With the question of the funeral settled, Ellen gave her full attention to her Thursday Tea.  On Wednesday, Rosalee came by to tint her hair red.  It looked far too pale to Ellen, so she made Rosalee redo it a deep auburn shade, quite a starling change.  Naturally, her lipstick and eyebrow pencil no longer matched, so Ellen sent her out for new shades.  Rosalee was worried about the vibrant hair, lips, and brows, but Ellen was thrilled at the change.  “I hope Dr. Evans is ready for a big surprise!”

” I want to really dazzle my friends at my tea, tomorrow.  This is my first time to see them since I was sick and I want to look young and full of life.”  Ellen stated.

“That new color looks mighty lively!  Are you sure you don’t want me to tone it down?  I don’t want to put Dr. Evans’s nose out of joint.”  Rosalee was worried.

“It’s perfect.  Don’t you worry about the doctor.  He’ll be charmed!” Ellen was delighted with her new look and wanted to make sure Charles didn’t get in her business.  She planned to claim a headache and avoid him that evening.  It would be after eight before he got home since he would be going by Geneva’s to have dinner with the girls on the way home

Ellen strolled into the kitchen the next morning, startling Cora with her brilliant hair and brows. “Sweet Jesus!  I thought somebody done broke in!”  Cora exclaimed, fanning herself.

Ellen took her shocked reaction as a compliment.  “Yes, I am a new woman.  I wanted a new look for my tea.  What do you think?” She asked.

“I sho think you got you a new look!  Yes ma’am!  It ’bout took my breath.” Cora replied, truthfully.

Ellen was delighted.  ” Now here’s what I want you to do.  When my friends get here, I’m going to make a late entry.  Wait at the bottom of the stairs.  When I am on the top step ready to come down, announce, ‘the new Mrs. Charles Evans.”  Then I’ll make my entry.  They will be stunned!”  Ellen giggled like a girl.

“They sho will.”  Cora concurred glumly.

Cousin Jean had never had a large social circle.  She was friendly with the nearby farmers and a few villagers and tradespeople, so Geneva decided to hold a simple service at the tiny village service.  She was to be buried in her favorite clothes, the ones she puttered about the farm in.

This did not suit Ellen at all since it was not proper, so in a snit, she decided not to attend, just what Geneva and Charles hoped.  Nonetheless, as promised, Viola dropped by Monday afternoon with the black dress. With Viola’s work, it fit perfectly, but Ellen wanted a few changes.

“You need to lower the neck and back.  I want to show off my neck and my grandmother’s ruby pendant.  This black is too severe and needs some kind of trim at the neck.  I wouldn’t wear it like this to a dogfight!” Ellen snapped.

Viola snapped right back.  “You had me fix this for a funeral.  Ain’t no way you could wear it to a funeral like that, and I ain’t got time to get it done and back by tomorrow, no how!”

“Viola, you need to learn your place!  I’ve decided to use it for evening, not a funeral, if it’s any of your business, so take it back and get it right or you won’t get any more of my business.  Don’t you think my girls will be needing wedding dresses in a few years?” Ellen had miscalculated this time.  Viola worked for herself, not Jessie, as Ellen assumed.

“I can get by just fine without your kind of business. Besides, Old Cora ain’t planning on too many more years.  I have more work than I can keep up with now.  If you still want it, I can probably get to this in ’bout a month, But I ain’t promisin’ nothing.  It will run you ’bout twenty dollars for altering.”  Viola folded the dress back into the box.

“Viola, wait!  I want to order some custom dresses for my girls.”  Ellen told her.

“Miss Ellen.  I have orders for wedding and debutante dress lined up for eighteen months.  They ain’t no way I can take on no regular sewing.  Besides, I b’lieve you too hard to work for.  I’m gonna have a cup of coffee with Cora and be on my way.”  She took the dress and called down the stairs ahead of her.  “Yoo hoo! Cora!  You got any coffee left?

Ellen slammed the door behind her.  “That uppity bitch!” But she wanted that black dress.

 

 

 

“Cora, I don’t want to talk to my mother.  Call her and tell her to send that gal over with my girls.  I want to see how these outfits look. Tell her I don’t have all day.”

“Yes, ma’am.”  Cora ambled on downstairs.  They ain’t no way she’s gittin’ her claws in them babies.  She dialed directly into Charles’s office.  “Miss Ellen told me to have Josie bring the babies over right away.”

