Love and Lechery at Albert Academy

by Dolores Maggiore

  In the morning, a pale blue sky and hints of an intense yellow sun hung in the frame of my window. I had slept alone in my room to give my thoughts some space. I didn’t recall any dreams. The almost-holy moment, that one instant of the perfect sunrise, that belonged to me alone this morning.

  I just wanted to immerse myself in the maize waves undulating through my blinds, lulling me back to sleep.

  Craney! I jolted myself from my stupor and jumped out of bed. Katie and I had agreed to eavesdrop on her father’s conversation with Craney.

  ****

  Katie and I huddled in the hall outside Craney’s office, hidden behind the velvet drapes covering the doorway. The scraping of the chairs and the voice of Craney’s maid announcing the Earl Grey signaled the beginning of their session.

  After the clinking of cups, we heard Craney clear her throat. Her voice seemed to lack its normal icy control or its alternate, phony dulcet tones.

  “Dr. McGuilvry, it’s always uh…a pleasure. What…well, to what…? You honor me with your presence after all these mothers on Mothers’ Weekend. Oh, I am so sorry. I have grown somewhat forgetful…your wife…”

  “Thank you for seeing me, Miss Craney. I am a few weeks early for our Board Meeting, and I do have some concerns about staffing and finances. Yet…”

  There was a long pause. I looked over at Katie, who was crossing her fingers. I just wanted Doc to get on with it and cut through his doctorly blah blah.

  “News, sometimes, travels slowly, even from here at Albert.” Doc was taking his time—or setting up Craney.

  “Well, yes,” said Craney. “I, too, have news, some of which relates to funding and staffing. But, I am concerned, no, I am deeply, deeply troubled. Your protégée Pina Mazzini has caused us undue worry. She seems to have singlehandedly precipitated our potential undoing.”

  “Our undoing?” asked Doc.

  I could hear him shift his bulk in the leather wingback. He made a deep, cough-like chuckle.

  “Miss Craney, I’m a pretty stout fellow. It takes a lot to ‘undo’ me. Please…”

  “The daughters of two of our biggest donors have disappeared. And…”

  “Oh my. You say Pina did this ‘singlehandedly?’ But do tell, whose daughters?”

  “Wolfie Baciadalupo’s and Adolph Cabanus’s.”

  “Hmm. Of questionable funding, themselves, no? Miss Craney, help me understand. What do you believe Pina did? Does Pina have any connections with The Italian Brotherhood? That is what we call it up here at Albert, isn’t it? Or maybe Pina has joined the Nationalist Socialist Party? I’m having difficulty understanding Pina’s influence here.”

  I was flat out on the floor, laughing silently. Katie was a deeper shade of crimson.

  “Dr. McGuilvry, you do have a sharp sense of humor.”

  “Tell me how Pina did this,” said Doc.

  “She wanted the rooms all to herself. You see, these girls, Alda Baciadalupo and Dorotea Cabanus, are the roommates of Pina and your sweet daughter Katie.”

  I snapped, “Liar!” Katie almost gagged me.

  “Miss Craney, I thought we were being serious. Roommate troubles? Conspiracies? And you haven’t said that Katie was involved,” said Doc.

  “Uh, I don’t really think that’s pertinent.”

  Craney was having a coughing fit. It sounded as if Doc had stood up to get her some water. She was gurgling, “but…but” through her gulps of water. “I have proof,” she managed to spit out, “Dr. McGuilvry, here’s the proof.”

  “Ahem,” said Doc, unfolding paper. “This note from Dorotea Cabanus, marked ‘in case something happens to me,’ yes? But there’s nothing else inside the envelope. This is the proof?”

  “Well, it’s there. There’s more. ‘Miss Mazzini is a lez-be-an’! On the flap. Can’t you see? She has done something grievous to drive Dorotea away. She may have even corrupted your daughter.”

  I heard Doc clear his throat and in a low voice say, “I wonder who corrupted me?”

  Craney kept on repeating, “Beg pardon?”

  “Corrupted? My daughter?” Doc said clearly. “Why, they’ve been close summer friends for over seven years in Maine. Close friends…corruption is a strong word. And you don’t think it’s my daughter who’s done the ‘corrupting?’

