Chapter 22 Summary

Clarissa and Sally lead Laura Brown into their home. When she enters her home, Clarissa is relieved to see that her daughter has put away and removed the hors d'oeuvres for the party. The flowers remain. Julia has fallen asleep on the couch, and she wakes to the sound of Sally's voice. Clarissa introduces Julia to Richard's mother. Sally thanks Julia for attending to the party cancellation. Julia tells her she was able to "head off" most of the guests, but a few people had shown up, including Louis Waters. Apparently Louis had broken down when he heard the news. Julia spoke to him at length, and he seemed a little better when he left. Julia, seemingly the hostess, offers Laura a cup of tea. The women decide Richard wouldn't mind if they ate the party food after all. They talk about what...