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Authors: Patricia Snodgrass
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such thing.”
“Say’s you. You’re meaner than any man I ever met.”
“Wait until you find out about your beloved Jake, then you’ll see.” Ruby glanced at Althea who sat staring defiantly ahead. “Maybe then you’ll believe me when I tell you he’s stepping out.”
“I’m sure I don’t know what you mean.”
“Yes you do, chere . Of course you do. Despite what you believe now, just remember this later... cherchez la femme .”
“Look for the mistress? Oh how sad. Jake loves only me.”
“Ask him about Matilda.”
“I have no intention of doing so. That car could have belonged to anybody. The boy you saw with Matilda could have been any number of sandy-headed boys. You know what’s she’s like.”
“Um hum. And I know what Jake’s like too.”
“You’re lying. You’re just saying that so I won’t go running after him.”
“You’ll see. If you don’t believe me now, you will later. I promise,” Ruby responded.
“We’ll just see about that.”
“Oh it will. Now hush, we’re here,” Ruby said as she pulled the Cadillac into the parking lot next to a black Lincoln Continental. “Now mind your manners and let me do all of the talking, you understand?”
“I understand. I understand you’re deceiving these people,” Althea grumbled. “You asked me if you ever lied to me. Until all of this phony bologna you’ve been doing with the Cathars I’m not sure anymore. You’re blowing money and putting on airs so badly that everyone in Barlow is laughing at you behind your back. After seeing all of this, how do you expect me to believe what you told me about Jake and Matilda?”
“How about you just call Matilda tomorrow when you get back from church and ask if you don’t believe me?” Ruby snorted. “She’ll tell you plenty alright and then she’ll laugh right in your face. I guarantee. . Maybe you’ll believe me then.”
“Oh I’ll call, don’t you worry about that,” Althea quipped. “Now, let’s get this foolishness of yours done and over with, so we can go home and I can get out of this ridiculous dress.”
Ruby raised her hand. Althea glared at her, her arched eyebrows raised, her expression defiant. “Don’t damage the goods,” she warned.
Ruby lowered her hand just as two men and a woman exited the restaurant and walked toward them. The older portly man increased his pace as he waved.
“Oh Lord, they’re coming over,” Ruby said as she plastered on a fake smile and returned the wave. “Behave yourself,” she hissed to Althea, “or so help me Mary and Joseph, I’ll pin your ears back when we get home.”
Althea said nothing as she watched the Cathars cross a small grassy patch and head toward the Caddy. Ruby fussed with her hair, then rolled the car window down just as the trio arrived.
“I see you finally found the prodigal daughter,” Mr. Cathar boomed as he opened the door for her mother. Althea’s door opened. She moved to step out, tripped and found herself in the arms of a remarkably handsome young man. Her heart skipped a beat. Is this the man she’s chosen for me ? She wondered. If it is, then Mom did good.
Ruby offered her daughter a smug look. Althea ignored it and stared up at Hank. He was tall, broad shouldered, with wavy blond hair and deep chocolate brown eyes. He had the same quizzical expression on his face as she. At this point Mrs. Cathar, a tall thin woman wearing a purple hat broke the silence.
“I see the children have met.” Mrs. Cathar laughed as she approached Hank. Hank, suddenly embarrassed, released Althea and she straightened, blushing.
Nervous, she touched her hair, wishing with all her heart that she had spent more time putting herself together.
“We shouldn’t be standing out here in this damp night air,” Mr. Cathar said, frankly regarding Althea’s chest. “We could all come down with something.”
“I’ll just bet,” Althea said, glaring at her future father-in-law.
At that point, Hank offered
“Say’s you. You’re meaner than any man I ever met.”
“Wait until you find out about your beloved Jake, then you’ll see.” Ruby glanced at Althea who sat staring defiantly ahead. “Maybe then you’ll believe me when I tell you he’s stepping out.”
“I’m sure I don’t know what you mean.”
“Yes you do, chere . Of course you do. Despite what you believe now, just remember this later... cherchez la femme .”
“Look for the mistress? Oh how sad. Jake loves only me.”
“Ask him about Matilda.”
“I have no intention of doing so. That car could have belonged to anybody. The boy you saw with Matilda could have been any number of sandy-headed boys. You know what’s she’s like.”
“Um hum. And I know what Jake’s like too.”
“You’re lying. You’re just saying that so I won’t go running after him.”
“You’ll see. If you don’t believe me now, you will later. I promise,” Ruby responded.
“We’ll just see about that.”
“Oh it will. Now hush, we’re here,” Ruby said as she pulled the Cadillac into the parking lot next to a black Lincoln Continental. “Now mind your manners and let me do all of the talking, you understand?”
“I understand. I understand you’re deceiving these people,” Althea grumbled. “You asked me if you ever lied to me. Until all of this phony bologna you’ve been doing with the Cathars I’m not sure anymore. You’re blowing money and putting on airs so badly that everyone in Barlow is laughing at you behind your back. After seeing all of this, how do you expect me to believe what you told me about Jake and Matilda?”
“How about you just call Matilda tomorrow when you get back from church and ask if you don’t believe me?” Ruby snorted. “She’ll tell you plenty alright and then she’ll laugh right in your face. I guarantee. . Maybe you’ll believe me then.”
“Oh I’ll call, don’t you worry about that,” Althea quipped. “Now, let’s get this foolishness of yours done and over with, so we can go home and I can get out of this ridiculous dress.”
Ruby raised her hand. Althea glared at her, her arched eyebrows raised, her expression defiant. “Don’t damage the goods,” she warned.
Ruby lowered her hand just as two men and a woman exited the restaurant and walked toward them. The older portly man increased his pace as he waved.
“Oh Lord, they’re coming over,” Ruby said as she plastered on a fake smile and returned the wave. “Behave yourself,” she hissed to Althea, “or so help me Mary and Joseph, I’ll pin your ears back when we get home.”
Althea said nothing as she watched the Cathars cross a small grassy patch and head toward the Caddy. Ruby fussed with her hair, then rolled the car window down just as the trio arrived.
“I see you finally found the prodigal daughter,” Mr. Cathar boomed as he opened the door for her mother. Althea’s door opened. She moved to step out, tripped and found herself in the arms of a remarkably handsome young man. Her heart skipped a beat. Is this the man she’s chosen for me ? She wondered. If it is, then Mom did good.
Ruby offered her daughter a smug look. Althea ignored it and stared up at Hank. He was tall, broad shouldered, with wavy blond hair and deep chocolate brown eyes. He had the same quizzical expression on his face as she. At this point Mrs. Cathar, a tall thin woman wearing a purple hat broke the silence.
“I see the children have met.” Mrs. Cathar laughed as she approached Hank. Hank, suddenly embarrassed, released Althea and she straightened, blushing.
Nervous, she touched her hair, wishing with all her heart that she had spent more time putting herself together.
“We shouldn’t be standing out here in this damp night air,” Mr. Cathar said, frankly regarding Althea’s chest. “We could all come down with something.”
“I’ll just bet,” Althea said, glaring at her future father-in-law.
At that point, Hank offered
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