“Thanks for calling, Cora.  I’ll take care of it” Charles answered.

In about ten minutes Charles called Ellen. “Ellen Dear, Miss Geneva called me to check on the baby this morning.  I just ran by.  Ginny has a fever and may have chicken pox.  They can’t go out, but I can pick you up to visit them if you want.”

“No!  I don’t want to get exposed to chicken pox.  My face might scar, besides, I’m not speaking to Mother.  Do you think the baby’s face will scar?”

“Young children don’t usually scar.  It’s adults who have to worry.  Your mother didn’t know if you’d had chicken pox.  Do you remember?”  He had certainly struck the right chord with her.

“No, and I don’t want it.  The dresses will have to wait a few days,”  she told him.

“Whatever you think, Dear.  I’ll be home around six.”  Charles had scared her off for now.

After the call from Charles, Cora overheard Ellen calling her friend Sarah Marshall.  Of course, Cora couldn’t hear Sarah’s replies, but it was clear Ellen made opportunities to point out all the ways she felt superior to Sarah.

“Sarah, I’ve decided to invite a few more friends to tea. There’s no point in going to all that trouble for just you.  I’m feeling great. I have a new hairdo I’m dying to show off.  I never realized how smart I’d look with short hair.  If you didn’t have such a round face, you might want to try it.  Of course, my hair curls naturally.  You’d have to get a permanent wave, and those just fry hair.  That certainly wouldn’t make you look any better.  I guess I’m just one of those lucky women who doesn’t show her age.  Charles still thinks I am a bride.  If we didn’t sleep in separate rooms, I’d never get any rest.

You know my Cousin Jean died.  I was always her favorite.  I’ll be inheriting her farm and her family home in Jasper.  She was from a prominent and very wealthy.  She rarely used her lake home in Jasper, but kept it in lovely condition.  I’ll be sure to invite you when we have a country weekend.  Got to go.  I have a lot more calls to make.”

Ellen had never spoken directly to Cora about the tea, but clearly expected her to be ready.   I am so glad I ain’t got no friend like her.  Woo, Lordy, that’d be rough!

 

 

 

Ellen was ecstatic at the mountain of boxes Jessie brought.  Dresses for both girls, smocked, taffeta, bright gingham prints, sailor dresses, petticoats, panties and gowns with shoes and hats to match worked her into a frenzy.  Ellen ripped in, pulling out garment after garment, exclaiming joyously at some, tossing others over her shoulder in rejection.  Soon every surface in the room was covered.  “0h, I had one just like this when I was little!  Mother has the picture on her piano. Have you seen it?  It looks just like Ginny!   This little smocked dress is darling!  Can you shorten it like ShirleyTemple’s?” Suddenly, her eyes smoldered. “I wouldn’t put this sailor suit on a dog!  Get rid of it!  No, don’t take it back!  I said get rid of it!  I hate it!”  In a fury, she ripped the collar off and threw it on the floor an ground it with her slipper.  “Now I won’t have to look at it!  Don’t you ever bring any more trash like that around here!”

Jessie scurried to pick the things up.  She wouldn’t be able to sell damaged goods.  Subtly, she slid the damaged sailor suit in her bag.  I’m not about to throw away a perfectly good outfit just because of you.  I’ll be charging you plenty for that little fit, she thought. Jessie had dealt with Ellen so many years she knew what to expect, so she made up for Ellen’s meanness in her billing.  Dr. Evans must have understood, since he always paid promptly without question.

“You never should have brought that hideous thing!  Charge me what you want.  I am not going to poor mouth about the price of a pathetic dress.  I can’t stand sniveling and poor mouthing.  It’s in such bad taste.” Ellen spouted at Jessie.

Jessie turned her back and seethed as she gathered up Ellen’s choices.  She’d spent a good portion of her life sniveling and poor-mouthing since her husband died young and left her with four small children.  Without Ellen’s trade, she’d be right back there.  It was galling to be dependent on hateful rich clients like Ellen.  Most of her clients were gentile, a number difficult, but Ellen was the worst she’d ever had to deal with.

” What else did you bring me?  I told you to have Viola rework that black satin for the funeral.  I’ll try it now.”  Her manner was emperious.

