0425273059 (16 page)

“Excuse me,” she muttered as she turned away and fumbled for the tissue she had tucked in her sleeve.

“Told you last night,” Estelle said. “I could tell you didn’t believe me. Makes no difference, though. I know a lot of things, but nobody ever pays any attention to me.” She chuckled, and then the chuckle turned into a deep-throated laugh.

An’gel turned to look at the housekeeper. She was taken aback by the woman’s evident mirth. What could possibly be so funny? She hoped Estelle wasn’t about to get hysterical, although if she did, An’gel would take pleasure in throwing a glass of water in her face to calm her down.

“What kind of things are you talking about?” An’gel asked in a neutral tone.

Estelle shot her a sly glance. “Just things. Things people don’t think I know. Now that Mireille’s gone, I have to look after myself, because there sure isn’t anybody else going to.”

An’gel wanted to press Estelle further, because the housekeeper’s boastful tone made her uneasy. An’gel thought Estelle’s words sounded like a veiled blackmail threat.

“I’d be careful if I were you.” The words came out more sharply than An’gel intended. “All this talk about ‘knowing things’ could get you into a difficult situation.”

Estelle turned to face her. “I don’t need any advice from you. Why don’t you mind your own business and go to the dining room? Breakfast will be ready soon.”

An’gel decided she’d had enough. If the woman wouldn’t listen to good advice, there was nothing more she could do. She turned and walked out of the kitchen without bothering to reply. At any other time she would discuss the housekeeper’s rudeness with Jacqueline, but An’gel didn’t want to add to her goddaughter’s burdens. She was mighty curious about the things Estelle claimed to know and wondered how the housekeeper planned to make use of her so-called knowledge.

Perhaps she ought to discuss the matter with Horace. An’gel considered that option as she made her way to the dining room. But what if Horace was the object of Estelle’s plans? For once she was unsure what to do, an unusual state for her. She finally decided she would discuss the matter with Dickce before she took any action.

She met Benjy and Peanut at the foot of the stairs.

“Morning, Miss An’gel.” Benjy smiled. “I hope you had a good night. Peanut and I sure did. I guess Endora spent the night with Miss Dickce.”

“I slept well once I finally got to bed.” An’gel patted the dog’s head, and Peanut’s tail thumped against the floor. “Breakfast will be ready before long.”

“Good,” Benjy said, “because I’m starving. I’m going to take Peanut out for a few minutes, though, and then give him his breakfast. We won’t be long.”

An’gel nodded and watched as young man and dog opened the front door and stepped out onto the verandah. She sighed. What it would be like to be that age again. Then she shook her head. No use pining after long-spent youth.

“Good morning, Sister.”

An’gel glanced up the stairs to see Dickce and Endora coming down toward her. The cat moved as sedately as Dickce, as if she were escorting the woman. An’gel smiled briefly and returned the greeting.

“Any news?” Dickce asked when she and Endora reached the bottom.

“Afraid so,” An’gel said. “Mireille did pass away last night.”

Dickce closed her eyes for a moment. An’gel squeezed her sister’s arm, and Dickce opened her eyes, blinking back tears. An’gel felt the cat rub against her legs. She looked down, and she would have sworn Endora was looking at her with sympathy.

“Breakfast should be ready in a few minutes,” An’gel said. “Let’s go into the dining room. I have a few things to tell you.”

“I have a few things to tell you, too,” Dickce said.

“What about Tippy?” An’gel asked. She had almost forgotten the child.

“Jacqueline is with her,” Dickce said. “Sound asleep on the bed with her when I looked in earlier.”

An’gel could only hope that Jacqueline found some solace in the company of her grandchild. Jacqueline faced bitter days ahead as she grieved for her mother and her daughter.

The sisters met Jackson coming out of the dining room. He looked at them with sorrow-filled eyes. He tried to speak, but couldn’t. An’gel and Dickce each took a hand and held it tightly.

“I just can’t believe Miss Mireille’s gone.” Jackson’s voice
was rough with grief. “Known her since she was a little bitty girl.”

“I know,” An’gel said softly. She had to keep it together, or all three of them would be crying any minute now. “She thought the world of you. Be strong now, for her sake. That’s all any of us can do.”

Jackson attempted a smile. “Thank you, Miss An’gel.” He sighed deeply. “There’s coffee ready in the dining room now. I’ll go see if Miss Estelle’s ready to bring out the food.”

