appeared out of the crowd and approached her with arms raised. Everyone turned to look at the two of them as Samantha wrapped her arms around her. Isla could see the surprise on people’s faces. A surprise almost bordering on envy. Everywhere she looked, Isla saw couples: husbands and wives, boyfriends and girlfriends, and the occasional gay or lesbian couple. She felt bad for the few LGBT people in town who happened to be out of the closet, and even worse for those who hadn’t come out. Maybe with this sophisticated new class of people would come tolerance and acceptance.
“If it isn’t my favorite stylist,” Samantha announced, champagne in hand. And with one fell swoop, Isla’s good mood shifted, and she felt reduced in stature. “I’m so glad you made it.”
Beckett appeared beside his wife, and Isla could feel all eyes on her. “Hello, Isla.”
“I’m honored to be here. Thanks so much for inviting me.”
“Isn’t this a lovely spot?” Samantha said, glancing out toward the ocean.
“Stunning, to be honest. I’ve never been here before, and I grew up in this town.”
“The architect did a remarkable job incorporating the golf course into the natural landscape,” Beckett said, surveying the manor as if he were king. “Of course, it all might change if this new property tax is passed.”
“Let me introduce you to Laura,” Samantha said, then led Isla by the hand through the crowd.
Isla smiled at all the faces staring at her as she let herself be pulled along. Clutching her purse and champagne, she waved at a few clients as she passed. They smiled back. Some laughed, which made her wonder if they were laughing with her or at her. They reached the other end of the deck, and all she could think about was the Briggs and James families. Would they have been here under better circumstances?
“Laura, this is Isla Eaves. She’s only the best hairstylist in town. Possibly in all of Maine,” Samantha announced.
Laura nodded appraisingly. “Is that so? I usually return to Manhattan every month to see my regular girl. I have to go back there on business, anyway.”
“Well, save yourself the expense and the hassle. This is the girl you want to see from now on.”
“I’ll certainly keep that in mind,” Laura said. “I’m so glad you’re on our side on this tax issue, Isla. It’s vital that we convince our citizens how important this is for all our benefit.”
“How would you try to convince us local people?” Isla said.
Samantha looked confused. “I would say that the citizens of Shepherd’s Bay would lose jobs and revenue if we weren’t here. Look at all the economic activity created by this housing boom. Take a look at the money we’ve put into the town’s coffers every year from the taxes we pay—and we don’t even place any burden on the school system. A draconian tax on our properties would put a severe halt to development, costing jobs and progress.”
“What about the town’s crumbling schools? How would you address that issue, when most of your own children attend Chance Academy?”
“Isla! Whose side are you on, anyway?” Samantha said, laughing nervously.
“No, Samantha, these are very good questions that must be addressed,” Laura said, assuring Samantha with a pat on her hand. “This is why Isla is such a valuable addition to our team. We need more people with her perspective in order to address these issues on the council.”
“Right on, girl. Sly like a fox, then,” Samantha said, elbowing Isla playfully.
Laura went into a long, extended spiel about why the tax was a bad idea. She mentioned personal responsibility and equity, fairness and freedom of choice. To Isla’s ears, it sounded like a lot of intellectual rubbish. And yet in many ways she understood why this tax might cause a backlash in town that would reverberate for years to come. It was pure envy, retribution by one class against another, and sure to cause bitterness.
Beckett approached the candidate, a sign for Isla to step back. He waved his long arms in the air, and the crowd quieted down. Then he gave the candidate a long and impressive introduction, replete with all the Ivy degrees and high-salaried finance jobs she’d held in her previous life.
The candidate stepped forward, thanking Beckett for that wonderful introduction. She asked for a moment of silence for the families whose children were affected by the recent spate of violence in town. Isla lowered her head, wondering how many of these people knew that her own daughter