  “Hmm. Let me see. My companion, Joseph Gallo, is an investigative journalist. Ah, you know him; he’s written fund-raising materials for Albert and histories of some of our benefactors. Yes, Joe Gallo. Why, we were just kids, well maybe just a bit older than Katie and Pina, when we became, uh, fast friends. It was kind of like Albert—the elite Minnetonka young men’s camp.”

  “I am, uh, horrified! You are condoning this, Doctor? More to the point, are you admitting your own…questionable behavior? You do realize this has serious legal implications. This is shocking.”

  “Yes. Last year, that girl, Millicent Evers and the Exeter fellow, caught in the act. We dealt with that on the Board? And the young woman is back here now, no? Good thing the word pregnancy or termination was never used. Think of it—our reputation—”

  “Perhaps, you have not heard me, Doctor.” Craney raised her voice, “I am speaking of your reputation and what I am about to do with it. I can call the Trustees and the Board Members now. Not to mention the Police Commissioner.” Miss Craney snorted.

  I looked at Katie. Her mouth was open. She seemed to forget to breathe.

  For several moments, not a peep came from inside Craney’s office either.

  “Yes,” said Doc in a low, halting voice, followed by another hollow silence.

  Then, judging from the sound, Miss Craney had slammed her hand down on her desk.

  “You do not take my allegations seriously? I can end this whole discussion here with one phone call to the right people.”

  “I do see your point,” Doc said in a soft voice.

  “And then, there’s the matter of your license.”

  “Miss Craney, what would you have me do?” Doc sighed heavily.

  It didn’t sound like he was playacting any longer, more as if he had given up the fight.

  Moments later, we heard Craney pick up the clunky phone receiver and start dialing.

  I pulled Katie to me and held her while she sobbed into my chest. Things weren’t supposed to go this way. Could Doc really be arrested for being homosexual?

  A dry clack told us Craney had hung up the phone.

  “Yes. What to do, Dr. McGuilvry? Hmm, let me see.” Craney was almost humming. “Money, we were talking about money, weren’t we?”

  “I am sorry, Miss Craney, are you asking about my money?”

  “Now that you mention it…” Craney’s voice trailed off.

  “Wretch!” Katie whispered, “Blackmail?”

  I quickly covered her mouth. I was afraid Craney would hear us in the stark silence following her last comment.

  I sat there, chilled to the bone. Craney was evil itself. She would actually blackmail Doc…or…

  In a flash, I remembered the article about the homosexual Boy Scout leader in The Daily News on the plane to Andover. Doc would be arrested. Splashed across the front pages. Because of me…

  Nah, nah…not after all he’d done for me—and all Craney had done to me.

  “No!” A loud no poured out of my mouth and echoed the length of the hallway. Again, I let go another booming, “No!” No one was going to do that to Doc or me.

  I was on my feet. Katie reached up to pull me down. I twisted away from her, spitting out, “No more!”

  Katie made one last grab for my wrist, thrusting something into my hand.

  “Use it,” she said.

  Upon hearing my yells, Craney threw open her door. She yanked me into her office.

  “How dare you!” Craney bellowed.

  My gaze darted from her crimson face and bloodshot eyes to the object in my hand. Craney’s journal.

  I had no time to tease out how Katie had gotten her hands on this green suede book, Cra
ney’s birthday present to me.

  I held it up; the journal’s presence was as much a surprise to me as it was a shock to Craney.

  “Give me that!” Craney screeched.

  Doc was on his feet by my side. I froze. I flicked my eyes. I saw Doc’s eyes on me. I blinked. I saw Craney’s hands wildly clutch at the journal. Her eyes flashed venom.

  I pulled way back and raised my hand, a human stop sign. I opened the book, and in a robotic voice started to read, our two names, “Mary Margaret Craney and Pina Mazzini, embossed together.” I continued reading, “To our dreams.” I stopped short after the opening lines of the poem We’ll Go No More a Roving.

  Miss Craney collapsed in her chair, hand to her chest. With a jerk of his head, Doc motioned for me to leave. The last thing I saw was Doc taking Craney’s pulse.

  I found my way to the door despite my semi-paralyzed state. Katie pulled me the rest of the way out.

  “Phew! You’re safe. I was afraid she’d smack you,” Katie said, stroking my face.

