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I cut my eyes at Dovie and wagged my eyebrows as we followed Mrs. Beck through the wide hallways until we walked through a room that was all white and gold. I wondered if anyone sat on those white velvet sofas. The family portrait over the fireplace caught my eye, and a smile touched my lips at the sight of Storm as a young boy. I wished we could stop so I could study it closer.
After we walked from that room—I had no idea what it was called or what its purpose was—we came to another short hallway, and female voices could be heard. The sunroom was larger than most apartments that we had lived in. Three of the four walls were floor-to-ceiling windows. The one that faced the patio was completely open. I wasn’t sure how that worked.
“Briar, Dovie,” Annette said in greeting, standing up and walking toward us.
She was in a pale yellow linen sundress that was amazingly free of wrinkles. How had she managed that?
“Hello,” I replied, then glanced around the room to see a few familiar faces.
Maeme gave me a smile and nod, and I eased considerably. Mandilyn Shephard, Thatcher and Sebastian’s mother, sat to her left, looking like the elitist she had appeared to be when I met her last. Jupiter Salazar, King’s stepmother, was across from them. Storm had said that was an important thing to remember. Never to refer to Jupiter as his mother. King did not consider her his mom, but then she looked to be his age, so I couldn’t blame him. That would be weird.
“You met most everyone at Mandilyn’s,” she said. “I believe the only new faces for you are Alma Davidson and her oldest daughter, Lula Mae. They’re family from Louisiana,” she informed me.
Alma Davidson gave me a tight smile that I found interesting. What was it about me she was unpleased about? Lula Mae didn’t seem to share her feelings. She gave me a bright smile and waved a hand at the empty chair to her right.
“I’ve heard so much about you,” she told me. “Please come sit by me so I can pepper you with a million questions.”
Hadn’t expected that. Lula Mae—with her long blonde hair that hung over one of her golden-tanned shoulders, big brown eyes, wearing very little makeup, but still was what I’d consider a classical beauty—wanted to get to know me. Interesting. I’d planned on sitting beside Maeme, but I didn’t really have a choice.
“Dovie,” Annette said, “Nailyah is in the gathering room with the younger girls, if you’d like to go join them. I know she’s expecting you.”
I turned my attention to Dovie to read her expression. She nodded her head and seemed comfortable going off on her own. She gave a small wave to the room, then turned to walk out, knowing exactly where she was going. Storm had given her this. A chance to be a regular teenage girl. My chest felt lighter as I turned my head back to the room. I guessed I was sitting by Lula Mae.
“We didn’t get a chance to meet at the Shephards’,” an attractive blonde who appeared to be around Annette’s age said. “I’m Luella Jones, Roland’s wife. My oldest son, Wells, and Storm are the same age. They were thick as thieves, growing up.”
“It’s nice to meet you,” I replied as I made my way over to the seat that Lula Mae had for me. “I met so many people that night; I’m afraid I’m gonna forget a name now. The champagne Storm kept placing in my hand didn’t help.”
At my quip, there was light laughter around the room, but I was serious. I hoped if anyone else was coming, I’d remember them if we had met.
Lula Mae turned her head to me as I sat, and a dimple in her left cheek appeared with her grin. “There are so many, and I grew up with them all, but I swear I get the names all mixed up sometimes.”
Crossing my legs, I felt Alma’s gaze on me, and it wasn’t a pleasant one. I felt as if she was searching for my faults. Little did she know, those weren’t visible by the eye, but I had more than she could imagine.
“That does ease my mind,” I replied to the blonde.
“I was hoping you’d get to meet Rumor,” Maeme said, and I looked over at her. “Storm didn’t take you over to her and King the other night for the short time they were there. Rumor is nursing Cosette, and she can’t stay away long. Sweet Cosette is teething, and Rumor said they got very little sleep last night, so she won’t be here today.”
That was okay with me. Meeting the woman my father had abused wasn’t something I wanted to do with an audience. King still didn’t trust me, and I knew that until he did, I would never get a chance to know Rumor.
