Chapter 112

Racking her brain to figure out what Mrs. Howard was getting at did Hope little good. She had a few extra moments to think on it as Brady worked her first trunk through the door, cursing and smashing into things, mostly the floor.

"Don't mind him," the embarrassed mother said. "He'll get it up the stairs in one piece."

"I sure hope that's the heavy one," Hope muttered, though she had a feeling it was the smaller of the two. "What other unmentionables are you speaking of?"

"You know—entertainers." Hope was still drawing a blank. "Women entertainers." Her eyebrows knit together, but Hope was still completely clueless. Mrs. Howard leaned forward. "Prostitutes, honey."

"Oh. Oh!" Of course, Hope knew what that word meant, but she'd never imagined she might actually see a woman of ill repute, especially not at a conference with a student's parent. "I didn't realize…."