  “I, uh, I don’t believe I did that…”

  “You did. There’ll be hell to pay later. ” Katie chuckled.

  “I did, didn’t I?” I started to put it all together as my blood thawed. “Hot damn! If I’m going to be expelled, I might as well go out in a blaze of glory. But Katie, the journal, how’d you do—”

  “Shush, later. We’ve got to hear the rest,” Katie said. “Craney’s no longer speechless.”

  “Feeling better, Miss Craney?” Doc asked.

  “Yes, yes. The audacity of youth these days…Her behavior…untenable but you can’t…excuse me, Dr. McGuilvry; I must take a break. Please stay.”

  Craney must have left the room. Katie raised her eyebrows. We had no idea what would happen next, but we didn’t dare budge.

  I was still recouping from my unexpected actions. My body tingled and shook as if an animal sprung from a trap, totally alive in the here-and-now.

  We heard a door shut. Craney was back.

  “There have to be consequences, Doctor. We don’t need a scandal, do we?” Craney babbled.

  “Funny, Miss Craney, I was just thinking that. I will speak to Pina about that curious outburst and that interesting book.”

  “I can explain. I truly can.”

  “No need, Miss Craney,” said Doc, sounding like a parent embarrassed by a child’s annoying behavior.

  “May I?” asked Craney.

  We heard Craney pour something. Katie’s dad exclaimed, “1949, an excellent VSOP.”

  Ha! Craney had resorted to booze. And was Doc apologizing for me? This confused me.

  “Yes,” continued Doc. “Earlier we had been speaking about my Pulitzer-winning companion, Joe Gallo. He has been doing research on private institutions and their staffs. He would like to shine a light on some brilliant lecturers who have disappeared and bring those individuals out of the shadows.”

  “Ah, yes. That’s admirable. And this relates to Albert and our troubled Pina?”

  Craney’s voice seemed to regain some strength and volume.

  “He would like to interview you, you as a role model for these gifted young women.”

  “Well, well, of course,” said Craney. “What would he like to focus on?”

  By now, Katie and I were even more confused. We weren’t sure where Doc was going, but we hoped he was stringing Craney along.

  “Joe Gallo believes you could provide missing information about a Miss Emily Whitfield, a much beloved English instructor here in your first year as Head Mistress.”

  We heard nothing but Doc’s voice for almost two minutes. We had been hanging on his every word. Maybe he had delivered the coup de grace. But then…

  “I am sorry. I uh…think the cognac has gone to my head. Hmm. Emily. I don’t recall an Emily, English Instructor, you say? I could check the records. You say your friend—”

  “Companion. He believes she vanished. Would any staff know?”

  Craney almost choked when Doc said, “Like Mademoiselle, who has also left?”

  Katie poked me and made the sign for another point scored by her father.

  “I’ll tell you what, Miss Craney,” Doc continued. “You give me a sense of your calendar, and I’ll have Joe up here immediately. And concerning staff vacancies, I would like to propose at the next Board meeting that we rehire Mademoiselle Lesage and Miss Emily Whitfield. We absolutely cannot afford to let such youthful, inspiring talent go elsewhere—or underground.”

  “But…but I thought you said Miss Whitfield was nowhere to be found.”

  Craney’s voice was also disappearing. It was hard to hear the sigh at the end of her sentence.

  “I did, didn’t I? But Joe is an expert investigative journalist and could locate Dorotea and Alda along with Miss Whitfield. Joe’s father, a member of the Italian Brotherhood, La Cosa Nostra, has many tools at his disposal for locating a Baciadalupo. I refer only to Fifi Gallo’s legal connections.”

  “Dr. McGuilvry, give me a minute.”

  We heard Craney scrape her chair back. “Doctor, you’ve mentioned many interesting things this morning. It is late. As I said, there must be consequences.”

  “Excuse me, Miss Craney, if I am being dense, consequences of my connections, consequences of Joe’s articles being published, because, of course, there will be.”

  “Consequences for Pina’s behavior!”

  “Which one is that? Are you punishing her and my daughter for their friendship or Pina for being without means and Italian? Oh, yes, and that journal?”

  “Please don’t insult my intelligence.”

  “On the contrary. I am appealing to the very intelligent being in you. I predict all the disappearances will reappear and facts and people will come out of the woodwork.”

