“Oh, Kyle, I’ve missed you so. Letters are warming and welcome, but it’s not like having you here,” Lois said, her round face beaming as she took a step back. “Let me look at you.”
“I’m almost five years older. Do I look old enough for them now?”
“You look wonderful to me. And beside, your five objectors are no longer among us. Old Winters had to go live with some relatives, Two of the others have died, and the other two are somewhere in nursing homes.”
“Well, it looks like I’m it whether they like it or not. What did you bring me?” he asked looking at the plastic dish in her hand.
“When you called me yesterday, I got busy and made your chocolate cake. Hazel objected because we still had two pieces of apple pie left. This is my last night’s dessert. I’ll put it in the kitchen.”
Kyle followed her. “Hazel still ruling the roost?”
“Yes. She considers it her roost. Says she’s the one who stayed home and cared for dad while Judy and I married and left her to do it. Only reason she didn’t do the same is because nobody asked her.”
“Still, the house was left to the three of you. You have a right to move back in.”
“And Judy is selling off all her household. She’ll be moving back in a couple of weeks. Not that she wants to any more than I did, but it’s all she can do. There’s just not any teaching positions in Riverbend anymore. But Hazel won’t have it so easy with her. To me, it’s easier to cook and clean than to fight her.”
“Maybe you don’t have to be her cook and housekeeper any longer. Do you remember my Uncle Wynn who left me the inheritance? Well, it gives me a steady, but small income. This place has three bedrooms and two and a half baths. I’d love to have you come live with me, Lois. I’d see that you’re taken care of for the rest of your life.” They had reached the kitchen and stopped, Lois looking up at him. “I’m not demanding, you know that. It would be just the two of us to care for. I wouldn’t want you to feel I was hiring you, but I would want to add to your income. I’ve thought about this on the long drive here. I think we’d be good for each other, but I want you to take time to consider my offer carefully. Then let me know what your thoughts are.”
Lois had covered her mouth with her hands as she looked at him, but the tears were flooding her eyes and spilling over. Kyle put his arms around her. “Do you mean it?” she whispered through her tears. “I’ve never had a son, but I love you, Kyle, as if you were mine. Nothing would make me happier.”
“Nor me either. If you’re sure?” She nodded her head and he kissed her on the forehead. “Then it’s settled. Oh, Lois, we’re going to have a great time together. Now sit down here while I eat your cake, and you tell me all the news. Tell me everything you think I need to know about everybody in the whole congregation. Tell me why Morris left like he did.”
Lois took a seat at the kitchen table after getting Kyle a fork and a glass of milk, which she knew he liked with her chocolate cake. “I don’t know the answer to that, and nobody else in town seems to. There’s lots of gossip about it, but you know how I hate gossip.”
“I don’t like gossip either, but sometimes it’s best that I know what’s being said, so I can try to protect the person of whom the gossip is about.”
“It was good of the ladies to clean the house and stock the refrigerator,” Lois said, hoping that they could change the subject.
“Yes, it was. But come on now, tell me what’s being said about Morris up and leaving suddenly, without telling anybody.”
“Kyle, I don’t believe a word of this,” she said slowly. “I’ve worked on projects and committees with Della Martin for years. She’s a fine Christian woman, not the kind to do what the gossips are saying. They’ll never make me believe it.”
“Okay, dear, what are they saying?” he asked patiently.
“Well, you’ll hear it from somebody. I may as well tell you, so you can be prepared. The story going around is that Della and Brother Morris were having an affair, and she became pregnant. And when she confronted him with it, he suddenly left town.”
“Oh, my word! That is ridiculous! I’d never believe a thing like that! Nobody could convince me that Morris would do a thing like that.” He sat in studious silence for a few moments. “Got any idea how this got started? There has to be some reason for someone to concoct a story like that.”
“Do you remember Eve Mobley?” When he assured her that he did, Lois told him about Eve’s daughter, Evelyn Ann’s visit to the parsonage the day of the accident, and all the rest that she had heard.
