I approach her car from behind, but she doesn't see me.

"Waiting for someone?" I say at the window.

Hilly jumps and drops her cigarette into the gravel. She scrambles out of the car and slams the door closed, backing away from me.

"Don't you get an inch closer," she says.

So I stop where I am and just look at her. Who wouldn't wouldn't look at her? Her black hair is a mess. A curl on top is floppy, sticking straight up. Half her blouse is untucked, her fat stretching the b.u.t.tons, and I can see she's gained more weight. And there's a . . . sore. It's in the corner of her mouth, scabby and hot red. I haven't seen Hilly with one of those since Johnny broke up with her in college. look at her? Her black hair is a mess. A curl on top is floppy, sticking straight up. Half her blouse is untucked, her fat stretching the b.u.t.tons, and I can see she's gained more weight. And there's a . . . sore. It's in the corner of her mouth, scabby and hot red. I haven't seen Hilly with one of those since Johnny broke up with her in college.

She looks me up and down. "What are you, some kind of hippie now? G.o.d, your poor mama must be so embarra.s.sed of you."

"Hilly, why are you here?"

"To tell you I've contacted my lawyer, Hibbie Goodman, who happens to be the number one expert on the libel laws in Mississippi, and you are in big trouble, missy. You're going to jail, you know that?"

"You can't prove anything, Hilly." I've had this discussion with the legal department of Harper & Row. We were very careful in our obscurity.

"Well, I one-hundred-percent know you wrote it because there isn't anybody else in town as tacky as you. Taking up with Nigras like that."

It is truly baffling that we were ever friends. I think about going inside and locking the door. But there's an envelope in her hand, and that makes me nervous.

"I know there's been a lot of talk, Hilly, and a lot of rumors--"

"Oh, that talk doesn't hurt me. Everyone in town knows it's not Jackson. It's some town you made up in that sick little head of yours, and I know who helped you, too."

My jaw tightens. She obviously knows about Minny, and Louvenia I knew already, but does she know about Aibileen? Or the others?

Hilly waves the envelope at me and it crackles. "I am here to inform your mother of what you've done. done."

"You're going to tell my mother mother on me?" I laugh, but the truth is, Mother doesn't know anything about it. And I want to keep it that way. She'd be mortified and ashamed of me and... I look down at the envelope. What if it makes her sick again? on me?" I laugh, but the truth is, Mother doesn't know anything about it. And I want to keep it that way. She'd be mortified and ashamed of me and... I look down at the envelope. What if it makes her sick again?

"I most certainly am." Hilly walks up the front steps, head held high.

I follow quickly behind Hilly to the front door. She opens it and walks in like it's her own house.

"Hilly, I did not invite you in here," I say, grabbing her arm. "You get--"

But then Mother appears from around the corner and I drop my hand.

"Why, Hilly Hilly," Mother says. She is in her bathrobe and her cane wobbles as she walks. "It's been such a long time, dear."

Hilly blinks at her several times. I do not know if Hilly is more shocked at how my mother looks, or the other way around. Mother's once thick brown hair is now snow white and thin. The trembling hand on her cane probably looks skeletonlike to someone who hasn't seen her. But worst of all, Mother doesn't have all of her teeth in, only her front ones. The hollows in her cheeks are deep, deathly.

"Missus Phelan, I'm--I'm here to--"

"Hilly, are you ill? You look horrendous," Mother says.

Hilly licks her lips. "Well I--I didn't have time to get fixed up before--"

Mother is shaking her head. "Hilly, darling. darling. No young husband wants to come home and see this. Look at your hair. And that . . ." Mother frowns, peering closer at the cold sore. "That is not attractive, dear." No young husband wants to come home and see this. Look at your hair. And that . . ." Mother frowns, peering closer at the cold sore. "That is not attractive, dear."

I keep my eye on the letter. Mother points her finger at me. "I'm calling f.a.n.n.y Mae's tomorrow and I'm going to make an appointment for the both of you."

"Missus Phelan, that's not--"

"No need to thank me," Mother says. "It's the least I can do for you, now that your own dear mother's not around for guidance. Now, I'm off to bed," and Mother hobbles toward her bedroom. "Not too late, girls."

Hilly stands there a second, her mouth hanging open. Finally, she goes to the door and flings it open and walks out. The letter is still in her hand.

"You are in a lifetime of trouble, Skeeter," she hisses at me, her mouth like a fist. "And those Nigras of yours?"

