CHAPTER NINE
As the formal discussion wound down, Kate noticed that several members were gathering their purses and saying their goodbyes, while others chose to linger.
David Fletcher was among the first to leave, offering polite condolences to Eleanor and mentioning an early morning at work.
He made a point to shake Kate’s hand and thank her for coming by, stating that he hoped she decided to join them.
Jennifer Haynes followed shortly after, still dabbing at her eyes with tissues and promising to call Eleanor if she needed anything during this difficult time.
"Kate, please stay for some coffee and dessert," Eleanor said as she began clearing coffee cups from the circle of chairs.
"A few of us usually hang around after meetings to chat, and I'd love for you to get a better sense of how we normally interact when we're not dealing with such sad circumstances. "
Kate accepted the invitation gratefully, secretly pleased that Eleanor had thought of this creative way to have her hang behind and learn more.
Sandra Morrison was already in the kitchen, arranging slices of what appeared to be apple pie on small plates while Carol Stevens helped Eleanor reset the living room furniture to its normal configuration.
"I brought the pie," Sandra said as Kate joined her in the kitchen. "It's my grandmother's recipe. I've been making it for book club gatherings for probably fifteen years now."
"It smells wonderful," Kate said, accepting a plate and fork. "I imagine you've seen a lot of changes in the group over that time."
Sandra's expression tightened slightly as she continued serving pie.
"Oh yes, quite a few changes. Some for the better, some.
.. " She paused, seeming to choose her words carefully.
"Well, let's just say that maintaining the quality and focus of our discussions has become more challenging as we've grown. "
Kate settled at Eleanor's kitchen table with her pie, noting that Sandra's tone carried an edge of frustration. "How so?"
"When Eleanor and I started this group twenty-two years ago, we had very specific goals," Sandra said, sitting across from Kate with her own slice.
"We wanted serious literary discussion, members who came prepared and engaged thoughtfully with the material.
We carefully selected books that would challenge us intellectually.
Every now and then we try to have fun; we'll throw in a Stephen King or Sue Grafton, you know?
But it always comes back to more serious literary discussions. "
Carol Stevens joined them at the table, having overheard the conversation from the living room. "Sandra's being diplomatic. What she means is that some of the newer members don't quite meet her exacting standards."
"I'm not being unreasonable," Sandra replied, a defensive note creeping into her voice. "I simply believe that if you're going to join a book club, you should actually read the books thoroughly and come prepared to discuss them intelligently."
Kate took a bite of the excellent apple pie while considering how to probe deeper without seeming too interested. "That sounds like it might create some tension when new people join." She gave a chuckle that felt a bit too fake and said, "Like me."
"Exactly," Sandra said, warming to her subject. "Take Patricia Dunham, for example. She joined two years ago and admitted during her third meeting that she'd been getting plot summaries from the internet instead of actually reading the assigned books. Margaret and I were appalled."
"Now, Sandra," Carol said with a gentle laugh, "Patricia was overwhelmed by her first few selections. She's gotten much better since then."
"Has she, though?" Sandra's voice carried clear skepticism. "Just last month during our discussion of Great Expectations, Patricia made comments that clearly showed she'd only skimmed the final chapters.
Kate found Sandra's passion for literary standards intriguing, especially given her obvious frustration with group dynamics. "It sounds like Margaret shared your concerns about maintaining quality discussions."
"Margaret understood the importance of serious engagement with literature," Sandra said emphatically. "She had the same standards I do, which is why we often found ourselves aligned on selection disputes."
"Selection disputes?" Kate asked.
Carol Stevens shifted in her chair, looking slightly uncomfortable. "Sandra, I don't think Kate needs to hear about our internal disagreements. We want her to join the group, remember?"
"Oh, it’s fine," Sandra replied. "If she's considering joining us, she should understand how we operate.” She redirected her attention to Kate and said, “We vote on book selections, and sometimes there are strong differences of opinion about what constitutes appropriate material for our group."
Eleanor appeared in the kitchen doorway, carrying a tray of empty coffee cups. "Are you telling Kate about your campaign for more Conan Doyle?"
