The
fire is out, and the men see Dollie and Patty home. Will brings up a
woman named Betty Mae, causing his brother to run off.
"She
claimed she was in a delicate condition, and that the baby was his,"
Will told the girls as they went inside. "Luke come close to
marrying her. Her daddy was pretty insistent. It became apparent that
she was lying, and he called off the wedding. Her daddy never forgave
him, neither did Betty Mae. Few months later, she trapped some other
poor sap. This time, she was. Don't say it was his, but he had more
money and prospects than the rest."
"A
woman who treats a fella like that, uses a baby to manipulate a
man.... Well, she's trash," Patty said angrily.
"I
agree. And that's a word you could use to describe Betty Mae."
"You
shouldn't have told us, Willem," Patty scolded. "That
wasn't nice."
"He
was lecturing me on how I'm behaving and I can't say something back?
Seems to me, I got cause."
"We
were behaving badly," Patty reminded him. "Not that
I minded. Misbehaving with you is more fun than being well behaved
with a hundred other people."
Will
chuckled and looked smug. Dollie was shocked. Gasping, she backed
away from her sister and Willem.
"I
can't believe you're talking so blithely about—intercourse!"
She whispered. "Patty, you know better than that!"
"Perhaps,
baby sister, but I also know what I like."
"You
mean this wasn't the first time?"
"We've
been dating over a year, and promised for more than six months,"
Patty replied as if that explained it.
"Why
not get married right off, then?"
"And
live where? Here in our little apartment with you?"
"They
have places for married couples...."
"We
wanted our own place, Miss Dollie."
"Sorry
if we've upset you, Sis. When you're with the right man, you'll
understand."
Dollie
sniffed angrily. Squaring her shoulders, she marched into her bedroom
in a huff.
"I
need to get going, Patty," Will said softly. "Best go find
my brother before he gets hisself in trouble someplace."
"You'll
come by tomorrow?"
"Can't
keep me away. I love you, Patty."
"And
I love you, Will."
They
kissed briefly and he took his leave. Patty watched him drive off,
then went to talk to her sister. She found her getting ready for bed,
brushing her teeth vigorously in the bathroom.
"I
never meant to hurt you, Dollie," she began.
Dollie
spat out the toothpaste and rinsed before answering. "You didn't
hurt me, Patricia, you hurt yourself. Men don't want to buy the
cow...."
"It's
not like that with Will. We love one another. We've been all but
married for almost eight months. It was a matter of pride for him to
have the house built before the wedding. He's been working on it
since we met, isn't that romantic? He knew that day, that exact
moment, I was the woman he wanted to marry."
Dollie
blinked back tears. That was romantic and it hurt her feelings
to think that a man had been that decisive about her sister and not
her.
"I'd
love for a man to say that about me," she said in a sad, dreamy
voice.
"How
do you know one hasn't all ready? Lucius is mighty fond of you,
Dorothea. In fact, I venture to say he loves you as much as Willem
loves me."
"He
doesn't. He's fond of me, to be sure...."
"I
see the light in his eyes whenever he looks at you. He aches with
wanting you."
"Why's
he not spoken up, if that's how he feels?" Her chin jutted
defiantly.
"Because
Lucius isn't as impulsive as his brother. He thinks things out long
and hard."
"He
hasn't built me a house," Dollie protested.
"That's
not his way either. When he makes up his mind, he'll do it. And won't
a thing in this life stop him when he's decided either."
"I
hope you're right."
"I
know I am."
Willem
followed his brother, knowing where he'd gone. Whenever he was upset,
he'd go sit in the woods behind the chapel. He'd done it since they
were kids, and his habit hadn't changed. There was a small grove
there that Lucius had whittled out and maintained. He called it the
Woodland Chapel and it was his special place. As he anticipated, Will
found Lucius sitting in the center of his chapel, arms wrapped around
his knees.
©
2019 Dellani Oakes
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