Julia 03 - Miss Julia Throws a Wedding (9 page)

We smiled at each other, both of us pleased with our management strategy and how well we worked together. It’s never too early to teach a child the ins and outs of business. Although Little Lloyd’s first lesson was going to cost me an arm and a leg to fence the place in. Still, there was some satisfaction in knowing that I was thinking of doing something that Wesley Lloyd wouldn’t’ve done in a million years.

We were on the other side of Delmont by the time Little Lloyd worked himself up to another worry.

“Miss Julia? I bet I know who’s doing all that stealing.”

“Who?”

“I bet it’s that ole Dixon Hightower, don’t you?”

Chapter 8

That night, as Lillian cleared the table before serving her lemon chiffon pie, I brought my guests up to date on what Hazel Marie and I had accomplished during the day.

Then Binkie got down to business. “So what’s left to do, Miss Julia? Sounds like everything’s about done.”

“Not even halfway,” I said. “We’ve been on the phone all day, and everybody we’ve talked to is coming. But, I’ll tell you something, Binkie, there’re people you’ve overlooked, like the sheriff, for instance. And what about a county commissioner or two and some of the judges you know? You have to think of your future, both of you. You may not be particularly close to these people, but they’ll consider it an honor to be asked and they’ll remember it. They can do you good down the line.”

Binkie twisted her mouth, but finally gave in. “I hate to ask them just because I’m supposed to, but okay. That’ll bring the count up to fifty or sixty, though. Can we get all of them in here?”

“I’m sure we can. The living room will be a nice-sized room, once I have the furniture moved out. You’ll be surprised how much space we’ll have with that heavy sofa gone, the chairs and that huge desk. And the whatnot that I’ve been wanting rid of ever since Wesley Lloyd insisted on putting it in there. I intend to move everything out to make room for the chairs and piano. That rental place closed at one o’clock today and I
had to track the man down at home. He was pleasant enough when he heard what all I wanted to order.”

Hazel Marie, her face glowing in the light of the candles on the table, said, “We’re going to set up the chairs so there’s an aisle for you to walk down, Binkie.” Mr. Pickens sat across from her, his black eyes watching her every move. “It’s going to be lovely.”

“Where will I walk from? The kitchen and through the dining room or from the porch?” Binkie laughed. “Or maybe I’ll swing in through the window on a vine.”

“Oh, Binkie,” I said. “From the stairs, of course. The only problem with that is if you have a dress with a train, every time you take a step down the stairs, the thing’ll come swishing down around your feet and be a hazard to life and limb.”

“Little Lloyd could help with that,” Sam chimed in, surprising me that he knew the first thing about weddings. “He could hold it up for her as she comes down the stairs, then spread it out at the bottom. Isn’t somebody supposed to do that, anyway?”

“Yes, they are, Sam,” I said. “And that’s an excellent idea. Little Lloyd, don’t look so anxious, you’ll do fine.”

“I’m not going to have a train,” Binkie said. “So forget that little chore, Lloyd. No, we’re both going to wear jeans. Coleman’s going to wear a Duke sweatshirt, and I have a Wake Forest one that’ll look great with a veil.”

“Oh!” I gasped. “Binkie, you can’t.”

“She’s teasing you, Miss Julia,” Coleman said, laughing.

They all joined him, laughing, and so did I after a while. Though with Binkie, you could never tell.

“Rest assured, Miss Julia,” she said. “I won’t shock you. In fact, I’m going to the Asheville Mall tomorrow afternoon and look for something to wear. I’d better find it, too, because it’s the only free time I’ll have.”

“What kind of dress will you look for?” Hazel Marie asked.

“Something plain and simple. No Southern belle type for me, all lace and satin and beads and veils. And certainly not one with a cathedral train or even the smaller one, whatever it’s called.”

“Chapel,” I said.

“Huh?” Coleman said.

“Chapel train, the short one.”

“You’ll be beautiful in anything,” Hazel Marie said, leaning toward her. “What’re you going to wear in your hair, if you don’t want a veil?”

“Oh,” Binkie said, squishing up her curls with both hands, which didn’t do them a bit of good. “Probably put a paper sack over it. It’s just awful.”

“I like it,” Coleman said, smoothing down what she’d left sticking up.

“Let me fix it, Binkie,” Hazel Marie said. “I’m good with hair and I’d love to do it. You know I almost went to beauty school, so I know a few tricks of the trade. We could pull it up and back from your face, leaving a few little tendrils hanging down in front. Then, maybe a little circlet of flowers right where we gather it all up. What do you think?”

“If you’re willing to work with this mop, I’ll be happy to let you do it. Thanks, Hazel Marie.”

“If everybody’s finished,” I said, getting to my feet, “let’s adjourn to the living room.”

That was a cue for Mr. Pickens to get up and hug Lillian and give her outrageous compliments on the meal. Coleman wasn’t far behind him, taking a tray out of her hands and heading to the kitchen with it. They were going to spoil her, if they didn’t watch out. But I shouldn’t’ve worried, since her favorite was still Little Lloyd, whom she invited to help her put the dishes in the dishwasher.

As we settled ourselves in the living room, Hazel Marie
said, “I’m so happy to be in your wedding, Binkie. It’s going to be so much fun.” She reached over and put her hand on Mr. Pickens’s arm. “Isn’t it, J.D.?”

“Sure is,” he said, and stifled a yawn.

“So,” I said, as Sam scooted his chair closer to mine. I fingered the glass buttons on the bodice of my gray silk, and paid no attention to him. “You have a best man and a bridesmaid. Who else is in the wedding party? You’ll need some ushers, Coleman, to show people which side of the aisle to sit on.”

