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Authors: Charlaine Harris
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his wife’s name – oh, didn’t you go to Miss Beacham’s?’
Bewildered by the abrupt change of subject, I nodded.
‘Theo’s wife is Sarah Chase Beacham.’
‘Miss Beacham has relatives?’ I said in amazement.
‘Well, a brother anyway,’ Barbara said. She was beginning to smile again. Stan took her glass and his own to get a refill, but I shook my head when he gestured toward mine. ‘Sarah Chase’s father is Miss Beacham’s brother. He’s in education too. I think he’s dean of men at Pine Valley Methodist College, and Sarah’s brother is a high school principal somewhere, and she herself used to teach. But with this illness of Nell’s – well, Sarah Chase just had to quit work. She’s changed beyond recognition. She’s older than you, so I doubt she was at Miss Beacham’s when you and Mimi were.’
I peered over at the woman again, trying to recall her face. Now that I knew her story, I thought I detected the lines of care, the grayness, that marked her features prematurely. But I didn’t think I’d seen Sarah Chase Cochran, née Beacham, before. When Stan returned with two full glasses, I took my leave and began circulating through the crowd. Mimi made her way toward me with a man in tow. He was tall and solid, with heavy blunt features and a sensuous mouth. Her face looked more alive, more animated, than it had since I’d come home.
‘Nickie, this is Charles Seward, young lawyer-about-town,’ she said lightly. ‘Charles, Nickie Callahan, my oldest and dearest.’ But I noticed that while one small hand lay relaxed on his arm, the other hand at her side was clenched in a tight fist. She was afraid I’d judge him as harshly as I’d judged the others.
She fluttered off immediately after the introduction, a technique of hers with which I was familiar. I called it (very much to myself) ‘Make Them Seek,’ and I’d never been sure if the practice was conscious or unconscious on her part.
‘I’ve heard a lot about you, Nickie,’ Charles Seward said pleasantly.
He couldn’t know that was my least-favorite conversation opener, of course. I ordered myself to overlook it and find some pluses in a hurry.
The young lawyer was tall, even taller than Cully, so I knew he was a recent arrival. (Late for Mimi’s party – a minus, unless he had an acceptable excuse.) He was quite an attractive man, I thought. His brown hair was prematurely thin on top, but that gave him an air of gravity becoming to a man of law. His light-blue eyes looked even lighter against his deep tan.
‘Have you known Mimi long?’ I asked cautiously. I can converse in platitudes as well as the next person.
‘Long enough to wish I was living here with her, instead of you,’ he said. Right to the heart of the matter.
‘Whoosh,’ I said, and rubbed my stomach.
‘I’ve been waiting four years for that creep Richard to leave. Before that I waited for Gerald to leave. What do you think my chances are?’
‘There’s nothing like getting down to brass tacks,’ I muttered. Why hadn’t he stuck to platitudes? ‘Well, do you think you could hold off until I finish college?’ I asked half-seriously. ‘I just moved in, and I hate the thought of changing addresses so soon.’
‘Sorry,’ he said, without a trace of sincerity. ‘I tried to catch hold of Mimi after she divorced Gerald, but I bided my time, since I thought she needed some breathing space. That bastard Richard hopped in and whisked her off before my eyes. I told myself then that if I got a chance, I was jumping in with both feet. And I have. And I’m sticking.’ He looked unnervingly determined.
Mimi’s bruised ego made her a pretty susceptible woman right now. I hoped Charles Seward was the right man for her – because with his looks and his flattering determination, I figured Mimi might be a goner.
Charles grinned at me suddenly, and I blinked. If he wasn’t so set on Mimi . . . I could see the young lawyer’s attraction, yes
Bewildered by the abrupt change of subject, I nodded.
‘Theo’s wife is Sarah Chase Beacham.’
‘Miss Beacham has relatives?’ I said in amazement.
‘Well, a brother anyway,’ Barbara said. She was beginning to smile again. Stan took her glass and his own to get a refill, but I shook my head when he gestured toward mine. ‘Sarah Chase’s father is Miss Beacham’s brother. He’s in education too. I think he’s dean of men at Pine Valley Methodist College, and Sarah’s brother is a high school principal somewhere, and she herself used to teach. But with this illness of Nell’s – well, Sarah Chase just had to quit work. She’s changed beyond recognition. She’s older than you, so I doubt she was at Miss Beacham’s when you and Mimi were.’
I peered over at the woman again, trying to recall her face. Now that I knew her story, I thought I detected the lines of care, the grayness, that marked her features prematurely. But I didn’t think I’d seen Sarah Chase Cochran, née Beacham, before. When Stan returned with two full glasses, I took my leave and began circulating through the crowd. Mimi made her way toward me with a man in tow. He was tall and solid, with heavy blunt features and a sensuous mouth. Her face looked more alive, more animated, than it had since I’d come home.
‘Nickie, this is Charles Seward, young lawyer-about-town,’ she said lightly. ‘Charles, Nickie Callahan, my oldest and dearest.’ But I noticed that while one small hand lay relaxed on his arm, the other hand at her side was clenched in a tight fist. She was afraid I’d judge him as harshly as I’d judged the others.
She fluttered off immediately after the introduction, a technique of hers with which I was familiar. I called it (very much to myself) ‘Make Them Seek,’ and I’d never been sure if the practice was conscious or unconscious on her part.
‘I’ve heard a lot about you, Nickie,’ Charles Seward said pleasantly.
He couldn’t know that was my least-favorite conversation opener, of course. I ordered myself to overlook it and find some pluses in a hurry.
The young lawyer was tall, even taller than Cully, so I knew he was a recent arrival. (Late for Mimi’s party – a minus, unless he had an acceptable excuse.) He was quite an attractive man, I thought. His brown hair was prematurely thin on top, but that gave him an air of gravity becoming to a man of law. His light-blue eyes looked even lighter against his deep tan.
‘Have you known Mimi long?’ I asked cautiously. I can converse in platitudes as well as the next person.
‘Long enough to wish I was living here with her, instead of you,’ he said. Right to the heart of the matter.
‘Whoosh,’ I said, and rubbed my stomach.
‘I’ve been waiting four years for that creep Richard to leave. Before that I waited for Gerald to leave. What do you think my chances are?’
‘There’s nothing like getting down to brass tacks,’ I muttered. Why hadn’t he stuck to platitudes? ‘Well, do you think you could hold off until I finish college?’ I asked half-seriously. ‘I just moved in, and I hate the thought of changing addresses so soon.’
‘Sorry,’ he said, without a trace of sincerity. ‘I tried to catch hold of Mimi after she divorced Gerald, but I bided my time, since I thought she needed some breathing space. That bastard Richard hopped in and whisked her off before my eyes. I told myself then that if I got a chance, I was jumping in with both feet. And I have. And I’m sticking.’ He looked unnervingly determined.
Mimi’s bruised ego made her a pretty susceptible woman right now. I hoped Charles Seward was the right man for her – because with his looks and his flattering determination, I figured Mimi might be a goner.
Charles grinned at me suddenly, and I blinked. If he wasn’t so set on Mimi . . . I could see the young lawyer’s attraction, yes
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