The Golden Spoon

Betsy is distracted from her hosting duties by an ominous text message she receives from her agent, who has, unusually, insisted on driving up to Vermont to discuss an important matter. Betsy admits to herself that Archie has been better than she expected as a co-host. As she surveys the tent, Betsy notices Melanie vows “to find a way to cut her down to size” (94). As Archie informs the contestants of their challenge for the day, Betsy becomes annoyed with him again and reaffirms her decision to retain as much control as possible.

Stella plans and prepares her two pies for the day’s challenge, trying not to indulge in fantasies about being Betsy’s friend or to be distracted by the activity around the tent. She can’t help but compare herself to the other contestants, who seem to embody “perfection” while she stumbles along. When Betsy asks Stella about her pies, Stella struggles to answer. Betsy says she smells something burning; a mortified Stella realizes the smell is her peach filling on the stove—even though she could remember turning the heat off earlier.