The sisters gave his hands one last squeeze and released him. An’gel watched him as he walked, shoulders slumped and head down, toward the kitchen.

“I hope Jacqueline and Horace will take good care of him,” Dickce said.

“I’m sure they will,” An’gel said. “I imagine Mireille provided for him.” Her tone turned brisk. “I don’t know about you, but I could certainly use some coffee right about now.” She headed into the dining room.

Dickce and Endora trailed behind her. The cat began to meow when An’gel poured coffee for herself and her sister.

“She’s hungry,” Dickce said. “I’d better find Benjy and get her food; otherwise, she’ll keep talking and complaining.” She glanced fondly at the cat.

“Benjy took Peanut out just before you came down,” An’gel said as she took a seat at the table. “They should be back any minute now.”

“Did you hear that, Endora?” Dickce looked down at the cat. “Benjy will be here soon, and he’ll find your food, okay?”

Endora looked up at Dickce and meowed again, with what An’gel thought sounded like an interrogative tone.

Dickce nodded and said, “Yes, really.”

Endora settled down by Dickce’s chair.

“I swear she understands what you told her,” An’gel said.

“Of course she does,” Dickce said. “Endora is very smart.”

Benjy’s entrance with Peanut diverted An’gel from the tart reply she intended to make. Instead she said to Benjy, “We have a hungry cat on our hands.”

Benjy grinned. “I’ll take care of that. Come on, Endora, let’s go upstairs and get you some breakfast.” The cat ran over to him and jumped into his arms. “I fed Peanut already,” Benjy said. “I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

Boy and animals disappeared from the dining room, and the sisters enjoyed their coffee. An’gel wondered how much longer breakfast would be. While they waited, she quickly told Dickce about her conversation with Estelle.

“Strange,” Dickce said. She was about to comment further when the object of the conversation wheeled a serving trolley into the room and began to put large covered dishes on the sideboard, along with a stack of plates and silverware.

“Help yourselves,” Estelle said. “Napkins are in the drawer.” She wheeled the trolley out again.

“She is one of the most graceless persons I have ever known,” An’gel said when she thought the housekeeper was out of earshot.

“I don’t know how Mireille put up with her for so long,” Dickce said as she got up from the table and moved to the sideboard.

An’gel joined her, and they began to help themselves to scrambled eggs, biscuits, and bacon. “So what do you think? Should I talk to Horace about what she said to me?”

“Talk to Horace about what?”

An’gel turned to see Jacqueline, with Tippy in her arms, in the doorway of the dining room.

An’gel thought furiously. She didn’t want to tell Jacqueline about Estelle’s ominous words. What could she tell her instead?

CHAPTER 20

“A
car for Benjy,” An’gel said quickly, almost stumbling over the words. “Sister and I have been thinking about getting a second car so Benjy can get back and forth to classes when he starts at Athena College in the spring.”

“Yes,” Dickce said. “Since Horace knows more about cars than anyone we know, we thought he’d be the best person to ask.” She flashed Jacqueline a bright smile.

An’gel silently blessed her sister for the quick support. Jacqueline shrugged, seemingly satisfied with the answer. An’gel looked more closely at her goddaughter. She was not surprised to see how tired and worn Jacqueline appeared. The poor girl didn’t seem to have slept much, if at all, since she arrived home from the hospital.

Tippy, on the other hand, seemed rested and raring to go. “Wet me down, Gwanny,” she said, wriggling. Jacqueline set her down, and Tippy immediately went to the table and
found a chair for the teddy bear. “Wance will sit here. I want some scwambud eggs, Gwanny, and Wance does, too.”

“Okay, sweetheart,” Jacqueline said in a lackluster tone. “I’ll fix a plate for you and one for Lance.”

“Why don’t you sit and let me do that?” An’gel asked. She wanted to wrap her arms around Jacqueline and hold her close, but she feared that they would both dissolve into helpless tears.

“Thank you,” Jacqueline said. She slid into a chair and leaned back. “I’m exhausted, but there’s so much to do.” She glanced at Tippy and then back at An’gel. “I would like to talk to you in a little while about a few things.”

“Yes, of course,” An’gel replied as she prepared a plate for Tippy. Jacqueline obviously didn’t want to discuss the deaths in front of her granddaughter. An’gel took the plate with eggs, a couple of slices of bacon, and one biscuit to the table and set it in front of Tippy.

“Thank you,” Tippy said. “Wance wants his bweakfast, too.”

