Miss Julia Paints the Town (8 page)

All he did was laugh again. “Leonard and Helen? That would be one for the books, wouldn't it? LuAnne must really be distraught to come up with that.” He stood up and yawned. “It's time for bed, Julia. I'm about wiped out.”

I would think so,
I thought,
after the day you've put in.

As Sam checked the doors and turned off lights, I prepared for bed, trying to overcome the despair I felt. My hands shook and my chest tightened with anxiety, but my will, which had been sorely tested before, was gaining strength. I was now all but convinced that Sam was following the same road that Wesley Lloyd Springer had taken.

We got into bed, and Sam gave me a perfunctory good-night kiss before switching off the lamp. Then he turned over and told me he hoped I slept well. His breathing soon eased into a rhythm that should have lulled me into thinking that he had nothing on his conscience, but I lay there wondering how he could live, much less sleep, with such deception on his mind. I stared into the darkness, shoring up my determination to bide my time, say nothing, do nothing, until I had them both dead to rights.
Then
they'd see that they'd misjudged Julia Springer Murdoch. I would not be so easily fooled this time.

I turned over in the bed, wrapped the covers over my shoulders and determined anew to play my cards close to my chest, even though I was not a card-playing woman.

As the house settled into the stillness of night and Sam breathed softly beside me, I lay there, staring into the dark. Images of what Sam might have done or might still be doing flashed in my mind, as feelings of pain and betrayal and, yes, flat-out anger blazed through my heart.

Unable to stand it any longer, I flung off the covers and sprang up in bed.
“Sam Murdoch,”
I yelled, backhanding his shoulder,
“what were you doing at Helen's all day!”

Sam bolted straight up in the bed. “What? What is it?”

“I
said,
” I said, “how can you lie there sleeping like a baby, when I know what you've been doing? Did you think you could hide it? Don't you know that everybody in town saw your car? And ran as fast as they could to tell me? And did you think I'd just take it lying down? Well, think again, because I won't and I'm not.”

Sam reached over and switched on the lamp. “Julia, what in the world are you talking about?”

“Don't play innocent with me! You know what I'm talking about. I'm talking about
Helen
and what you were doing holed up with her all afternoon.” I took a deep breath that came out almost as a sob, making me even madder. It did me in that I couldn't control myself, especially when he put his arm around my shoulders.

“Is that what's bothering you?” he asked, in the most calming and understanding way, although his eyes were still heavy and unfocused. “You should know me better than that.”

“Well, I don't,” I said, shrugging off his arm. “And you can unhand me. I don't need patronizing, and I don't need a pat on the head. What I need is for you to explain yourself, and I needed it without having to drag it out of you.”

Sam yawned, then rubbed his hands across his face. “It's a long story. Can it wait till morning?”

Rearing back in disbelief, I threw back the covers and sprang out of bed, my long gown flowing. With my hands on my hips, I glared at him. “Oh, it certainly
can
wait till morning. In fact, it can wait forever as far as I'm concerned. I'm leaving!”

I turned and headed for the door, then stopped. “What am I doing? This is my house, so
you
can leave. Get up from there and go back to Helen's. I expect she's over there waiting for you, now that Richard's gone. Very conveniently, too, I might add.”

“Julia, my goodness, honey. What's gotten into you? Come on back to bed. I'm not interested in Helen, and she's not interested in me. Now come on over here and keep me warm.”

“I'm not about to. If you think I'm going to put up with another stunt like Wesley Lloyd pulled, you are dead wrong. I've had my fill of tom-catting husbands.”

Sam pushed back the covers and swung his feet to the floor. “I know you have, and you don't have one now.” He walked toward me as I eased backward. “Come tell me what's wrong.”

“What's
wrong
? Everything's wrong, and you know it.”

“No, I don't. Now, what's Helen done to upset you?” He reached my side as I turned and opened the door to the hall.

“You stay away from me, Sam Murdoch. I am not playing around. I'm serious about this. And it's not Helen who's done anything, it's you.”

Sam stood there, his hands spread and his face drawn with concern. “Tell me what I've done, and let me put it right.”

I thought I'd cry because he was so good and decent and honest. Still, he should've known what he'd done, and he should've known how badly I'd been burned once before.

My eyes filled with tears at the unfairness of it, as I stumbled out into the hall with Sam right behind me. I didn't know where I was going, but on my way I bumped into the Sheraton chair by the door. It fell over with a clatter, probably waking the whole house.

As I stood waiting to see if anybody had heard it, a door opened upstairs and Hazel Marie called out, “What's going on down there?”

