Mrs. Lively entered carrying a tray of tea. I felt like I was in an episode of Downton Abbey. “Shall I serve you, ma’am?”
“Yes, please, Mary. I believe Mary’s daughter is about your age, isn’t she?” Meredith asked as Mary poured the tea, handing a floral cup with saucer to her.
“Yes,” I said, taking the second teacup in the saucer from Mary. “Laura and I were in the same grade.”
“She was such a sweet girl. Now she’s married. How many grandchildren do you have, Mary?” Meredith asked as Mary set a plate of cookies on the coffee table between us.
“Four from Laura,” Mary said. “Will that be all, ma’am?”
“Yes, thank you, Mary. When will you be starting a family?” Meredith asked me as she picked up a cookie.
“Me?” I wasn’t even married.
“You can?
?t wait too long. The biological clock is a real thing. Of course, Jamison and I were never blessed with children.” She had a wistful smile. “He was always young at heart, so I didn’t notice how big and empty this house could be until he died. Now it’s just me.”
“I’m sorry.”
She waved my words away. “Life goes on, doesn’t it? Doesn’t your husband want children?”
I frowned.
“I’d heard you were married in June. Marriage is so important to the stability of society, don’t you think? And children are a cornerstone of that. It shows our strength and virility. Plus, they make for a happier marriage, I’m told. You shouldn’t wait.”
“I’m sure you’re right,” I said, not correcting her assumption that I was married.
“So many women are waiting to marry or aren’t marrying at all,” Meredith had an expression of distaste. “It will be the end of society. What man wants a woman who is too independent or on the downward bloom of life.”
I swallowed the offense I felt at her comment, and decided to bring her back to the reason for my visit. “We have so many children and families in Salvation, but our school library is woefully out of date. Reading is fundamental to life success, and we’re failing our children and their parents by not having adequate resources in that area.”
“Too right,” she said with a nod. “I’ve been going over your information and I’ll have a decision soon.”
Crap. I was hoping to walk out with a check.
“What is your husband’s favorite dinner of yours?”
“Ah…beef.” We lived in Nebraska, one of the top beef producers in the United States. It seemed like a prideful woman like her would think families in Salvation should eat beef.
“Yes. Meat and potatoes. Men love that. I know Jamison didn’t think a meal was a meal without meat and potatoes. I tell you what. I’ll come to dinner at your place next week with my answer.”
Did she just invite herself to my house for dinner?
“You can learn a lot about people by being in their home, with their families. I like to get a sense of people before I hand over money. I’m sure you’d agree that character and values are important in these decisions.”
“Yes, of course. But, ah…my husband is very busy…I’m not sure of a good time.”
“Surely he can find time for me.” She stood, a clear indication that my time was up.
I set my cup down and rose from the settee.
“I look forward to dinner next week,” she said.
As I drove home, and my brain finally cleared, I realized that not only did I need to fix up my house, which was probably impossible, but also, I had to find a fake husband. I had to do both before next week.
3
Tucker