"Exactly who are you talking about, Hilly?" I say. "You don't know anything."

"I don't, do I? That Louvenia? Oh, I've taken care of her. Lou Anne's all set to go on that one." The curl on the top of her head bobs as she nods.

"And you tell that Aibileen, the next time she wants to write about my dear friend Elizabeth, uh-huh," she says, flashing a crude smile. "You remember Elizabeth? She had you in her wedding?"

My nostrils flare. I want to hit her, at the sound of Aibileen's name.

"Let's just say Aibileen ought to've been a little bit smarter and not put in the L-shaped crack in poor Elizabeth's dining table."

My heart stops. The G.o.dd.a.m.n crack. How stupid could I be to let that slip?

"And don't think I've forgotten Minny Jackson. I have some big big plans for that Nigra." plans for that Nigra."

"Careful, Hilly," I say through my teeth. "Don't give yourself away now." I sound so confident, but inside I'm trembling, wondering what these plans are.

Her eyes fly open. "That was not me WHO ATE THAT PIE!"

She turns and marches to her car. She jerks the door open. "You tell those Nigras they better keep one eye over their shoulders. They better watch out for what's coming to them."

MY Hand SHAKES as I dial Aibileen's number. I take the receiver in the pantry and shut the door. The opened letter from Harper & Row is in my other hand. It feels like midnight, but it's only eight thirty.

Aibileen answers and I blurt it out. "Hilly came here tonight and she knows. knows."

"Miss Hilly? Knows what?"

Then I hear Minny's voice in the background. "Hilly? What about Miss Hilly?"

"Minny's . . . here with me," Aibileen says.

"Well, I guess she needs to hear this too," I say, even though I wish Aibileen could tell her later, without me. As I describe how Hilly showed up here, stormed into the house, I wait while she repeats everything back to Minny. It is worse hearing it in Aibileen's voice.

Aibileen comes back onto the phone and sighs.

"It was the crack in Elizabeth's dining room table . . . that's how Hilly knew for sure."

"Law, that crack. crack. I can't believe I put that in." I can't believe I put that in."

"No, I I should've caught it. I'm so sorry, Aibileen." should've caught it. I'm so sorry, Aibileen."

"You think Miss Hilly gone tell Miss Leefolt I wrote about her?"

"She can't tell her," Minny hollers. "Then she admitting it's Jackson."

I realize how good Minny's plan was. "I agree," I say. "I think Hilly's terrified, Aibileen. She doesn't know what what to do. She said she was going to tell my to do. She said she was going to tell my mother mother on me." on me."

Now that the shock of Hilly's words has pa.s.sed, I almost laugh at this thought. That's the least of our worries. If my mother lived through my broken engagement, then she can live through this. I'll just deal with it when it happens.

"I reckon they's nothing we can do but wait, then," Aibileen says, but she sounds nervous. It's probably not the best time to tell her my other news, but I don't think I can keep myself from it.

"I got a . . . letter today. From Harper and Row," I say. "I thought it was from Missus Stein, but it wasn't."

"What then?"

"It's a job offer at Harper's Magazine Harper's Magazine in New York. As a . . . copy editor's a.s.sistant. I'm pretty sure Missus Stein got it for me." in New York. As a . . . copy editor's a.s.sistant. I'm pretty sure Missus Stein got it for me."

"That's so good!" Aibileen says, and then, "Minny, Miss Skeeter got a job offer in New York City!"

"Aibileen, I can't take it. I just wanted to share it with you. I . . ." I'm grateful to at least have Aibileen to tell.

"What you mean, you can't take it? This what you been dreaming of."

"I can't leave now, right when things are getting bad. I'm not going to leave you in this mess."

"But . . . them bad things gone happen whether you here or not."

G.o.d, to hear her say that, I want to cry. I let out a groan.

"I didn't mean it like that. We don't know what's gone happen. Miss Skeeter, you got to take that job."

I truly don't know what to do. Part of me thinks I shouldn't have even told Aibileen, of course she would tell me to go, but I had to tell someone. I hear her whisper to Minny, "She say she ain't gone take it."

