Hell With the Lid Blown Off (3 page)

Beckie clasped her hands in front of her face, her blue eyes wide. “Randal is such a fine young man, Ruth! Of course, I am disposed to like anyone who brings my darling Wallace home for a visit!”

Randal placed his hand over his heart. “You are too kind, Miz MacKenzie.”

Wallace tossed his mane out of his eyes. “I hate to leave so precipitously, Ruth, but for some reason, Randal insists on a tour of Boynton before luncheon, even though I've warned him that there's nothing worth seeing.”

“Well, now, Wallace,” Randal protested, “it would be unspeakably rude to leave this lady's company just as I am making her acquaintance.”

“Oh, don't change your plans on my account!” Ruth's response sounded hasty, even to her. “We will have plenty of time to visit over the next few days.”

Wallace leaned over and kissed Beckie on the cheek. “Since we have Miz Tucker's permission, we'll take our leave, Grandmother. I don't expect this will take long, and we'll be back long before Marva finishes cooking dinner.”

Beckie MacKenzie

“Isn't this the most wonderful thing, Ruth dear?” Beckie said, after the young men had excused themselves.

“You must be very happy to see him. How long is he going to stay, did he say?”

The woman's face crumpled briefly as she pondered his departure. “Only a few days, I'm afraid. But you know young men. They must have their adventures. Besides, it may happen that we are drawn into the European war, and if that occurs, who knows what will happen? I feel that Wallace and his friend want to enjoy themselves while they can.”

“Won't you worry if Wallace goes for a soldier?”

“If war comes, my Wallace will do his duty. America will gain a fine, brave officer if he is called, you can be sure of that. It's in his blood.”

Beckie's father was born a Highlander, and according to her, he had also been a surgeon's assistant in the British Army and was a great hero in some European war. After which he had immigrated to America and become a surgeon for the Confederacy. Ruth doubted there was anybody in the county who hadn't heard Beckie's tales of his deeds and adventures, for she'd recount them to perfect strangers if she got the chance.

“I believe you have at least one brother of age, Ruth dear. Has he told you his plans should war come?” Beckie's expression made it plain that she thought all young men were bound to do their patriotic duty.

Ruth turned her head to look out the window. “My mother doesn't like war talk, ma'am, but if it happens, I think he would enlist, yes.” She didn't say what she thought about that.

Beckie nodded, looking grave. “And now back to the business of the day, Ruth dear. Marva has planned a wonderful dinner for us. But I'm afraid that Marva is leaving early tomorrow. What shall we do about a nice repast for Wallace and his friend, not to mention ourselves? Do you suppose that I could telephone the Palace Restaurant and ask them to deliver a meal tomorrow afternoon?”

“You certainly could, Miz Beckie, but why spend your money? I'd be more than happy to fix up something, and I'm sure Wallace and Mr. Wakefield would rather have a home-cooked meal after so many months of whatever alarming thing they've been eating at college. I know my brother Gee Dub was so underfed when he came home after his term was over that he had to stand in the same place twice just to cast a shadow.”

She expected a token argument, but Beckie accepted her offer with such alacrity that Ruth realized wryly that her landlady was hoping she would volunteer to cook. Ruth often made supper for the two of them, and she knew Beckie had a high opinion of her kitchen skills. Ruth wanted to do it, anyway. Cooking would give her an excuse not to socialize with Wallace and his friend until they actually sat down to eat. Ruth thought she might ask Marva's permission to prepare breakfast, dinner, and supper every day they were here, and clean up, as well.

“I'm sure I can fix something that will please your guests. Let's see. Does Wallace like pork chops and dressing, do you think?”

“Oh, my dear, pork chops are Wallace's favorite! And I must say that I quite enjoy them myself.”

“Perfect, then. When I come in from home in the morning I'll stop by Mr. Khouri's market and see if I can buy some good chops from him.” She had planned to stay over at Beckie's until after the church picnic on Sunday. But Wallace's arrival was making her reconsider that plan, which meant that she would be walking home after her last piano lesson this evening and walking back to town in the morning. “I only have two students coming tomorrow, so I plan to practice on the piano at the Masonic Hall for a little while more after they leave and before I start on the pork chops. I'd like to get better acquainted with that old upright before I have to play at the church picnic on Sunday.”

