Page 77 of Let Sleeping Dogs Lie

“So then what’s up with this family dinner?” he asked.

Our grandmother threw him an exasperated look. “We need to eat first. Talking about unpleasant things is bad for the digestion.”

Now I was really worried. “What kind of bad things are we talking about, Meemaw?”

Her hard gaze jerked up to mine. “If I was gonna tell you what it is, then we would discuss it now,” she barked. “It’s gonna have to wait.”

Her mouth pressed into a firm line, and I knew that there was no way that this woman would talk until she was damn well good and ready. The more I pestered, the longer she was going to wait just to spite me.

In the meantime, my mother apparently decided that her news was not unpleasant, and was meant to be shared.

“I have an announcement to make,” she said, delicately clanging her fork against her water glass. “My business is expandin’ and I’m going to be addin’ a boardin’ school to my property.”

Luke’s eyes bugged out. “Excuse me?”

“It’s a charm school,” she said. “A finishin’ school for girls.”

“What exactly do you plan to help them finish?” Teddy asked, scooping his fork into his mashed potatoes and lifting a huge hunk to his mouth. “Their homework?”

“I won’t help them finish anything,” my mother said in a condescending tone. “I’ll help prepare them to become civilized and well-mannered young ladies.”

“What the hell does Sweet Briar need a finishin’ school for?” Teddy asked. Then a grin lit up his eyes. “We need more uncivilized young ladies.”

Dixie rolled her eyes and groaned.

My mother frowned. “I’m goin’ to ignore that crass statement.” But then she answered his question by addressing the rest of us. “The young ladies won’t stay here in Sweet Briar once they complete their schoolin’, of course. But Sweet Briar will give them an opportunity to leave their distraction-filled lives behind and focus on becomin’ young ladies.”

“So it’s a reform school?” Luke asked as he scooped more okra onto his plate.

“It is not a reform school!” my mother shouted, then lowered her voice. “It’s a natural extension of my pageant school. Now girls can come and live with me and learn their finishin’ charms all while they’re learnin’ how to be pageant queens.”

“I’m presumin’ you have all the proper permits for that,” Luke said, giving her the side eye.

“Of course I do,” she said. “I’m doin’ everything by the book, Chief Montgomery.” She said his name as though it were a cuss word. “And besides, my property is outside of city limits, so it’s really no concern of yours.”

“Sounds like this will be an exciting change for you, Momma,” I said, trying to hide my bitterness. I wanted to say,let’s hope that you get along with your girls better than you got along with me, but I kept it to myself. Saying it out loud wouldonly give my mother more power over me, and I was done giving away pieces of myself.

Reaching under the table, Luke grabbed my hand on my lap and squeezed. I squeezed back and gave him a grateful smile. He, of all people, knew my troubled history with my mother. I felt sorry for those girls who were going to be living with her, but then again, maybe my mother would be nicer to them. Maybe she’d learned something after her disastrous experience with me.

“It’s wonderful news,” I said. “I wish you the best of luck.”

Her eyes narrowed. “What exactly do you mean by that?”

Dixie laughed, but it was humorless. “Oh my word, Aunt Beatrice, can you not take someone’s well wishes without lookin’ for some devious motive?” She laughed again. “But then again, I’m sure you know firsthand all about devious motives, so no wonder you’re lookin’ for it in everyone else’s behavior. Personal experience and all.”

“There was nothing devious behind my well wishes,” I said with a sigh. “Momma, you just go live your life and I’ll live mine. And as long as we leave each other alone, we’ll both be happy.”

“Is that what you think?” my mother asked, resting her hand on the table, her hand fisted around her fork. “You think that I just want you to leave me alone?”

“Honestly, Momma,” I said, already exhausted by this conversation, “I have no idea what you want anymore, and I’m tired of trying to figure it out. I never made you happy when I was a girl because you and I didn’t want the same things. But you finally found some girls who want the pageant life and a shot at Hollywood.” I placed both hands on the table and leaned forward. “And you know what? If that makes you happy and that makes them happy, then I’m happy for all y’all.”

And, to my surprise, I actually meant it.

Luke wrapped his arm around my back and tugged me to his side, kissing my forehead. “Same here, Bea,” he said, “we wish you the best of luck.”

Dixie stared at us like we’d both grown horns on our heads, and Teddy’s groan told me that he didn’t share our sentiments, but that was for them to work through. As far as I was concerned, live and let live. I was tired of resenting my mother and wallowing in it. It was time to let it go. She chose her path, and I chose mine, and I was all the happier for it.

Luke asked Teddy about his organic chickens and how his project was going, much to Meemaw’s chagrin. She hated any time those chickens were mentioned, saying the Baumgardner property had been a cotton farm for a hundred and fifty years, not a chicken farm, and that our grandfather and his ancestors would be rolling in their graves, but I knew better. Pawpaw would have been incredibly proud of Teddy, and he would have told Meemaw to hush.

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