Lavender Morning (Edilean 1)

“I really and truly have no idea,” Joce said. “And I can tell you that I’ve given it plenty of thought.”

“What about you, Tess?” Sara asked. “You work for MAW, but you can’t stand any of them, so what would you like to do?”

“Have an old lady leave me millions.”

“That’s not fair,” Sara said. “You should—”

“No, let her talk,” Jocelyn said. “Okay, so if you were left a big old house and a fortune, what would you do all day? Would you become a lady who lunches?”

“Lord no! That would make me insane. I’d…”

“You’d what?” Jocelyn asked. “I’d like to hear your ideas.”

“I don’t know. Start a business of my own?” Tess said.

“What kind of business?” Sara asked.

Jocelyn looked at Sara in speculation. “You have something you’d like to do, don’t you? I can hear it in your voice.”

Tess picked up an olive and sucked out the red pimento center. “Have you seen the clothes she designs?”

“You didn’t tell me you design clothes,” Joce said, and there was hurt in her voice.

“I’ve had one conversation with you. I couldn’t tell you everything.”

“A dress shop would be a business,” Joce said thoughtfully. “Not a bad idea. What about you, Tess?”

“Don’t look at me. I haven’t a creative bone in my body. I’m good with numbers and organizing.”

“You must be good with men,” Joce said. “That’s why so many of them visit you.”

“Do they?” Tess asked, as though she’d never before thought of that.

“Tess,” Sara said, “be fair. Both Ramsey and Luke were in your apartment yesterday.”

“And how would you know that? They told you, didn’t they? So what did Ramsey say about me?” Tess asked.

“Nothing. It was Luke who told me,” Sara said.

“And when did you see him?”

“This morning. He was out there digging. He wants to put in an herb garden, but now he has to get the owner’s permission before he can do anything.”

“He told me that too,” Tess said.

Both women looked at Jocelyn as though expecting an answer.

“He can put in any kind of garden he wants,” Joce said. “What does it matter to me?”

“This house is now your responsibility,” Tess said. “You owe it to the townspeople, the state, and most of all to your country to honor its long history and to cherish what it means to the American people. You should—”

Joce threw a piece of bread at her, and they all laughed.

7

HI,” JOCELYN SAID to Luke as he lifted the shovel and threw the dirt onto the pile. He glanced at her but said nothing. “So what is this? You’re not speaking to me?”

“I talk when I have something to say.” He picked up a big bag of mulch and threw it on the back of his pickup.