Beckie leaned forward and put her hand on Ruth's. “Why don't you invite your young man to supper tomorrow, Ruth dear? I'm sure Wallace would enjoy seeing his childhood friend.”

“You mean Trent? Miz Beckie, I told you…”

Beckie shushed her. “Don't fool with me, now. You do like him, don't you?”

Ruth felt herself blush. “Well, yes, I do, but I do not intend to be forward about it.”

“Why heaven forfend, Ruth dear! Just tell him that I'm inviting him for Wallace's sake.”

It was a transparent ruse, Ruth thought, but she said, “If I happen to run into Trent Calder beforehand, Miz Beckie, I'll mention that you suggested he come to supper.”

“Oh, good. Wallace will be glad to see him. Trent and Wallace played together some after Wallace first moved here.”

Ruth nodded, but didn't say that she doubted Wallace had spared Trenton Calder a thought in years.

Alafair Tucker

After her last student had finished his lesson late that afternoon, Ruth left Beckie to enjoy her visitors on her own, and walked the blustery, dusty, two miles from town back to her parents' house.

She was met at the gate by Bacon, the rambunctious, six-month-old pup who was the offspring of Shaw's prize hunting hound bitch, Buttercup, and the family's elderly shepherd mix, Charlie Dog. Bacon's littermates had all been pureblood English coonhounds, sired by Buttercup's hunting companion, Crook. But in spite of Shaw's diligence in keeping Buttercup penned the last time she was in heat, old Charlie Dog had managed one forbidden tryst. The pureblood pups had all been sold to eager hunters, but Shaw hadn't had the heart to drown the charming little mongrel. Besides, Grace took one look at the fluffy yellow scrap and called him Bacon (who knew why?) and just like that he was part of the family.

Grace, Chase Kemp, and Zeltha joined them halfway up the drive to the house, all chattering and skipping, as energetic as the puppy. By the time Ruth reached the picket fence that surrounded the house, she knew every detail of every event that had occurred on the farm that day.

She had walked into something of a family reunion. A picnic supper was in progress, and the entire Tucker clan was happily munching away at sandwiches, cold chicken, and potato salad.

Ruth's parents, Alafair and Shaw, were sitting side by side on the porch swing, and her four older sisters and their mates were arrayed across the porch in a semicircle of hard-backed kitchen chairs. Her two brothers, Gee Dub and Charlie, were splayed across the steps in loose-limbed comfort, leaving only a corner of the bottom step for the younger sisters, Blanche and Sophronia, to sit with their dinner plates on their laps. Three abandoned, fly-blown plates on the porch marked where the littlest ones had been sitting at the moment they spotted Ruth coming up the drive with Bacon romping beside her.

Grace flitted ahead and opened the picket gate for her, and Ruth waved as she walked through. “Hey, everybody!”

She was greeted by a chorus of “hey” and “howdy,” but only her mother was willing to put down her supper and walk down the path to meet her.

“What are you doing back here so soon, sweetie? I figured you'd spend the night in town.”

Ruth gave her mother a hug, then glared at the sky as though the wind was a personal affront. “I took a notion to come home tonight, Ma, but I kind of wish I hadn't now. It looks like it might rain and I don't fancy a muddy, wet, trip back into town in the morning.”

“I'm glad you did, darlin'. I miss your shining face when you're not here of a morning.”

They walked up onto the porch where Ruth hugged and kissed each relative in turn. Her eldest sister, Martha, raised her eyebrows. “If we'd known you aimed to walk back to the house tonight, Streeter and I could have given you a ride from town like we did Alice and Walter.” She nodded toward her fiancé's Model T Ford parked next to the fence.

“I didn't know I was going to until I did, Martha.” Ruth turned toward sister number three, lively, blue-eyed Alice, also expecting a blessed event any moment, and her husband Walter, the town barber. “I didn't expect to see you all out and about, Alice. Mercy, you look like you're about to pop!”

Both Alice and Walter laughed at Ruth's apt comment. “I feel I'm about to pop, Ruthie! We figured we'd better get out of the house while I can still walk.”

“Besides, we don't like to miss an opportunity to eat your ma's cooking,” Walter added with a wink.

Alafair accepted the compliment with a thin smile. Handsome, glib Walter Kelley was her least favorite son-in-law.

Ruth was quite aware of her mother's attitude and tried not to let her amusement show. “Is everybody going to the church picnic on Sunday?”

