Read Online Wild Swans by Patricia Snodgrass - Free Book Online
Authors: Patricia Snodgrass
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what?”
“The wedding of course. The wedding of your dreams , remember?
“The Saint Bernard Cathedral.”
“But that’ll cost a fortune,” Althea exclaimed, “how in the world are you going to pay for it?”
“The money I got for the car will pay for it.”
“ Les boules .”
“Don’t be vulgar. It was only a car. I’ll get a new one.”
“Sure, when I marry money I’ll buy you a fleet of them.”
“Watch that sass, girl.”
“I’ll watch it as best as I can.”
Ruby scowled. They fell silent once again. Althea watched several cars pass.
“What do you think of Mr. Lindt?” Ruby asked after several minutes passed.
“He’s all right I guess. He’s old. Why, have you decided to marry me off to him in case this Cathar thing doesn’t work out?”
“Cally likes him,” Ruby replied, ignoring her daughter’s remark.
“She likes men period.”
“He seems like a decent enough sort. He’s quiet and polite, and very neat for a man. He doesn’t leave ashes and trash on the veranda like some of the other male occupants have in the past. I like that he doesn’t put on airs the way most Yankees do either,” Ruby noted.
“That’s about the nicest thing I’ve ever heard you say about a man. Are you interested?”
“Me?” Ruby asked, flustered. “No, of course not. I was just wondering what the two of you had your heads together about.”
“What about it?” Althea asked, suspicious. “You don’t honestly think he was hitting on me...do you?”
“Don’t be vulgar. And you still haven’t told me what the two of you were discussing so deeply on the porch.”
Althea started to say sex but knew it’d only irk her mother. Besides, Althea didn’t want Ruby any more paranoid than she was already. “We talked about me getting married. He thinks it’s a simply wonderful idea. In fact, he said that his marriage was arranged too.”
“Is that so? So where’s Madame de Lindt ?”
“She died.”
“Oh I’m sorry to hear that,” Ruby replied. “What did she die of?”
“Murder.”
“How perfectly dreadful.”
“But he did say he would never get married again.”
“Do tell. Cally will be disappointed.”
Althea relaxed and looked out at the darkness. “He told me that his people are different from most. He says they’re like wild swans.”
“Swans? That’s the silliest thing,” Ruby laughed. “How can people be like swans?”
“Mr. Lindt told me that swans mate for life and if one of them dies then the other spends the rest of his life alone.”
“How very sad,” Ruby said in a way that made Althea think that she wasn’t sad at all.
“But he told me that even though they’re separated by death, that everything God made isn’t permanent, not even death. Eventually the universe itself will crumble into dust, only to be reborn again and again. He seemed to take comfort in that notion. I thought it was kinda strange.”
The scowl came back. “He said that, did he?” Ruby harrumphed. “That sounds like fool talk from one of those egg-headed atheists who think we were descended from monkeys. You’re going to confession tomorrow, to confess your tryst with Jake and for listening to the ignorant prattle of a foolish old atheist.” She paused and added, “I wonder what Mrs. Bristow would think if she knew an atheist was residing under our roof? Maybe I should talk to her about that.”
“I don’t think Mr. Lindt is an atheist. I think his ideas might be peculiar but I don’t believe—”
“—you’re going to confession tomorrow and that’s an end to it. And quit talking to him. I was going to ask him to walk you down the aisle but now I’m glad I didn’t bother. I had no idea that he was a crazy man. Yes. I have half a mind to call Mrs. Bristow in the morning and let her know what kind of tenant she saddled us with.”
“He’s just a nice old man with different ideas. Can’t you believe for once a man can actually be kind?”
“There’s no
“The wedding of course. The wedding of your dreams , remember?
“The Saint Bernard Cathedral.”
“But that’ll cost a fortune,” Althea exclaimed, “how in the world are you going to pay for it?”
“The money I got for the car will pay for it.”
“ Les boules .”
“Don’t be vulgar. It was only a car. I’ll get a new one.”
“Sure, when I marry money I’ll buy you a fleet of them.”
“Watch that sass, girl.”
“I’ll watch it as best as I can.”
Ruby scowled. They fell silent once again. Althea watched several cars pass.
“What do you think of Mr. Lindt?” Ruby asked after several minutes passed.
“He’s all right I guess. He’s old. Why, have you decided to marry me off to him in case this Cathar thing doesn’t work out?”
“Cally likes him,” Ruby replied, ignoring her daughter’s remark.
“She likes men period.”
“He seems like a decent enough sort. He’s quiet and polite, and very neat for a man. He doesn’t leave ashes and trash on the veranda like some of the other male occupants have in the past. I like that he doesn’t put on airs the way most Yankees do either,” Ruby noted.
“That’s about the nicest thing I’ve ever heard you say about a man. Are you interested?”
“Me?” Ruby asked, flustered. “No, of course not. I was just wondering what the two of you had your heads together about.”
“What about it?” Althea asked, suspicious. “You don’t honestly think he was hitting on me...do you?”
“Don’t be vulgar. And you still haven’t told me what the two of you were discussing so deeply on the porch.”
Althea started to say sex but knew it’d only irk her mother. Besides, Althea didn’t want Ruby any more paranoid than she was already. “We talked about me getting married. He thinks it’s a simply wonderful idea. In fact, he said that his marriage was arranged too.”
“Is that so? So where’s Madame de Lindt ?”
“She died.”
“Oh I’m sorry to hear that,” Ruby replied. “What did she die of?”
“Murder.”
“How perfectly dreadful.”
“But he did say he would never get married again.”
“Do tell. Cally will be disappointed.”
Althea relaxed and looked out at the darkness. “He told me that his people are different from most. He says they’re like wild swans.”
“Swans? That’s the silliest thing,” Ruby laughed. “How can people be like swans?”
“Mr. Lindt told me that swans mate for life and if one of them dies then the other spends the rest of his life alone.”
“How very sad,” Ruby said in a way that made Althea think that she wasn’t sad at all.
“But he told me that even though they’re separated by death, that everything God made isn’t permanent, not even death. Eventually the universe itself will crumble into dust, only to be reborn again and again. He seemed to take comfort in that notion. I thought it was kinda strange.”
The scowl came back. “He said that, did he?” Ruby harrumphed. “That sounds like fool talk from one of those egg-headed atheists who think we were descended from monkeys. You’re going to confession tomorrow, to confess your tryst with Jake and for listening to the ignorant prattle of a foolish old atheist.” She paused and added, “I wonder what Mrs. Bristow would think if she knew an atheist was residing under our roof? Maybe I should talk to her about that.”
“I don’t think Mr. Lindt is an atheist. I think his ideas might be peculiar but I don’t believe—”
“—you’re going to confession tomorrow and that’s an end to it. And quit talking to him. I was going to ask him to walk you down the aisle but now I’m glad I didn’t bother. I had no idea that he was a crazy man. Yes. I have half a mind to call Mrs. Bristow in the morning and let her know what kind of tenant she saddled us with.”
“He’s just a nice old man with different ideas. Can’t you believe for once a man can actually be kind?”
“There’s no
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