After shopping, her mother wants to go to dinner. Eleanor tells her she's planned a small BBQ at her house where she & her father can meet her neighbors. Her mother immediately sneers, "A BBQ? Really, child, how low brow!" Eleanor blushes angrily, "Justin is an excellent cook, he could be a world class chef," she snaps. "Really, Eleanor, you shouldn't brag about your friend's skills as a servant," her mother says coldly.

Eleanor has spent her whole life simply accepting whatever her mother said in silence, and she's going as far as to hide her relationship with Justin to avoid the confrontation that would result. But something in Eleanor snaps when she hears her mother sneering at Justin before he's even met him."You said you wanted to meet my neighbors, Mother. I asked Justin to do this as a favor. Spending the afternoon grilling for his neighbor's parents is hardly high on his list of priorities. If you can't be gracious about it, then we can let him spend his day as he pleases & we'll order a pizza," she says, surprising herself by finally speaking her mind to her mother, daring to contradict her. She wishes Justin could have witnessed it, and thinks she perhaps owes it to him, for helping her find the strength.

But the bitch makes her pay for her daring, pointing out that Eleanor's bad attitude is the result of living in this gauche city, and that if she returned to her home she might return to 'normal'. Eleanor immediately becomes docile & meek, remembering her place, dependent on them.

After dinner, her mother wants to have a drink at the bar. Eleanor can't even remark about the weather without getting a sneer from her mother.

Eleanor's mother is like a vampire that sucks the joy out of everything.

"Eleanor, dear, your father & I were wondering if you perhaps had a man in your life we'd be able to meet. You've always been shy around boys, despite your troublemaking in other areas, and we're concerned that you'll never find a husband if you don't start mingling with the right people," her mother says.

"I don't intend to ever marry, Mother. I've told you that," Eleanor says, as another round hits the table. "Nonsense, child. Of course you'll marry, you have to pass on our family genes. But you aren't going to meet the right kind of men out here," her mother insists. Eleanor is grateful that her mother can't force her to marry anyone against her will.