Della had refused to join Grant and Addie for breakfast, but preferred to remain in the car and rest. When they returned to the car after their breakfast, they found Della dozing, her head resting against the window.
“Mama, are you sure you’re all right?”
“Just tired.”
“You’re sure, Della?”
She assured Grant that she was. He took his seat in the car and sat for a few moments, not turning on the ignition. “I told you I am going to be gone for awhile. My father, who lives in England, is very ill. He’s scheduled for surgery Wednesday. I have plane reservations in four hours. Clay Dewitt, is driving me to Nashville. I know I’ll sleep all the way there and all the way to London since I didn’t go to bed last night. My sister, who also lives in England, called me about five this morning. I shouldn’t be gone more than two or three weeks. It could be longer, but I hope not.
“I’ve left a volume of notes for Elinor, my secretary. She knows to do anything that either of you need her to do in my absence. Clay will be working on the inheritance, and I’ll keep in touch with Elinor and him. And Elinor will know how to reach me. Now, there’s something I need you two to do for me,” he said as he turned the ignition key, and the big motor hummed into life. He turned the car toward the shopping center and the car dealership.
“I’m sorry about your father, Grant. We’ll be praying for him, and anything that we can do, we’ll be glad to.”
“Thank you, Della. We could all use your prayers, my sister, dad’s wife, and me too. He paused. “Could the two of you stay at Stonegate with Mattie Horn, the housekeeper, while Ben’s away? And then, perhaps, Addie could stay with her until I can get back. She has agreed to stay on until I return, but not by herself. Twice Ryker has tried to force his way in. Thursday, he went out and insisted she let him in after she had told him that she and the police had packed up all his belongings and sent the boxes to his rooms at the hotel. He insisted that there were things of his in Stonegate that she didn’t know about. So she told him that the police or myself had to authorize her letting anyone into Stonegate, and she offered to call the police or me. Well, he became very angry. He left, telling her that he would be back.”
“Oh, my!” said Della.
“And he did return. During in that storm last night, he and my ex-wife tried to get in. Mattie keeps all the inside doors shut, but the mansion has two phone lines. And the one in the library, which Wilhelmina used for an office, rang. By the time Mattie reached the library, it had stopped ringing. Then the doorbell rang as she was leaving the library. She didn’t shut the library door completely. It’s one of those pocket doors. Well, Helene, my ex-wife, was on the intercom claiming she had just left me, and I had suggested that she stop by to offer her condolences and have a cup of coffee with Mattie.”
“And you hadn’t?”
“No, Della, and Mattie told Helene that I would have called her if I wanted her to be admitted to the mansion. Then Mattie heard a scraping sound coming from the library. She left the front door intercom to look into the partially open library door. She saw a man’s form outside the French doors, and she called the police from the hall phone. Fortunately, a police car was patrolling the shopping center, and when they turned on their siren, Ryker and Helene couldn’t get away fast enough.”
He turned to look at Addie in the back seat. “You know, Addie, you now own Stonegate, and with ownership comes responsibility
. So what do you say? Will you do this for me?”
“Can we do that, Mama? Stay at Stonegate?” she asked excitedly.
“I don’t see why not. I will have to go to the house tonight to await Ben’s call. Does Mattie Horn know that we’re coming?”
“I told her that I felt sure that one of you would, if not both. You’ll enjoy your stay there. Mattie’s very happy at the prospect. She’ll take good care of you.” He was parking his car beside the entrance to the dealership, and there was the big, black Lincoln, shined up and sparkling. Jake Mobley and Bob Westmore were standing beside it waiting for them. A man was in the back seat attaching a temporary license tag to the rear window.
Grant hurriedly transferred their packages to the Lincoln’s trunk. He stayed long enough to make sure Della had no problems with the deal. Then he said goodbye to both of them, again promising to keep in touch through his secretary, and to return as soon as possible.
