Dead With The Wind

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.”

An’gel rose from the couch. “I’ll see if there’s enough in the pot in the dining room. If not, I’ll go ask Estelle for a fresh one.”

Jacqueline rose as well. “I think I’ll go wash my face in the powder room. I’ll be right back.” She hurried from the room.

“The poor child.” Dickce frowned. “Sister, do you think it’s odd that she hasn’t mentioned Mireille? She said she keeps thinking she’ll wake up and Sondra will be here. But what about her mother?”

“Yes, I noticed that,” An’gel said. “I wouldn’t reflect too much on it. She’s been hit so hard by all this I doubt she realized what she said. I’ll be back soon.”

She strode from the room and crossed the hall to the dining room. Benjy and Tippy were gone, probably upstairs so that Benjy could introduce Peanut and Endora to the child. Playing with the dog and cat ought to keep Tippy occupied for a while. She checked the coffeepot, found it cold and nearly empty. Then she noticed that nothing had been cleared from the table. She left the room and walked down the hall to the kitchen.

As she neared a large marble-top table along the wall, An’gel glanced down and spotted a small piece of something white. She stooped to retrieve it. About the size of three quarters, it was a jagged-edge piece of satin. An’gel frowned. A piece of the wedding gown that Sondra had ripped apart.

She heard the door to the powder room open, and she thrust the scrap of fabric into the sleeve of her dress. She didn’t want Jacqueline to see it and be distressed at the reminder of the incident that had brought on her mother’s collapse.

“No coffee in the dining room,” An’gel said as her goddaughter approached her. “I’ll check with Estelle and be back soon.”

Jacqueline nodded and walked past her, shoulders slumped and head at a dejected angle.

An’gel trod on to the kitchen. She found it deserted, but there was a full pot of coffee in the coffeemaker. She quickly prepared a tray and filled a carafe with coffee. She carried the tray to the front parlor. As she stepped inside the room, she heard the trill of a cell phone.

Jacqueline fumbled in her slacks pocket and extracted a phone. An’gel noticed that her goddaughter’s hands trembled as she stared at the screen. After a moment of seeming indecision, Jacqueline answered the call.

An’gel set the tray on the table in front of the sofa and began to pour coffee into the three mugs.

“I see. You’re absolutely sure?” Jacqueline said after a moment. “Yes, thank you. Don’t do anything until you hear from me.” She thanked the caller again and ended the conversation. Her hand trembled even more noticeably as she set her phone down on the table next to the tray.

“What’s the matter?” An’gel was alarmed by Jacqueline’s expression. Her goddaughter looked ill.

“That was the mechanic about Sondra’s car,” Jacqueline said, her voice shrill. “He says the brake line was deliberately cut.”