Read Online The Angel Whispered Danger by Mignon F. Ballard - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Mignon F. Ballard
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woman in a pale blue blouse and darker denim skirt stepped out from behind the wheel, glanced up at the house and waved.
We waved back. “Who’s that?” I asked, trying not to be obvious.
Marge grinned. “Looks like Belinda Donahue, Uncle Ernest’s new lady friend,” she whispered. “Bet he invited her to join us tonight and never thought to call and cancel after what happened to Ella.” Extending a hand, she started to meet her, and the two stood talking quietly together at the foot of the steps until Hartley abandoned the game with his dad and ran toward the house clutching a delicate part of his anatomy.
“Mama, I gotta pee!” he shouted, pushing past the two woman and charging up the steps with his red-faced father in pursuit.
“Oh, my goodness, you’ll have to excuse him! I’m sorry.” Marge laughed in spite of herself, and so did the rest of us.
“Please don’t be! I was feeling rather like an intruder after learning of your family’s sudden tragedy, but I must admit, I feel a bit more at ease now.” The newcomer composed herself and followed Marge to the shady end of the porch where I introduced myself and offered her a seat in one of the rocking chairs.
“Thank you, but I won’t stay long.” Belinda perched on the edge of the seat as if she might take off in flight at any second. “Didn’t realize about poor Ella . . . oh, I do hope she’ll be all right!” She looked at each of us in turn. “Is there anything I can do? Anything at all?”
“You can stay and have supper with us,” Marge said. “With three of us at the hospital with Ella we’ll have more barbecue than we need.”
“Oh dear, no. I couldn’t.” Belinda inched even closer to the edge of the chair. “I told Ernest this reunion was a time for family, but he insisted I come.”
“I expect he’d welcome your company at the hospital then,” I said. “There’s really no need for him to wear himself out over there. Maybe you can talk him into coming home.”
She smiled and placed her hands on the arms of the chair, preparing to leave. “I’ll see what I can do.”
“But first won’t you stay just a minute and say hello to Ma Maggie and Violet? They’re upstairs in Ella’s rooms getting together some things she might need, and I know they’d be disappointed not to see you.” Marge sneaked a glance at me and I knew what she was up to. Our grandmother would be royally pissed if she missed a chance to size up Uncle Ernest’s new girlfriend.
Deedee excused herself to find more folding chairs and I was left alone with our visitor while Marge went to look for Violet and Ma Maggie. Belinda Donahue was a dainty, small-boned woman blessed with that rare complexion that seems to age well. I guessed she must be at least fifty or more, but I could see no signs of wrinkles, and I suspected that her hair, so fair it was almost silver, had been professionally tinted its original color. She wore tiny silver earrings in the likeness of owls and a plain gold band swung from a chain around her neck.
“My grandmother’s,” she explained when she saw me looking at it. “She had such small hands, I can’t wear it.” Her own fingers, I noticed, were bare, but I could see indications that she once wore a ring on the third finger of her left hand.
Belinda seemed eager to leave and a bit uncomfortable exchanging small talk while we waited, so I was glad when Ma Maggie and Violet joined us.
“I’m so glad you came,” my grandmother told her. “Ernest was in such a dither when he left, I’m not surprised he didn’t think to call you, but if you’re going by the hospital, I’d appreciate it if you’d take some of poor Ella’s things—her hairbrush and nighties, and whatever that is she soaks her teeth in.”
From the way poor Ella looked when I last saw her, I doubted if she would be needing anything like that for a while, but at least it gave Ma Maggie and Violet something to do, and Belinda said she’d be glad
We waved back. “Who’s that?” I asked, trying not to be obvious.
Marge grinned. “Looks like Belinda Donahue, Uncle Ernest’s new lady friend,” she whispered. “Bet he invited her to join us tonight and never thought to call and cancel after what happened to Ella.” Extending a hand, she started to meet her, and the two stood talking quietly together at the foot of the steps until Hartley abandoned the game with his dad and ran toward the house clutching a delicate part of his anatomy.
“Mama, I gotta pee!” he shouted, pushing past the two woman and charging up the steps with his red-faced father in pursuit.
“Oh, my goodness, you’ll have to excuse him! I’m sorry.” Marge laughed in spite of herself, and so did the rest of us.
“Please don’t be! I was feeling rather like an intruder after learning of your family’s sudden tragedy, but I must admit, I feel a bit more at ease now.” The newcomer composed herself and followed Marge to the shady end of the porch where I introduced myself and offered her a seat in one of the rocking chairs.
“Thank you, but I won’t stay long.” Belinda perched on the edge of the seat as if she might take off in flight at any second. “Didn’t realize about poor Ella . . . oh, I do hope she’ll be all right!” She looked at each of us in turn. “Is there anything I can do? Anything at all?”
“You can stay and have supper with us,” Marge said. “With three of us at the hospital with Ella we’ll have more barbecue than we need.”
“Oh dear, no. I couldn’t.” Belinda inched even closer to the edge of the chair. “I told Ernest this reunion was a time for family, but he insisted I come.”
“I expect he’d welcome your company at the hospital then,” I said. “There’s really no need for him to wear himself out over there. Maybe you can talk him into coming home.”
She smiled and placed her hands on the arms of the chair, preparing to leave. “I’ll see what I can do.”
“But first won’t you stay just a minute and say hello to Ma Maggie and Violet? They’re upstairs in Ella’s rooms getting together some things she might need, and I know they’d be disappointed not to see you.” Marge sneaked a glance at me and I knew what she was up to. Our grandmother would be royally pissed if she missed a chance to size up Uncle Ernest’s new girlfriend.
Deedee excused herself to find more folding chairs and I was left alone with our visitor while Marge went to look for Violet and Ma Maggie. Belinda Donahue was a dainty, small-boned woman blessed with that rare complexion that seems to age well. I guessed she must be at least fifty or more, but I could see no signs of wrinkles, and I suspected that her hair, so fair it was almost silver, had been professionally tinted its original color. She wore tiny silver earrings in the likeness of owls and a plain gold band swung from a chain around her neck.
“My grandmother’s,” she explained when she saw me looking at it. “She had such small hands, I can’t wear it.” Her own fingers, I noticed, were bare, but I could see indications that she once wore a ring on the third finger of her left hand.
Belinda seemed eager to leave and a bit uncomfortable exchanging small talk while we waited, so I was glad when Ma Maggie and Violet joined us.
“I’m so glad you came,” my grandmother told her. “Ernest was in such a dither when he left, I’m not surprised he didn’t think to call you, but if you’re going by the hospital, I’d appreciate it if you’d take some of poor Ella’s things—her hairbrush and nighties, and whatever that is she soaks her teeth in.”
From the way poor Ella looked when I last saw her, I doubted if she would be needing anything like that for a while, but at least it gave Ma Maggie and Violet something to do, and Belinda said she’d be glad
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