Folly Beach - Dorothea Benton Frank [37]
“All she does is sit around and order frivolous junk from catalogs, HGTV, QVC, and the Internet,” Ella said and Aunt Daisy pouted. “Did you see the doormat with the smiling shrimp?”
“You said you liked the penguin,” Aunt Daisy said.
“Well, I think it’s adorable!” I said, wondering if the two old biddies went at it around the clock and how long I could bear it before it got on my nerves.
Ella carefully passed me a glass filled right up to the rim and one to Aunt Daisy, too. We held them up to toast.
“What are we drinking to?” I said.
“Welcome home, Cate,” Aunt Daisy said. “We have missed you more than we can say!”
“Yep, it’s fuh true, like we say down ’eah in the Lowcountry. More than we can say.”
“Thanks,” I said and took a deep sip, vowing to let them bicker all they wanted and I would never say a word.
Over dinner we talked about the recent days, finding Addison, the funeral, his whores, his maybe-love child, the foreclosure, my diamonds, moving—the whole horror show was briefly revisited right up to my car accident of that evening.
“His name is John Risley. He teaches at the College of Charleston,” I said.
Aunt Daisy and Ella put down their spoons and looked at each other. For the first time since I had walked in the door, the chatterboxes were dead silent.
“Yeah, so, John Risley’s one gorgeous devil,” I said. I looked at them still staring at each other. Then they finally turned to me. “What? He’s married! And hello, I’ve been a widow for less than two weeks. Although, I gotta say that if he got lost in the night and fell in between my sheets, I wouldn’t have him arrested.”
I thought that was a pretty witty line for the old girls to chew on but they were definitely chewing on something else.
“Okay,” I said, “let’s have it. He’s an ax murderer?”
“Oh, no, darling,” Aunt Daisy said with the most curious smile. “Yes, he’s married but not exactly. Anyway, we know John really well. He brings students out to the Porgy House all the time. We’ll move you over there tomorrow morning. I’m afraid you’ll be seeing a lot of him.”
“Oh, okay, so that’s not the worst news. But what do you mean he’s not exactly married? I saw the ring on his hand.”
“He married a kook!” Aunt Daisy said.
“Hush your mouth! She’s not a kook, she’s sick. She’s in an institution for the criminally insane, Cate. Been there for years. And she’s probably not coming out.”
“Why? What did she do?”
“He won’t talk about it,” Ella said.
“But maybe you can find out!” Aunt Daisy said.
“Good grief!”
“Would you like some more soup?” Ella said.
“Is there anything left in that shaker?” I said. “And maybe I’ll have a piece of that pie.”
Chapter Nine
Setting: The Porgy House, the Heyward bedroom.
Director’s Note: Photos of the Porgy House fireplace, the poker, and wood floors. At the end of this scene, the kitchen table with peanut butter and milk. Dorothy in a nightgown and robe.
Act I
Scene 5
Dorothy: It was so quiet and remote that living on Folly Beach could be lonely and even frightening sometimes—one night I was convinced there was an intruder in our house.
I said, “DuBose? Are you asleep, DuBose?” I whispered as quietly as I could. Nothing. I poked his shoulder until he stirred.
“Yes. No, not now. I’m awake. What is it?”
“Shhh! There’s someone in the house!”
I guess he decided to humor me because he rolled over, stood up, put on his slippers and his robe and went to see. I heard him padding across the upstairs living room, and Jenifer’s room, and I could hear him on the steps, going downstairs making all the noise he pleased! Was he crazy? He was not even tiptoeing! And then I realized what he was doing. He didn’t want to surprise the robber. If this criminal who sneaked in our house heard him coming, he’d have a chance to run out of the back door. Then no one would get hurt! Brilliant!
I could hear him opening closet doors and closing them shut again. He was going to wake up the whole island! I was holding my breath, listening for any other sounds beside the noisy commotion he was making. I thought I heard