As Mrs. Farley entered the darkened bedroom, Winnie, in a cheap, fancy
négligé of lilac and pink, rose from an old corduroy-covered lounge and
came forward to meet her. Winnie's small, pointed face was haggard and
smeary with tears. She gazed at her mother-in-law with a childish look
of reproach.
"O Mamma Farley, I know Laurie will say some terrible thing again!" She
wrung her hands that were plump through the palm and had tapering
fingers which curved backward at the tips. "I have been lying here all
afternoon worrying about what may happen tomorrow!" As she spoke she
glanced beyond her mother-in-law's head to the heavily beveled mirror in
the old bureau, and her rapt, tragic face became even more voluptuously
tragic as it contemplated itself.
"Now, Winnie, I have talked to Laurence and he realizes perfectly well
that he can't say what he thinks to your father. He will let bygones be
bygones just like the rest of us."
"O Mamma Farley, you don't know Laurie! And he hates Papa and Mamma so
and he has no mercy on me. Sometimes I think he hates me, too!"
Mrs. Farley's mouse-gray hair hung in straight wisps below the edge of
her shiny old black velvet turban which was tilted askew. Her withered
face became harshly kind. She had more firmness when she was with Winnie
than in the presence of other people.
"You must remember, Winnie, that I have known Laurie considerably longer
than you have. Pull yourself together and rest and don't worry about
this any more. I know it will be all right."
May had followed her grandmother and now stood awkwardly and
apologetically on one foot watching the two women. When her mother
glanced at her, her face quivered a little. She looked at the floor and
rubbed the scaled toe of her slipper against the raveled blue nap of the
carpet.
"I am going to make a cake today." Mrs. Farley sighed as she turned
toward the door. "There's my usual Saturday baking, too. You'd better
keep still so you won't be feeling worse tomorrow. If I get through in
time tonight I'm going to press your yellow dress for you. I want you to
look pretty." She left the room.
Winnie was not sure that she wanted to look pretty. She was a little
ashamed of the feeling but she would have liked to create with her
parents the impression that the Farleys had not treated her well. This
was from no desire to injure the Farleys but rather from an intuition as
to what kind of story of the past years would please Mr. and Mrs. Price
most and present their daughter in the most interesting light.
May, sidling reluctantly toward the hall, still watched her mother.
Winnie's eyes, with soft, hostile possessiveness, fastened themselves on
her little girl's face. May would have preferred not to meet her
mother's eyes so straight.
"Come here, May!" Winnie sank suddenly to her knees and held out her
arms. May walked forward, seeming not able to stop herself.
"You love Mamma anyway, don't you?"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account