Sam's arms wrapped around me from behind, and I leaned against him, wanting so badly to regain my trust in him. We stood there for a minute, hoping she'd go back to bed. “It's all right, Hazel Marie,” I called. “We just knocked over a chair.”

There was a second of silence, then she gave a little laugh. “Well, I'd keep it in the bedroom if I were you.” Then her door closed.

“Good idea,” Sam whispered. “Come on now. Lloyd'll be the next one if you keep this up.”

“All right,” I conceded, not wanting the boy to be disturbed. “But this is not over and I'm not changing my mind.”

“I know, but come on.”

I let Sam lead me back to the bedroom, where I meekly crawled into bed. My feet were freezing.

“Now,” he said, getting in beside me and scrooching up close, “listen to me. If it's Helen you're concerned about, I am not interested in her or any other woman. I've got more than I can handle right here.” He turned my face so I had to look at him, then whispered in the most loving manner, “Don't you know that?”

I pulled back and pushed him away. “I don't know anything that I thought I knew. You spent the day with her when she wouldn't see anybody else. And you've been out of touch all day, eating at the Bluebird and volunteering me to the commissioners and visiting Helen. And what's worse, you told about everything but her when you got home.” I lifted my head and glared at him. “How long were you going to keep me in the dark? Did you think I'd put up with it like I did with Wesley Lloyd? Well, I'll tell you this, Sam Murdoch, if you want to go after Helen Stroud, then you can just keep going. You can move in with Leonard Conover, for all I care, and chase all the women you want.”

I thought he was going to laugh, but he pulled himself together and said, “My chasing days are over since I've caught the only woman I want. But here's the story: I went to Helen's because she called and asked me to come over. She wanted some legal advice without going downtown to an attorney where everybody would know about it. She's very upset and rightly so, since she doesn't know where Richard is or what he's done. She called me as a friend who could advise her, hopefully without stirring up more gossip.”

My mouth tightened. “Uh-huh, and don't you know that's the oldest ploy in the book? A distressed woman, leaning on an old friend. I would never have thought it of Helen, much less that you would fall for it.”

Sam put his hand on my cheek. “Sweetheart, where did all this come from? Don't you know you can trust me? I'm married to the only woman I care about. Why would I risk losing you?”

“I don't know, but you've certainly run that risk today.”

Sam smiled and kissed my hair. “Yeah, I guess I have, but you don't have to worry about me. I am as true to you as the day is long, because I love you. It's as simple as that.”

“Well,” I said, picking at the sheet as my anger began to melt away, “well, why didn't you tell me what you were doing? All I could think of was that you were keeping it from me because you had something to hide.”

“I should've told you, even though Helen didn't want anybody to think she needed a lawyer. She thought it might damage Richard, if he's ever located. Of course, I'm not bound by the rules of confidentiality now that I'm not practicing, but I was trying to respect her wishes.”

“You didn't count on LuAnne Conover, did you?”

“Is that who told you?” Sam laughed again and pulled me close. “I'm surprised she was the only one. See, honey, that ought to prove I wasn't trying to hide anything—parking my car in plain view of anybody who came by. Now listen, my advice to Helen was to get a good lawyer, maybe in Asheville where no one knows her.” Sam rubbed his hand along my arm, making me feel warm and comforted. “You still mad at me?”

I turned my face into his chest. “I'm not really mad at you,” I mumbled, then resorted to the most guilt-inducing justification I could think of. “I'm just hurt.”

“I'm sorry,” he said, leaning his face on my head. “I'm really sorry to put you through all this, but I just didn't think it was all that important. I get asked for legal advice all the time—on the street, over the telephone, at parties and you name it. I don't tell you about them because they're mostly petty or sordid little problems that take care of themselves. And if they don't, I give them the same advice I gave Helen: Go see a lawyer.

“So I want you to forget all this and trust me. I'm not doing anything I shouldn't be doing, and I'm certainly not tomcatting around.”

“Well, I can't help it if I thought you were. Anybody would. Ever since LuAnne told me about seeing your car over there, I have been torn apart. Then when you didn't say a word about it, I thought it was Wesley Lloyd all over again.”

“Let me tell you something,” Sam said, pulling me up to look in my face. “I am not Wesley Lloyd, never have been and never will be. Do you believe that?”

I leaned against him with infinite relief. “Yes, and I thank the Lord for it.”

Then he began whispering a few sweet words that, after a while, warmed and comforted my sore heart.

