Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty Read Free Book Online

Madeline. “I’d rather stick pins in my eyes.”
    She sat down on a blue painted wooden bench built around the tree trunk of a Moreton Bay Fig and put her ankle up. A crowd of other parents soon formed around them, and Madeline held court, introducing Jane and Celeste to the mothers with older children she already knew and telling everyone the story of how she twisted her ankle saving young lives.
    “Typical Madeline,” a woman called Carol said to Jane. She was a soft-looking woman wearing a puffy-sleeved floral sundress and a big straw sun hat. She looked like she was off to a white clapboard church in
Little House on the Prairie
. (Carol? Wasn’t she the one Madeline said liked to clean? Clean Carol.)
    “Madeline just loves a fight,” said Carol. “She’ll take on anyone. Our sons play soccer together, and last year she got in an argument with this giant dad. All the husbands were hiding, and Madeline was standing this close to him, poking her finger into his chest like this, not giving an inch. It’s a wonder she didn’t get herself killed.”
    “Oh, him! The
under-seven age coordinator
.” Madeline spat thewords “under-seven age coordinator” as if they were “serial killer.” “I shall loathe that man until the day I die!”
    Meanwhile Celeste stood off slightly to the side, chatting in that ruffled, hesitant way of hers, which Jane was already beginning to recognize as characteristic of Celeste.
    “What did you say your son’s name was again?” Carol asked Jane.
    “Ziggy,” said Jane.
    “Ziggy,” repeated Carol uncertainly. “Is that an ethnic sort of a name?”
    “Hello, there, I’m
Renata
!” A woman with a crisp gray symmetrical haircut and intense brown eyes behind stylish black-framed spectacles appeared in front of Jane, hand outstretched. It was like being accosted by a politician. She said her name with strange emphasis, as if Jane had been expecting her.
    “Hello! I’m Jane. How are you?” Jane tried to match her enthusiasm. She wondered if this was the school principal.
    A well-dressed, blond woman, who Jane thought probably qualified as one of Madeline’s Blond Bobs, bustled over with a yellow envelope in her hand. “Renata,” she said, ignoring Jane. “I’ve got that education report we were talking about at dinner—”
    “Just give me a moment, Harper,” said Renata with a touch of impatience. She turned back to Jane. “Jane, nice to meet you! I’m Amabella’s mum, and I have Jackson in Year 2. That’s
Ama
bella, by the way, not
Anna
bella. It’s French. We didn’t make it up.”
    Harper continued to hover at Renata’s shoulder, nodding along respectfully as Renata spoke, like those people who stand behind politicians at press conferences.
    “Well, I just wanted to introduce you to Amabella and Jackson’s nanny, who also happens to be French!
Quelle coïncidence!
This is Juliette.” Renata indicated a petite girl with short red hair and an oddly arresting face, dominated by a huge, luscious-lipped mouth. She looked like a very pretty alien.
    “Pleased to meet you.” The nanny held out a limp hand. She had a strong French accent and looked bored out of her mind.
    “You too,” said Jane.
    “I always think it’s nice for the nannies to get to know each other.” Renata looked brightly between the two of them. “A little support group, shall we say! What nationality are you?”
    “She’s not a nanny, Renata,” said Madeline from the bench, her voice brimming with laughter.
    “Well, au pair, then,” said Renata impatiently.
    “Renata, listen to me, she’s a
mother
,” said Madeline. “She’s just young. You know, like we used to be.”
    Renata glanced uneasily at Jane, as if she suspected a practical joke, but before Jane had a chance to say anything (she felt like she should apologize), someone said, “Here they come!” and all the parents surged forward as a pretty, blond, dimpled teacher who looked like she’d been cast for the role of