Part 25 (2/2)
Another attendant checked our invitations at the door. A fair amount of money had been spent on decorations and food. There was a lot of red, white, and blue and a number of state and Confederate flags scattered about. How tasteful, I thought. There was one big American flag in the ball room, a small concession to the victors of the War of Succession.
I caught sight of Cordelia at the top of the grand staircase. The deep royal blue gown she wore set off her eyes. Too bad she was straight.
Then I caught myself. We all make choices. She made hers. She saw me and waved, but she was with her grandfather, leading him down the stairs. He was moving very slowly, again a.s.sisted by the older man I * 172 *
had seen him with the first time I was out here. I couldn't remember his name.
Frankie and I went in search of Ranson.
”Hi, Micky. How are you tonight?” Danny asked, coming up to us. She looked resplendent in a red dress, her bare shoulders showing off her coffee skin. Behind her was Alexandra Sayers, traditional, yet unconventional, with her sedate pearls and black gown. She pulled off understated good taste, something I'd never been very good at.
d.a.m.n, I thought, I know a lot of good-looking women. All of them already spoken for, I reminded myself.
”Who's your date?” Danny finished. She c.o.c.ked an eyebrow at seeing me with a man.
”Franklin Fitzsimmons. He's a friend of Torbin's.” I answered.
Then I did the round of introductions and explained who Torbin was for Alex's benefit.
For a moment I wondered how we had all managed to wrangle invitations. Danny and Joanne weren't high echelon enough to automatically get invited and Alex had nothing to do with law enforcement, but then I remembered Cordelia. She probably got to invite whomever she chose. I was just an afterthought on Ranson's part.
”Well, the lower cla.s.ses do find their way into everything, don't they?” a voice behind me said. Of course, Karen would be here. I was surprised that on our short acquaintance that she could so readily recognize me from the back. ”How's the bait business, dear?” she finished up.
Danny's face turned to stone. I realized Karen was talking to her.
I was livid.
”Karen, you're usually such a perfect host,” Alex said.
”Remember, it's what you do, not what your parents do, that counts in this country.”
”Not in my house,” Karen answered.
”Not your house. Not now or ever,” I said, turning to face her.
”Thanks to you,” she spat at me. ”Alex, if these are your friends, your taste in women is remarkably dismal. I don't think you can count on me in the future for any of your charity functions, if there's chance you'll invite this caliber of people,” Karen finished smoothly.
* 173 *
”Karen. They're my friends. I invited them,” said a voice from where my back was now turned. Cordelia joined us and put a hand on Danny's shoulder.
”You know my opinion of your friends,” Karen retorted.
”Particularly little girl detectives and their bayou buddies.”
I took a step toward Karen and looked down at her. Being a good five inches taller, it was easy. ”And we're glad of it, Karen, sugar,” I said.
”Better a bait-catcher than a shark. Go find some helpless minnows.”
”You b.i.t.c.h...” she started. Cordelia took her by the arm.
”Let's go,” she said and maneuvered Karen away from us.
”Granddad wants you to meet some people. If you're polite enough, you might get back in his good graces...” Her voice trailed off across the room as she led Karen to a group that included her grandfather and that Judge Aldus. The honorable judge made room for Karen, ogling her cleavage injudiciously. He glanced at Cordelia, but she was too tall for him to get a similar view.
”Sorry, Danny,” Alex said. ”Karen can be a real b.i.t.c.h when she's had a few drinks.”
”She can also be a b.i.t.c.h when she's sober,” I added. I hadn't forgotten her bounced check.
”Bait-catcher. d.a.m.n her,” Danny muttered, letting out a breath and some of her anger. ”I need a drink.”
”There's a bar this way,” Alex offered pointing Danny off in the opposite direction from the one Karen had taken. I raised a what-was-that-about eyebrow at Alex.
”Karen got hauled in on some minor drug charge. Danny didn't treat her any better than anyone else.”
”Hence, everlasting enmity.”
”You got it,” Alex said, heading off after Danny.
Frankie and I went on out to the lawn in our search for Ranson.
The yard was lit by an astounding number of, you guessed it, red, white, and blue j.a.panese lanterns. They didn't end until halfway to the barn.
”You have some good friends, Micky,” Frankie said. ”You all stuck up for each other. I wish I had friends like that.”
”You will, Frankie. You just need to start hanging around decent people. The indecent kind, like Torbin.”
”You're right. He's been a friend, a good one. So have you.
Someday, I'll pay you both back.”
* 174 *
”Tax time, Frankie, just wait,” I said with a laugh.
”Ready and willing. Throw a bag full of receipts at me. I am good with numbers.”
”It's a deal,” I said. We shook hands on it.
I spotted Ranson.
”h.e.l.lo, Joanne,” I said as we got to her. ”I'd like you to meet my escort for the evening, Franklin Fitzsimmons.”
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