“We will,” Martha said, and was seconded by Phoebe and Mary. But Alice shrugged.

“I will if I can waddle over there. Else Walter may have to go by himself. I hope to have increased the population by one before then. Mercy, I don't know how much longer I can stand feeling like a heifer! How are you feeling, Phoebe, by the way? You haven't said ‘boo' since we got here.” Phoebe and Alice were fraternal twins, and both due to deliver before another month was out.

“Happy as a clam.” Phoebe sounded smug. “This second one is way easier than the first, if that's any comfort to you.”

Alice laughed. “I've forgotten what comfort is.”

Shaw stood up. “Come on, boys,” he said. “If the ladies are going to be discussing childbirth, I aim to be missing.” He raised the male half of the congregation with a gesture. “Let's mosey down to the stable and admire the stock.”

The gentlemen rose and ambled away in a group. Not to be left out, the five youngest children and their four canine companions followed along.

“Don't be gone long,” Alafair called after them. “We'll be making ice cream directly.” She took Ruth's arm. “Come on inside with me, sugar. You can help me mix up the custard.”

Alafair led her daughter into the house, through the newly mopped parlor and into the warm kitchen. “Sit down. I'll fix you a plate and you can eat while I cook up the makings for the ice cream. The girls will be glad to know you're back tonight. With you and Martha spending nights in town half the time, Grace wants to sleep with Blanche and not Sophronia and it's a big flapdoodle every night at bedtime until Mama or Daddy goes in there and knocks some heads together.”

Ruth laughed. “There are enough beds now that everybody could have her own.”

“That'd suit Blanche, but Grace will never have it.” She gave Ruth a knowing look as she set down a plate of cold chicken and potato salad and a big mug of milky coffee. “I admit I'm surprised to see you. I figured you'd spend the night in town. Did Miz Beckie do something to set your teeth on edge?”

Ruth took a bite of drumstick. “Oh, no. Wallace showed up today, along with some college friend of his. Randal, his name is. I thought I'd make myself scarce tonight.”

Alafair simply said, “Ah.” She was acquainted with Ruth's opinion of Wallace MacKenzie the Third.

“I'll confess,” Ruth continued, “if it was left to me, Wallace would make up with his father in Muskogee and not come home to Miz Beckie's at all. But Miz Beckie is so happy to see him again that I expect I can't begrudge her.”

Alafair busied herself with milk, sugar, and eggs for a moment. “If you feel uncomfortable in that house while Wallace and his friend are there, honey, maybe you'd better stay here until they leave. You know we'll carry you into town so you can teach your lessons whenever you need to.”

“Oh, that's not necessary, Mama. I'm sure Wallace doesn't have the slightest interest in me. I'm too common for the great MacKenzies. But he can't stand it that I don't think he's the finest young fellow in all Christendom. He's so used to worship and praise that he's downright insulted when he doesn't get it. I talked a while to his friend Randal and liked him, though. He seemed like a gentleman. No, I'll go back tomorrow, and it'll be fine. I offered to make pork chops and dressing for supper tomorrow. Miz Beckie told me I could invite Trent Calder. She's got it into her head that I'm partial to him. She is quite the matchmaker.” Ruth sounded amused.

Alafair lowered her head so Ruth wouldn't see her smile. She was inordinately pleased that Ruth liked Trenton Calder. She had always had a soft spot for the red-haired deputy, so serious and thoughtful. He had always been good to his mother, and in Alafair's opinion that was a strong predictor of an excellent husband.

And if any of her kids deserved an excellent husband, it was Ruth. Ruth was an affectionate girl. She had spent more of her childhood in someone's lap than any two of the others together, and still was ready with a hug and a kiss. Circumstance had put Ruth in an oddly singular position, the middlest of middle children, the sixth of ten living. The eldest four were all girls, and made as nice a little group as may be. The youngest three were also girls, a tight gang of playmates. But Ruth was born between the two boys. Her mother's knobby-kneed, long-limbed little tree-climber, with stubbed toes and scratches on her arms, who had loved to ride horses, and dance, and sing, and play the piano. Never lost among her horde of sisters and brothers, but always going her own way. Alafair smiled at the memory. When had she become this soft-voiced, elegant creature? They always grew up when you weren't looking. If someone had threatened to drown her if she didn't choose, she might, just might, say that of all her much-beloved children, Ruth was her favorite.