Bob Westmore was as solicitous as he could be, insisting Della call at anytime she had a question or a problem. He assured her that her car tag could be picked up anytime after lunch on Monday. Della was like someone in a daze, while Addie was bubbling over.
Jake Mobley took them for a test drive to make sure Della was familiar and comfortable with the car before he would release it to her. “But it’s so big,” she kept protesting.
“It’ll be like an old shoe in no time at all. You just drive the front, the back will follow.” They all three chuckled at that. Then he explained the operation’s manual and warranty, and instructed her in as much of the car’s operations as he felt she could handle at the time.
Addie was hanging over the back of the seat taking it all in, not forgetting a single word.
Mobley promised to coach Della through all the things about the car at her convenience, and they drove him back to the dealership, as soon as Della felt safe to manage the car by herself.
When they were alone in the car, Addie in the front seat rubbing her hands over the leather upholstery, the dashboard, and turning on the radio, exclaimed, “Oh, Mama! Can you believe it? Won’t daddy be surprised? And Donnie! I can just see his eyes pop right out of his head!”
“I can assure you, Ben will be surprised,” Della said solemnly as she practiced driving around the shopping center parking lot, and then back toward Lilly’s. If she was going to drive a car like this, she needed clothes that looked better than what she had. She would get the lavender suit and blouse, and the accessories she had thought would go good with it.
“You wanted me to have that lavender suit,” she said to Addie. I think I’ll get it after all, and it was thirty-five percent off. We can use some of the cash that Grant gave us. Okay?”
“It’ll look so good on you, Mama. I’m glad you changed your mind. We can do a lot of shopping with the fifteen hundred. I’m glad she’s having a sale.”
“But let’s don’t go overboard. You’ve got to have some school clothes. Did she have any jeans? I didn’t see any.”
Addie was silent as Della searched for a parking space close to the shop. Then she asked, “Mama, do you know that I hate jeans? I don’t care if I never see another pair. It’s all I’ve had all my life. I’d like something more feminine.”
“Oh, honey, no, I didn’t know. And I’m so sorry. I wish we could have done better by you. We’ve always done the best we could.”
“I’m not complaining, Mama. I know you and daddy have always sacrificed for me, and you know I’m grateful, but we have some money now. And there’ll be fifteen thousand more on Monday. We can afford better things. Don’t you want better?”
“Of course I do, Addie, especially for you.” Della had spotted a space just vacated right in front of the shop and was pulling into it. “I’ll get the suit and things while you look for something for school.”
They got out of the car and were waiting to cross the line of traffic. Addie hugged her mother. “Daddy will love the suit too.” They crossed to the sidewalk in front of Lilly’s and Addie was looking in the shop window. “It’s odd that there isn’t a lot of customers in Lilly’s since she’s having a sale.”
“Well, it’s about lunch time, and I suppose the women who trade here bought their Easter outfits when the spring merchandise first came in.” Della opened the glass door, and had just stepped inside with Addie right behind her when Lilly came rushing toward them.
“Mrs. Martin,” she said in a low voice before she reached them, “I’m afraid I can’t wait on you.”
“We’ll just look around for ourselves. You go ahead and attend to...”
“No. What I mean,” she said in a louder voice as she stood in front of them blocking their entrance into the shop. “I can’t have you in my shop. If my regular customers, people that I depend on to stay in business, see you in here, they’ll never come back.”
Della and Addie both gasped in shock at the woman’s words, her change in attitude toward them. Della couldn’t believe what she was hearing.
“This is crazy!” Addie exclaimed. “Why are you saying such a thing to my mother?”
“I can’t believe this! What is this all about?” Della demanded.
“Well, uh, well, I appreciate your business of this morning, but, but I just can’t have you in my shop. That’s as plain as I can make it,” Lilly said.”