“All settled,” Coleman said. “J.D. and Little Lloyd’re going to usher, along with a couple of guys from the department.”

“Oh, excellent. But tell them not to wear their uniforms. Cutaways would be the thing for the time of day. Hazel Marie, we’ll have to get Little Lloyd fitted for his, first thing Monday.”

“If we have to dress up,” Binkie said, “I’d rather have dinner jackets. They’ll look nice on a warm afternoon.”

I took a deep breath, not wanting to contradict her, but it was my duty to point out the obvious. “Binkie, white dinner jackets are very handsome, but they’re not worn until after seven o’clock, and since we’ve decided on four, I’m afraid they won’t be appropriate.”

“Let’s do it anyway,” she said, smiling as if inappropriateness was all the more reason to do it. “Nobody will know the difference. Coleman, tell them who else you’ve asked.”

Coleman put his arm across the back of the sofa and smiled at her, then looked up at me. “Miss Julia’s going to love this. I’ve asked Lieutenant Peavey to be the soloist.”

“Coleman!” I said, nearly choking. “You can’t be serious. The man can hardly open his mouth, he’s so rigid and uptight. I can’t imagine he can sing.” All I could picture was that cold, hard face with the black sunglasses reflecting my frightened face. Lieutenant Peavey and I were not exactly what you’d call congenial.

“He can sing, all right,” Coleman assured me. “He’s the
soloist at his church, and he’s sung at the weddings of several deputies. He’s good, Miss Julia, I promise. He’ll surprise you.”

Telling myself again that it was their wedding, but doubting that Lieutenant Peavey would add any gaiety to the occasion, I said, “That brings up something else. I’m having trouble finding somebody to play the piano. Every trained musician in town is already engaged. Could Lieutenant Peavey bring his own accompanist?”

“I’ll ask him,” Coleman said, which allowed me to put that little problem on hold without bringing up Miss Mattie Mae Morgan.

Mr. Pickens stifled another yawn, making me want to smack him. That seemed a signal to the others that it was time to go. While Hazel Marie went to the kitchen to have Little Lloyd come out and say good-bye, and Coleman was asking Sam where he could rent formal wear, I pulled Mr. Pickens aside.

“Mr. Pickens,” I said, “does any of this ring any bells for you?”

“What?” He leaned his head closer, a frown on his face. “What kind of bells?”

“Wedding bells, Mr. Pickens. What do you think we’ve been talking about?”

He began to grin then, shaking his head, while I yearned to shake him to within an inch of his life. I said, “Let me remind you that Hazel Marie’s uncle, Brother Vernon Puckett, has come close to taking Little Lloyd away from her, not once but twice in times past. And he had nothing to go on but rumors,
false
rumors, I remind you, that Hazel Marie was living a loose life. Now, what do you think he’ll do when he finds out about that child being brought up in a house of sin? I’ll tell you what he’ll do, he’ll be in that courthouse getting a protective custody order before you can turn around.”

“No, he won’t.” Mr. Pickens shook his head, hiding a smile under that bushy mustache. “You worry too much, Miss Julia.
I can take care of Hazel Marie and Little Lloyd, and Brother Vern’s not going to be a problem.”

“You don’t know him like I do. He’s a snake in the grass, and if he sees any way to get his hands on that trust fund, he’ll go after it in a flash. And if you and Hazel Marie keep on with this unseemly plan, it won’t be rumors that can be disproved. He’ll have the facts this time, facts that’ll prove to any Republican-appointed judge that Hazel Marie doesn’t have a family value to her name.”

Mr. Pickens had the nerve to put his arm around my shoulders and say, “Trust me, darlin’; I’ve got it taken care of. And if you have to know how, I’ll just tell you that Brother Vern doesn’t have the cleanest hands in the county, and he knows I know it. He’s not going to make a move against the boy, so put your mind at rest.”

Lord, the man had a way with women. No wonder Hazel Marie was under his spell. It was all I could do to keep from leaning my head against his chest and letting him take care of everything.

I knew better than that, of course, because no man needed that kind of power. They get carried away and start thinking they can boss you around.

So I pulled away from him and said, “You’re a good man, Mr. Pickens, but I still don’t like what you’re doing. You ought to marry Hazel Marie, and not toy with her like this.”

“
Toy
with her?” He threw his head back and laughed. “You have a way with words, Miss Julia. But you can stop worrying and leave it to me.”

“Well, I guess I’ll have to, won’t I?” I stepped farther back so I could keep my head. “But I warn you, Mr. Pickens,” I went on, shaking my finger in his face, “if you hurt her or cause her trouble in any way, you’ll have me to answer to.”

“Don’t think I don’t know it,” he said, grabbing my finger and kissing it, laughing at me all the while.

If I hadn’t known it before, I would’ve then. Hazel Marie had her work cut out for her.

As Binkie and Coleman left together, headed for a night in the same state of togetherness, and Hazel Marie lingered on the porch with Mr. Pickens, I sent Little Lloyd to bed and turned to find Sam nowhere near far enough away.

“I’ll drive Lillian home for you,” he said. “She’s just finishing up in the kitchen.”

“That’s good of you, Sam. I appreciate it.” I moved away from him. “I’m going to owe her a fortune, with all the extra time she’s putting in this week.”

“Well worth it, Julia. It’s a fine thing you’re doing.” He took a step, standing much too close again, making me uneasy with the thought that somebody would walk in on us. “And I’d like to help you, if you’ll let me.”

When he leaned in close, I said, “Well, we’ve got a pile of silver that needs polishing. . . .”

Chapter 9