So I slept the sleep of the pacified, at least for a few hours. The next morning, though, it was a different story for the seeds of doubt had been sown. Oh, I was nine-tenths convinced that Sam was as faithful as any man can be, which is probably not saying much for any of them. It was that leftover one-tenth that continued to niggle away at me. Because, tell me this: Did it take all afternoon to advise Helen to go see a practicing attorney?

“Miss Julia? This is Tonya.”

“Oh, Tonya, any news?” I quickly prepared myself to hear the worst. Why else would she be calling at seven-thirty in the morning while we were getting ready for Sunday school and church?

“Not one word,” Tonya said, sighing. “We don't know what to think, although I've told Mother that as long as his body's not found, we have reason to hope.”

“How is Mildred?” I asked. “I can come over after church if you need me.”

“Oh, do come over any time you can. Visitors are a distraction for her. They keep her from dwelling on all the terrible possibilities. Actually, that's why I'm calling. I am just torn in two, because weeks ago I promised a friend to help him set up a shop he's opening in Charleston. He wants me to arrange the displays and the windows and so on, since I've had some experience doing that. In fact, I was in New York on a buying trip for him and had planned to fly from there to Charleston to help him. Of course, I had to cut it short, and now Kevin's pulling his hair out, just frantic because he's already advertised the opening date which is the day after tomorrow. But Mother needs me here, and I hate to leave without knowing what's happened to Daddy. I'm just in agony over what to do.”

“That is a problem,” I said, thinking that Kevin could just go on pulling his hair out if I'd had to make the decision. “But Charleston's not all that far. You could be back in a few hours if there's any news. And Ida Lee will be there with your mother.”

“Well, that's just it. We had to take Ida Lee to the hospital about four o'clock this morning.”

“My word, what happened?”

“She was sitting with Mother last night, but when she got up to get her something, she fainted dead away. We called the doctor and he put her right in the hospital. They'll be doing some tests today. So if I leave, Mother will be all by herself, and to tell the truth, I'm worried about her state of mind. So I wanted to ask you…”

Oh my,
I thought, knowing what was coming.

“Would you mind coming over and spending the night with her? There's so much to do here today that I can't leave until late this afternoon. But I'll be back tomorrow night.”

“Well, my goodness,” I said, not particularly wanting to, but unable to think of a good excuse for refusing. I couldn't possibly admit that I didn't want to leave Sam on his own. “Well, I guess I could since it's just one night.”

“Oh, thank you. That is such a relief. I know I should stay here with her. She's really upset with me, but Kevin is losing his mind and begging me to come. And I ought to be at the hospital for Ida Lee, too. I feel pulled in a dozen different directions, but when it rains, it pours, doesn't it?”

“That's true. Now, when do you want me, Tonya?”

“Why don't you plan to come for dinner? There's plenty of food, so don't worry about that. And I'll leave then so we can get an early start at the shop in the morning. I told Kevin I'd give him eight hours, no more, then I had to get back here.” Tonya stopped, then said, “Of course, if there's word from Daddy today—good or bad, I guess—I won't go at all. Kevin will have to manage on his own.”

At church, Pastor Ledbetter led the congregation in prayer for Horace and Mildred, even though neither was there to hear it. He didn't mention Helen or Richard except in a roundabout way, asking the Lord's attention to the weak, the fallen and the heavy-laden, but we knew who he was talking about.

Even so, there was no word from or about Horace, or about Richard for that matter, all that day. After lunch, Hazel Marie and I visited with Mildred in the early afternoon, but we didn't stay long. Since I'd be spending the night, I saw no need to hang around all day, too. There were still people in and out of Mildred's house, but with no news coming in, the number of visitors had slacked off considerably. Abbotsvillians were very good about offering immediate help, but when the need began to drag on for days, why, they had other matters to tend to.

“Hazel Marie,” I said as we walked home, “if it keeps on the way it's going, Mildred will soon be agonizing over Horace's fate all by herself.”

“I know, and don't think she hasn't noticed, either. She's keeping a list of who's visiting today. I saw it when you went out to the kitchen with Tonya.”

“Well, if that's the case, I'm glad we went over, even though I'd think my staying all night would count for several daytime visits. Mildred has to realize that people have short attention spans, especially when nothing's happening. When they find Horace, in whatever condition he's in, they'll come swarming back.”

“Speaking of spending the night,” Hazel Marie said as we turned into our yard, “why don't I go with you? I'm not sure I want you and Mildred in that big house by yourselves.”

“Well, speaking of that, I've already made arrangements, or had them made for me. Lillian hit the roof when she heard I'd be spending the night, and she put her foot down. She says she's going with me, especially since Ida Lee won't be there. And it's probably a good idea with all that food that's going to waste. Lillian will know what to throw out and what will last a few more days.”