“Here it is, dear.” Dickce set an identical serving in front of the teddy bear.

Tippy beamed up at her. “Wance says ‘thank you.’”

“He’s welcome,” Dickce replied with a smile. She went back to the sideboard for a second helping.

In the meanwhile An’gel had poured small glasses of milk for Tippy and her bear. After depositing those on the table, she fixed a plate for Jacqueline and one for herself. Seated, she covertly watched her goddaughter across the table as Jacqueline toyed with her food, taking an occasional bite, but mostly pushing the eggs around on the plate.

An’gel, usually capable in any situation, felt uncertain
at the moment. There were things she wanted to discuss with Jacqueline but she couldn’t until Tippy was out of earshot. She concentrated on her food.

Benjy entered the room moments later alone. At An’gel’s look of inquiry, he said, “I thought it would be better if they stayed upstairs while I ate. I’ll take them down to the cottage in a little while and see if the lights are back on yet.”

“Good plan,” An’gel said.

Jacqueline acknowledged Benjy’s presence with a wan smile. Tippy stared at the young man as if fascinated.

An’gel realized Benjy was a stranger to the little girl. “Tippy, dear, this is Benjy.” She paused. “Benjy, this is Tippy, Jacqueline’s granddaughter.”

Benjy approached Tippy and held out his hand. “Good morning, Tippy. How are you?”

The child smiled shyly at Benjy as she took his hand. “Wance and I are eating bweakfuss, but then we want to pway. Will you pway with us?”

Benjy looked startled but quickly smiled. “I’d love to play with you and, uh, Wance.” He reached over and patted the bear’s head.

Tippy giggled and ducked her head. Benjy smiled again as he went to the sideboard to fill a plate. That task done, he came back and sat next to the bear. Tippy watched him covertly while he ate, An’gel was amused to note. The child seemed smitten with Benjy.

That was good. She hoped Benjy wouldn’t mind looking after Tippy while she and Dickce talked with Jacqueline. He really was a good-natured and kind young man.

“Where are Horace and Trey this morning?” Dickce asked.

Jacqueline stared blankly at her, and Dickce repeated the question. Jacqueline shrugged. “Horace had business in town, and I think Trey went with him.” She lapsed into silence and stared again at her plate.

An’gel finished her breakfast, and when Dickce did also, she rose from the table. “Jacqueline, why don’t we go into the parlor?” Her goddaughter obviously wasn’t going to eat the rest of her food, and they might as well talk. “Benjy will be happy to stay with Tippy.”

Jacqueline glanced at her granddaughter and Benjy and nodded. “Okay.” She stood and followed the sisters out of the room.

In the parlor An’gel took a seat on the sofa and patted the space beside her. Jacqueline did as she was bidden, and Dickce sat on the other side of her. Jacqueline leaned back, her eyes closed, and An’gel shared a glance with her sister.

“How are you doing?” An’gel asked. She knew the query was banal under the circumstances, but she had to start somewhere.

Jacqueline shrugged. Her eyes remained shut. “Okay, I guess. Mostly numb.”

“We are here to do whatever we can,” An’gel said. “This is a terrible time for you, and if we can ease your burdens in any way, please let us.”

“We’re so sorry,” Dickce said. “I know the words are inadequate, but we love you and want to support you.”

Jacqueline’s eyes opened, and An’gel was struck by her goddaughter’s bleak expression.

“Thank you,” Jacqueline said. “I keep thinking it’s a nightmare, and I’ll wake up any minute and Sondra will still be here with me.” Tears began to stream down.

An’gel moved closer and slipped an arm around her goddaughter’s shoulder. Jacqueline laid her head against An’gel’s shoulder and wept. Dickce clasped one of Jacqueline’s hands and stroked it.

An’gel did her best to choke back her own tears. Breaking down now would be of no help to Jacqueline. She and Dickce had to remain strong and contain their own sorrow in order to support Jacqueline and Tippy. An’gel wondered if Jacqueline had tried to explain the deaths of her mother and great-grandmother to the child.

Soon Jacqueline’s tears ended, and she straightened. An’gel released her and squeezed her shoulder. Jacqueline smiled weakly and fumbled in the pocket of her slacks for a handkerchief. She wiped her eyes and blew her nose delicately.

“How about some hot coffee?” An’gel said. “I think we could all use a little pick-me-up right about now.”

“Yes, thank you,” Jacqueline replied. “I’ll be all right. Caffeine will help.”