“Miss Ellen, you just asked for it last night!  The Sanderson wedding is Saturday and the funeral is Tuesday at two.  I checked.  Viola get it to you by closing Monday.  I’ll send her over with it.”  Clearly, Jessie had had enough.

“I don’t see what’s so important about Minnie Sanderson’s wedding, anyhow.  Minnie’s got that crossed-eye.  As soon as the veil is raised that’s the first thing anybody’s going to see.  It’s lucky that Jones boy wants her.  Nobody else would have ever wanted the poor thing.  Did his brother ever get out of jail?”  Since she wasn’t going to get what she wanted, being cruel would have to do. Ellen unwound a bit.  “I’m so sorry.  I forgot it’s your nephew Minnie is marrying.”

Jessie gathered the rejected dresses.  “Minnie is a very sweet girl.  I hope she and Johnny will be very happy and he doesn’t have a brother, only a sister.  I guess you just heard some nasty gossip.”

Pointedly ignoring her response, Ellen snapped at her.  “On your way out, tell Cora I need her!”

As Jessie left the kitchen, she gave Cora the message.  “Your boss-lady wants you.”

Cora stopped her work and dried her hands.  “Sweet Jesus, help me.”

 

 

 

 

The ornate Victorian-style house held court in the center of the block, its lush lawns and tasteful landscaping beckoning passersby to take ease on its plush lawn or deep porches.  Under its peaceful exterior, a tiger crouched.

After a night of raging against those who loved her most, Ellen lay in a drugged sleep until nearly noon.  She awoke dry-mouthed and groggy, remembering only that she had been treated unjustly by her mother and husband.  She seethed with anger, particularly at that “hateful brat.”  That little beast wasn’t going to get the best of her.  And if her witch of a mother thought she could separate her from her baby, she’d find out who she was dealing with soon enough!  Charles had always been a fool, but easily handled, a whiff of perfume and a twitch of her behind always brought him around.

Cora brought her lunch tray up around noon, only to find her coffee tray untouched.  Ellen was cold and high-handed most days.  Cora expected a storm of before the day was over.  Miss Jessie showed up around one, staggering under a mountain of boxes.

“I don’t know if Miss Ellen’s gonna see you.  She didn’t feel good last night.” Cora warned her.

“Would you please tell her I’m here with a load of precious things for her little girls ?  She made me promise to bring them today.”  Miss Jessie asked.

“I’ll tell her, but I ain’t promisin’ nothin’.”   Cora warned.

“I’ve been bringing things by to Miss Ellen for years.”  Miss Jessie laughed.  “I’ll be fine.”

They were interrupted by Ellen calling down the stairs. “Did Jessie finally get here?  I’ve been waiting for hours!”

Geneva joined them at an early dinner, their first as a family.  Since Ginny was so thoroughly bonded, it was easier to let Geneva feed her.  “Tomorrow we’re going to throw away those ragged overalls away and get you some decent clothes.”  Ellen told Charley.  “”We can’t have you running around looking like a little ragamuffin, can we?”

“No! Don’t throw my ragamuffin overalls away!  My overalls are good! Bessie gave ’em to me!  I don’t want decent clothes!” Charley protested.

“”Don’t dispute me, young lady.  Those overalls are going in the trash after your bath, tonight!”  Ellen announced coldly.  “Mother, I can’t believe you let my daughter wear hand-me-downs from Cousin Jean’s maid.  That’s humiliating.  I hope no one saw her!  What were you thinking?  Don’t you care about my feelings at all?”  Ellen was shouting at her mother now.  This was the mother Charley remembered and feared.    She burst out crying and ran to her grandmother.

“Ellen, I will not be spoken to this way.  I have cared for you children when you weren’t able to.  There is no shame in hand-me-downs.  Bessie was kind enough to share with us for which I am grateful.  I won’t have you treating Charley this way!”  Geneva was clearly furious as she tried to calm the crying children.

“Ellen, control yourself.  Miss Geneva has been a Godsend caring for the children these last months. You should be down on your knees thanking her for all she’s done!  You will NOT burn Charley’s overalls!”  He turned to Geneva.

“Miss Geneva, could I impose on you to keep the children?  I know I have already asked far to much, but Ellen and I have things to talk about.”  His wife’s eyes burned with rage at her husband’s words.

