then, skipping Sunday as a day of rest, the remainder of the week till the next Friday, all the initiated pledges have to serve their Big Sisters as maids and do whatever they're told, just to show their humility and willingness to serve.
And that next Friday night, you're free as a bird to date whomever you please."
"Great. Thanks so very much for tipping me off. Oh-can I mail that letter for you? I'm going for a walk."
"That'd be nice of you, thanks, Eleanor." Deeana smiled at the redhead as she handed her the envelope. "You're doing very well so far, I'll say that for you. Just keep it up and we'll all be happy to welcome you as officially one of us in a few short weeks."
"I'm going to do my best to make that happen, Dee. And thanks again for being so swell."
She walked out of Deana's room and headed upstairs for her room. She'd get her coat and walk to the mailbox on Sneed Road, two blocks away. She wanted time to think out her plans for next Friday. Yesterday she had left after breakfast and walked the five miles to the garage where her Thunderbird was parked, and driven all the way into Chicago, though she hadn't phoned Dad or Laura that she was in town. She'd made just one stop, at Allied Radio, and picked up that pocket-size tape recorder with the sensitive built-in microphone. It was all-transistorized, and operated at just I 7/8 inches per second, but that was quite good enough to transcribe the human voice, though it wouldn't have done for music. It slipped into her purse very neatly, without taking up any room at all, really.
And the salesman, a serious young man with horn rimmed glasses and a shock of wheat colored hair, had been ever so helpful explaining to her just how much it could pick up because of the special mike. You pressed a button, and the whole gadget was ready to record anything that was said in a radius of twenty feet. If you had it on the table beside the bed when you were making love, you could get even whispers. She knew because she'd asked the salesman to put it on the counter and stand about ten feet away and whisper-and sure enough, she had been able to hear almost every word. Well, if she and Mark Torrance got to bed, they wouldn't whisper-she'd see to that. The recorder had set her back nearly $250, but it was well worth it. It would get Mark Torrance just where she wanted him. She could even use it later on to pick up snide remarks against DGT by the other pledges-or maybe even one of the officers. Then wouldn't she be sitting pretty! Why, inside of a year, it was entirely possible she could be prexy herself. And she could make life hell for Kathy Edwards then.
She stopped midway down the hall and glanced at the letter in her hand. Then a slow smile curved her pouting red lips, and her green eyes narrowed with malicious calculation. Kathy had gone out for a walk, she'd seen her leave just before she'd gone to visit Deeana. The letter...she'd hide it in Kathy's things or in Kathy's coat, maybe, and then she could always say she'd given it to Kathy to mail and Kathy had forgotten it.
The door to Kathy's room was open. Only Ruth Jorgenson was there, lounging on the couch in blue Capri pants and matching cotton blouse and sandals, and she was intent on the book she was reading. Swiftly Eleanor moved to the dresser, then decided against it; she wasn't sure she could recognize Kathy's things. But the closet door was open too, and she saw Kathy's brown cloth coat. It would be just the place, in the pocket. Before Ruth could look up, she'd slipped it into the pocket, and then turned so that she faced the attractive young blonde pledge.
"Oh, hi, Eleanor. Looking for somebody?"
"I guess she's having breakfast. Never mind, I'll see her later." Eleanor congratulated herself on not having specified exactly whom she had come to see. That way, Ruth wouldn't think it was Kathy and probably say nothing to the latter. Good. Things were working out just fine.
She went back to her room and waited till she saw Kathy, wearing a blue coat, come back to her room.
Then, very sweetly, intercepting the brunette in the hall, she cooed, "Oh, Kathy, I'm ashamed of myself the way I behaved yesterday when we were playing ping pong. I take it back-you know. Will you forgive me and start all over again?"
"Of course," Kathy gave her a warm smile. "I've already forgotten all about it. I couldn't really stay angry at you very long anyway, Eleanor. I can't forget how we used to be such good friends when we were kids back in Chicago."
"That's just fine, because I want us to be that way too," Eleanor's smile was honeyed, her tone falsely enthusiastic. "And I wish you luck when Hell Week comes."
Yes, I do, she thought as she nodded and walked back to her room. Lots of luck-all the very worst.