“What about Latisha? She's not going, is she?”

I stopped as we reached the back door and smiled. “Lord, no. Can't you just imagine Mildred and Latisha together? But, as a matter of fact, I sort of volunteered you and Sam to look after her. So she'll be spending the night here, if that's all right with you.”

“Of course it is.”

“I know I should've asked you first, but nothing was going to deter Lillian so I had to work something out in a hurry. Now, listen, Hazel Marie, I want you to have something to do after dinner tonight so that Sam will have to help Latisha with her numbers. That's what she's studying now, and he'll be good help.”

Hazel Marie grinned. “Are you saying he'd be better than me?”

“No, no, Latisha's only learning her 'teens, according to Lillian, so you'd be fine with that. It's just that Sam needs something to occupy his mind.” And his time, I might've added but didn't.

Late that afternoon, Lillian and I headed out for Mildred's house, carrying our overnight bags. Or rather, I was carrying mine, while Lillian had her things in a paper sack from the grocery store.

“I hope Miss Hazel Marie don't burn nothin',” Lillian said, as we walked along the sidewalk. “She get to talkin' an' forget about what's on the stove. I wish we coulda waited till I had supper ready for Mr. Sam an' Lloyd.”

“You did have it ready, which you didn't have to do on a Sunday. All Hazel Marie has to do is heat it up.”

“Yessum, that's what worryin' me.”

I stopped as we came to Mildred's long driveway. “Would you look at that.”

“What? I don't see nothin'.”

“That's just it. Nobody's here. There's Tonya's car and nobody else's. I thought there'd be a few people still around to help us through the evening.”

“I 'spect they got they own fam'lies to tend to.”

We began the long walk up the driveway, as I began to dread the interminable night ahead of us. There would be several hours of entertaining Mildred—providing distraction, as Tonya had called it—then the night in a strange bed, if not in a chair at Mildred's bedside.

“I just thought of something,” I said, coming to a stop as we reached the corner of the house. “Tonya didn't mention this, but I guess we're in for all day tomorrow as well as tonight.”

“Why you say that? She jus' say spend the night.”

“Yes, but she won't be back till late tomorrow, so unless I can find us some substitutes, I think we're here for the duration.”

Mildred answered the door, for what was probably the first time in her life. For a woman who, even temporarily, had lost her husband, she looked remarkably composed and put together.

“Oh, Julia,” she said, pulling me inside, “I'm so glad you've come. And you, too, Lillian. You're both so sweet to keep me company tonight. You know I've never spent a night alone in my life, and I just couldn't face this one by myself.” Tears gathered in her eyes as her composure melted away. “I can't understand why Tonya would want to leave me at this terrible time.”

Before I could answer, Tonya, herself, came hurrying down the stairs. She was wearing a spring green pantsuit with a loosely woven turtleneck sweater underneath. Her high heels clattered on the parquet floor of the foyer. Once Tony had remade himself into a woman, he never missed a chance to dress the part, and I mean dress in the most fashionable way possible. Of course as a young man, he'd come quite close to crossing the line from the fashionable to the overly dramatic. I recalled his white linen suits in the summertime and the velvet cape he wore with such flair in the winter. Of course, his way of dressing only confirmed our suspicions that the boy had tendencies. But we never spoke of them, nor did we ever expect him to act on them. Considering all the possible outcomes, surgical intervention had probably been a good thing.

“I can't thank you enough, Miss Julia,” Tonya said. “And you, too, Lillian. I know Mother will be in good hands.” She leaned over and kissed Mildred's cheek. “Call me if you hear anything from Daddy. But I'll be back before you turn around.”

And off she went without giving her mother a chance to delay her. But for the rest of the evening, Mildred had plenty to say about children who didn't put their parents above all other considerations. She even went so far as to mention the sharpness of a serpent's tooth. Mildred had a way of feeling put upon if anybody's wishes came before hers, so I spent a good deal of time defending Tonya, even though I didn't especially feel that she deserved it.

But as the evening wore on, I began to think that Tonya had made the right decision. Mildred would've taken over every minute of her life if she'd been allowed to. That's what had happened to Horace, and look what had come of it. And, it occurred to me as we ate the dinner that Lillian put together from the condolence dishes, Mildred might easily try the same thing with me. She was not a woman who enjoyed her own company.

Well, I assured myself, that was not going to happen. One night and possibly part of the next day would be my contribution to friendship, then that was it. I had problems of my own to see to, and there was no way I was going to be at Mildred's beck and call, leaving Sam to go and come as he pleased. Or as Helen pleased.