  “Please, Doctor…”

  Doc seemed to be tying it all up. I certainly hoped so. I really had to pee and to die laughing. Katie looked as if she would burst. And had Katie told Doc I was recording all of Craney’s crap in the journal she gave me?

  “You’re right, Miss Craney. It is late. I’m going to join Mrs. Mazzini for lunch. How charming that she stayed to have lunch with the girls and me! Oh, I believe she is also awaiting your reflections. I ask that you not keep her waiting.”

  “Yes. Of course.”

  “I look forward to our next Board meeting. I’ll be expecting your call about setting up an interview with Joe.”

  “Certainly, Doctor.”

  “Miss Craney, one more thing. I failed to mention, I’ll be withdrawing my daughter along with Pina, should you so decide.”

  When Doc exited, Katie and I latched onto him. The three of us made a triumphant recessional down the hall, our arms linked in Doc’s. He commented that I deserved the Oscar.

  Chapter Fifty-three

  Appetizers and Lunch

  Doc had told us to meet him before our lunch with my mother. He wanted to read us the riot act about being…I still didn’t know what to call us other than two girls in love. “Lesbians” sounded old. “Homosexuals” were British men who got thrown in jail.

  Katie and I were waiting for him in the smaller dining room of the Inn where he also had a room. We noticed my mother hurrying down the stairs.

  “Girls, oh good, you’re here,” she said, catching her breath. She hugged us in a stiff embrace. “Miss Craney has sent for me.”

  “Mom, you’ll be fine. Oh, did you see Dr. McGuilvry?” I asked.

  “I just bumped into him in the reading room. He told me a bit.” My mother smiled.

  We both held my mom’s hand, and she turned to go.

  As my mother disappeared, Doc appeared and sat down at the table.

  “Well, my little chickadees, what do you think?”

  “Dad, I think you deserve an Oscar,” laughed Katie.

  “Maybe so, but you do realize that if she had proof—hell, she doesn’t really need it—she could chase you out of here today. Just the mere suspicion. You’re lucky she’s so devi
ous. She’s surely preyed on girls before and has most likely left a trail like your journal. It should be easy to dig up more dirt on her. Oh, and Pina, that performance…”

  “I didn’t plan it.” I gritted my teeth.

  “I realize that,” said Doc.

  “You have to admit, Dad, it was brilliant.” Katie chortled.

  “Not the way I normally do business, but…” Doc scratched his head, and continued, “Yes, bravo, Pina! We, I mean you, could have pushed Miss Craney closer to the edge with the journal, but I was truly concerned with her health at that point.”

  “Yeah, Katie, when did you swipe my journal? C’mon, did the two of you plan this?” I still didn’t understand where my courage came from, but it sure felt good.

  “I’ll never tell,” Katie said.

  “By the way, I will need that journal. Joe will know what to do with it,” said Doc, beginning to frown. “But, as I had started to say, you cannot, absolutely not flaunt—”

  “Flaunt?” screeched Katie.

  “Yes, flaunt how enamored you are with one another. Goo-goo eyes give you away.”

  “Dad! You’re telling us to hide?” asked Katie.

  “I’m telling you, there’s a time and a place. If something’s not safe, I don’t give a good galdarned what, I’m going to prevent you from doing it. Right now that includes looking into each other’s eyes in public. And if you can’t bring a boy into your bed, it’s not okay for them to see a girl in your bed.”

  “Hmm. I heard you say, ‘For them to see,’” I said.

  “Pina, am I clear? I’m not asking you to be nuns, just discreet.”

  Katie had started to fold her hands over her chest in a Madonna-like pose. My mother rushed in, cheeks ablaze, almost singing, “Jesus, Mary, and Joseph!”

  Once seated, my mother caught her breath as we pumped her for info.

  “Wait just a minute,” she said. “Finally, I can breathe. Miss Craney, she actually patted my hand and served me tea and cookies.”

  “Mommy!”

  “She’s put off her decision until after the Board meeting in January,” said my mother.

  “Huh? You mean I get to stay until January?” I blurted out.

  “Only if you want to,” said Doc. “I’m going to make a motion at the January Board meeting to rehire Mademoiselle and Miss Whitfield, the teacher who mysteriously disappeared. I’m pretty sure we’ll find her.”