"Miss Skeeter," Aibileen says back on the phone, "I don't mean to be rubbing no salt on your wound but . . . you ain't got a good life here in Jackson. Your mama's better and--"

I hear m.u.f.fled words and handling of the receiver and suddenly it's Minny on the phone. "You listen to me, Miss Skeeter. I'm on take care a Aibileen and she gone take care a me. But you got nothing left here but enemies in the Junior League and a mama that's gone drive you to drink. You done burned ever bridge there is. And you ain't never never gone get another boyfriend in this town and everbody know it. So don't walk your white b.u.t.t to New York, gone get another boyfriend in this town and everbody know it. So don't walk your white b.u.t.t to New York, run run it." it."

Minny hangs the phone up in my face, and I sit staring at the dead receiver in one hand and the letter in the other. Really? Really? I think, actually considering it for the first time. I think, actually considering it for the first time. Can I really do this? Can I really do this?

Minny is right, and Aibileen is too. I have nothing left here except Mother and Daddy and staying here for my parents will surely ruin the relationship we have, but . . .

I lean against the shelves, close my eyes. I'm going. I am going to New York.

AIBILEEN.

chapter 34.

MISS LEEFOLT'S silver service got funny spots on it today. Must be cause the humidity's so high. I go around the bridge club table, polishing each piece again, making sure they all still there. Li'l Man, he's started swiping things, spoons and nickels and hair pins. He stick em in his diaper to hide. Sometimes, changing diapers can be like opening treasure.

The phone ring so I go in the kitchen and answer it.

"Got a little bit a news today," Minny say on the phone.

"What you hear?"

"Miss Renfro say she know know it was Miss Hilly who ate that pie." Minny cackle but my heart go ten times faster. it was Miss Hilly who ate that pie." Minny cackle but my heart go ten times faster.

"Law, Miss Hilly gone be here in five minutes. She better put that fire out fast." It feel crazy that we rooting for her. It's confusing in my mind.

"I call one-arm Ernest--" but then Minny shuts up. Miss Celia must a walked in.

"Alright, she gone. I call one-arm Ernestine and she say Miss Hilly been screaming in the phone all day. And Miss Clara, she know about f.a.n.n.y Amos."

"She fire her?" Miss Clara put f.a.n.n.y Amos's boy through college, one a the good stories.

"Nuh-uh. Just sat there with her mouth open and the book in her hand."

"Thank the Lord. Call me if you hear more," I say. "Don't worry bout Miss Leefolt answering. Tell her it's about my sick sister." And Lord, don't You go getting me for that lie. Last thing I need is a sister getting sick.

A few minutes after we hang up, the doorbell ring and I pretend I don't even hear. I'm so nervous to see Miss Hilly's face after what she said to Miss Skeeter. I can't believe I put in that L-shaped crack. I go out to my bathroom and just set, thinking about what's gone happen if I have to leave Mae Mobley. Lord, I pray, if I have to leave her, give her somebody good. Don't leave her with just Miss Taylor telling her black is dirty and her Granmama pinching the thank-yous out a her and cold Miss Leefolt. The doorbell in the house ring again, but I stay put. I'm on do it tomorrow, I say to myself. Just in case, I'm on tell Mae Mobley goodbye.

WHEN I COME back in, I hear all the ladies at the table talking. Miss Hilly's voice is loud. I hold my ear to the kitchen door, dreading going out there.

"--is not not Jackson. This book is garbage, is what it is. I'll bet the whole thing was made up by some Nigra--" Jackson. This book is garbage, is what it is. I'll bet the whole thing was made up by some Nigra--"

I hear a chair sc.r.a.pe and I know Miss Leefolt about to come hunting for me. I can't put it off no more.

I open the door with the ice tea pitcher in my hand. Round the table I go, keeping my eyes to my shoes.

"I heard that Betty character might be Charlene," Miss Jeanie say with big eyes. Next to her, Miss Lou Anne's staring off like she don't care one way or the other. I wish I could pat her shoulder. I wish I could tell her how glad I am she's Louvenia's white lady, without giving nothing away, but I know I can't. And I can't tell nothing on Miss Leefolt cause she just frowning like usual. But Miss Hilly's face, it's purple as a plum.

"And the maid in Chapter Four?" Miss Jeanie going on. "I heard Sissy Tucker saying--"

"The book is not about Jackson! not about Jackson!" Miss Hilly kind a scream and I jump while I'm pouring. A drop a tea accidentally plops on Miss Hilly's empty plate. She look up at me and like a magnet, my eyes pull to hers.

Low and cool, she say, "You spilled some, Aibileen."

"I'm sorry, I--"

"Wipe it up."