Sandra's expression immediately became defensive. "Arthur Conan Doyle is a foundational figure in detective fiction. The fact that this group has never done a proper study of the Sherlock Holmes stories is frankly embarrassing."
"Sandra proposed a three-month Doyle series last spring," Eleanor explained to Kate as she began loading cups into the dishwasher. "She wanted us to read A Study in Scarlet, The Sign of Four, and a selection of short stories."
"Which would have been intellectually enriching for everyone," Sandra said firmly. "Instead, the group voted for that ridiculous Louise Penny series that Jennifer had been pushing."
Kate noted the clear irritation in Sandra's voice when she mentioned Jennifer's influence on the selection process. "Someone mentioned Great Expectations…that’s not a mystery at all. So I take it you read more than just mysteries?”
“On occasion,” Eleanor said. “We’ll get into some literary fiction, maybe a clean romance here and there. But we always come back to classic mysteries.”
“Have the newer members been trying to change the types of books you read?"
"Sometimes, yes," Sandra said. "We've gone from classic mysteries and literary fiction to whatever happens to be popular at the moment. Jennifer's suggestions are particularly frustrating because she seems to choose books based on what's trending on social media rather than literary merit."
Eleanor's laugh had a slightly sharp edge to it. "Sandra, you're being unfair. Jennifer's suggestions have led to some excellent discussions."
"Have they?" Sandra challenged. "When we read Still Life at Jennifer's suggestion, half the group spent the entire meeting talking about the television adaptation instead of discussing the actual writing. That's not literary analysis, that's book club social hour."
Carol Stevens attempted to mediate. "Now ladies, every member brings different perspectives to our selections. That's part of what makes our discussions interesting."
"There's a difference between different perspectives and lowered standards," Sandra replied curtly. "Margaret understood that distinction, which is why she and I often found ourselves voting together on book selections."
Kate seized on this information. She also realized that at some point, someone had put a piece of pie in front of her, which she began to eat slowly. It was quite delicious. "So Margaret supported your preference for more classical selections?"
"Margaret appreciated intellectual rigor," Sandra said, using the phrase with a bit of pretension in her tone. "She wasn't swayed by popularity or trends. When I proposed the Doyle series, Margaret was one of the few members who saw the educational value."
Eleanor's expression had grown more tense during this exchange. "Sandra, Margaret also voted for the Louise Penny series. She wasn't as inflexible as you're making her sound."
"Margaret voted for Louise Penny because she was trying to be diplomatic with the newer members," Sandra shot back. "But she told me privately that she thought we were dumbing down our selections to accommodate people who couldn't handle more challenging material."
"Margaret said that?" Eleanor asked, her voice sharp with surprise.
Sandra seemed to realize she might have revealed more than she intended. "Margaret was honest about her concerns regarding the group's direction. We had several conversations about maintaining literary standards."
Kate watched this exchange with growing interest. The tension between Sandra and Eleanor was clearly more significant than either had initially let on, and Margaret appeared to have been caught in the middle of competing visions for the book club's future.
"It sounds like Margaret was in a difficult position," Kate observed carefully.
"Margaret was principled," Sandra said firmly. "She believed in intellectual honesty, even when it made her unpopular with certain members."
Eleanor's jaw tightened slightly. "Sandra, you're making it sound like Margaret was some kind of literary snob who looked down on the other members. That's not fair to her memory."
"I'm not calling Margaret a snob," Sandra replied. "I'm saying she had standards, and she was frustrated when those standards weren't shared by everyone in the group."
Carol Stevens looked increasingly uncomfortable with the direction of the conversation. "Perhaps we should talk about something else. Kate doesn't need to hear about our internal politics."
But Kate was finding the internal politics fascinating, particularly the suggestion that Margaret had been critical of newer members' contributions to the group.
"Did Margaret ever express these concerns directly to the members she was worried about?" And then, sensing she had maybe gone too far, she put on a guilty, slightly embarrassed expression. “I’m sorry. It’s not my place to ask, and that came off as very nosy…”