“That crazy bitch is not taking my baby, anywhere!  Give her to me!  You’re not stealing my baby again.”  She rushed at her mother, shoving Charley to the floor and scratching her mother’s face in the process.  “Give her to me! Give her to me!” Ellen was screaming now, trying to wrestle the terrified baby from Geneva.  Charles restrained his furious wife while Cora and Josie helped Geneva.

“Geneva, I am so ashamed and sorry.” He turned to his oldest son George. “George, please drive your grandmother and the girls home.  Michael, I need you to help me get your mother to her room.  Josie, Cora.  My apologies to you for my wife’s appalling behavior  She wouldn’t want you to see her like this if she were herself.”

Charles and his son Michael carried Ellen screaming to her room, where Charles sedated her.  He was devastated at the disaster his and Ellen’s lives had become.

 

 

As they entered the kitchen, Charley threw herself in Cora’s open arms like she’d never let her go.  In contrast, Charley and Ellen were reserved at their reunion, especially when Ellen saw her overalls.  “Oh my, Charlotte!  Pretty little girls don’t wear overalls.  We have to get you some dresses!”  Geneva cringed.  With the confusion surrounding Cousin Jean’s death, she’d forgotten how Ellen would react to  tattered overalls.  At the criticism, Charley was shy and held herself straight as a stick when her mother hugged her.  “Don’t you even have a hug for me?” She demanded.  Ellen had never been an understanding mother at best.  Eight months is a lifetime to a five-year-old.  At seeing Baby Ginny for the first time in memory, Ellen was enchanted with her reddish curls and bright blue eyes.  “”Oh, you little angel!  Look at those precious pink cheeks!”  Though Ginny was bashful, she ducked her head to her father’s shoulder and flirted with her mother.  Ellen couldn’t have been more pleased.

“She looks just like you, doesn’t she, My Love?” said Charles.  “She’s the image of Charley at that age, and she and Charley just dote on each other!  They are so sweet together.” Charles tried to redirect the conversation to the wide-eyed little girl.

“Oh yes, no mother could ask for a prettier baby, but I don’t think she looks a bit like Charlotte.  Don’t you remember Charlotte looked like a fat bald-headed man till her hair finally came in.?”  Charley’s lip quivered.

“Boys, maybe Charley would like to go out back.  I seem to remember a big surprise waiting for her next to the birdbath.”  Charles tried to protect her feelings with a distraction.

“Hey, Charley!  I’ll race you.  First one there gets the surprise!”  Thrilled, Charley sped out the back door.” She’d never gotten enough of her brothers.

As soon as she was out of earshot, Charles spoke.  “Ellen, Charley didn’t need to hear you praise Ginny and say ugly things about her.  Don’t forget her tender little feelings.  I’m surprised at you!”  Cora stood with her back to them, her face stiff with fury.

“Of course, Dear.  How thoughtless of me.”  Ellen answered, but her eyes were black with fury at his reproach.

Life at Cousin Jean’s with doting family was all a child could have asked.   Charley tagged along behind Robert and Bobby at their work, milking, plowing, riding the tractor, and working the crops.  Should she tire of them, she had a sweet baby sister to cuddle and Josie and Birdie to keep her busy.  The dog had found a litter of speckled pups and was happy to share them after a few weeks,  The chickens and cats came running when she called.  What more could a child ask?

She was there long enough that she’d outgrown all the clothes packed for her, so she wore hand-me-down overalls and simple popover dresses Geneva had constructed by hand, her first attempts at sewing.  Mimicking her hero, Robert, Charley never went anywhere without her straw hat.  She’d not worn a shoe all summer.

Charley’s father and brothers visited her every couple of weeks on Charles’s Wednesday off while Cora was with Ellen.  She loved her brothers’ rough games and wrestling with them.  She was no shrinking violet and gave as good as she got.  She’d always held a special spot in her father’s heart, maybe since he’d had early concerns about her.  He’d not had a real chance to bond with Ginny since she’d been with Geneva practically since birth.  He looked forward to having his family together.

After Cousin Jean’s death, Charles fetched Geneva, Charley, Ginny, and Josie home.  All four were crying as they left the farm.  Geneva grieved her loss. Charley, because Geneva wept, and she hadn’t been allowed to bring a puppy, and Josie at leaving her sweetheart.  Ginny cried because at eight months, she was good at it.

He stooped in at his office for a few minutes and took Cora’s call before heading home to prepare Ellen for the girl’s homecoming.