“You won’t have us in your shop anymore. I assure you. There are other stores. We won’t be bothering you again,” Della declared angrily.
“But I will,” Addie said. “When your lease is up, it won’t be renewed.”
“Why, why, you young snit! I know Grant Cutler seemed very concerned for you two, but I doubt that you have the influence to cancel my lease. Just who do you think you are?”
“I’m your new landlady. Come on, Mama.” They left while Lilly stood there with her mouth open, as if not believing what she had just heard.
“Mama, why did she do that? She was so nice to us this morning. Now she acts like we’re not good enough for her shop. I’ll bet the black headed woman had something to do with it.”
Della was shaking with humiliation as they returned to the car. She had a pretty good idea. She should have already told Addie about the gossip, but when? And she certainly couldn’t do it now. She was too upset. “Honey, let’s not talk about it. I need to get home. I haven’t eaten. I need to eat and lie down awhile.” She was feeling very close to tears after all she’d been through this one day. Then she remembered Addie’s remark. They took their seats in the car, and Della asked, “What black headed woman?”
“The woman Miss Lilly was talking to before we went in. I was looking in the window. She was talking to a black headed woman in the first dressing room. She had her head stuck out of the curtain, and it looked like she was trying to convince Miss Lilly of something. Miss Lilly didn’t seem to agree with her about whatever she was saying, then she came rushing to meet us. I thought she was being real glad to see us again. That was so weird. How could she change so toward us? Why, Mama? What had we done?”
“We didn’t do anything, Addie. I just want to go home.”
“We can’t. We have to go to Stonegate. We promised Mr. Cutler. And Miss Mattie is expecting us. You can lie down at Stonegate, and I’m sure Miss Mattie will fix you something to eat. I know you don’t feel well. I’m still worried about you getting so cold and wet. I sure hope you don’t take a cold on top of having had the flu. I promised daddy I’d take good care of you, but I don’t seem to be doing a very good job of it.”
“Honey, you’ve got to quit blaming yourself for yesterday and this morning. I’m going to be just fine as soon as I get something to eat and some rest.” She had started the car and was pulling out of the parking space, headed for Stonegate.
“I just can’t believe Miss Lilly. Why’d she do a thing like that – after all we spent with her this morning? We even took the robes she had us using. Mr. Cutler put them in a bag, and she wrote them up.”
“After I’ve eaten and rested
, we’ll talk about it. Okay?”
Mattie Horn must have been waiting for them. As soon as Della stopped the black Lincoln in front of the marble steps that led up to the porch, the big front door opened. A tall, middle age woman with a pleasant face, void of make-up, blonde hair cut short and stylish, wearing a gray dress and white apron, came quickly toward them. She was approaching Addie’s open car door as she said, “Mr. Cutler said you’d be here just anytime now. I’m so glad to see you. You can’t imagine what this place is like when you’re here all by yourself.” She went around the car to help Della out of the driver’s seat.
“You’d be Miss Della and Miss Addie, and I’m Mattie.”
“No, Mattie. I’m just Della, and this is Addie,” Della corrected.
“Thank you, Della,” Mattie said gazing at Addie’s red hair and green eyes almost as though she couldn’t believe what she was seeing. “It’s so good of you to come,” she said slowly, “and I’m so glad to meet both of you.”
“And we’re happy to meet you, Mattie,” Della said wearily.”
“Miss Mattie,” Addie said, “Mama needs a place to lie down for awhile, and she needs something hot to eat. She hasn’t eaten anything today. We’ve really had a tough time since yesterday.”
“Mr. Cutler called me as he was getting ready to leave for the airport, and he told me of some of your troubles. I’ve got Mr. Eli’s room ready for you. It’s on the main floor. You’ll be most comfortable there. And I’ve just made a big pot of tomato bisque soup. I’ll get you settled immediately,” she was saying as she led the way up the stairs, across the big porch and into the mansion’s foyer.
The Daughters of Julian Dane Page 33
