Page 10

"What is it?"

"Should I put Baby Celeste to bed?"

"Yes. yes. Make sure her face is washed," Mama said impatiently. She didn't even mention that she would be out to tuck her in as she would do every night.

I went ahead and prepared Baby Celeste for bed. then I tucked her in myself and kissed her goodnight. She clutched one of her dolls, her favorite one actually, in her arm and smiled at me.

"Celeste," she said.

"What?" I asked her, my heart stopping and starting. "What did you say?"

"Celeste."

I thought she meant me. I thought she was breaking through a cloud so thick and dark that no one could pierce it. What a wonderful thing. It was truly a message from beyond. My heart filled with joy and then she lifted the doll and said. "Celeste."

She didn't mean me after all. She had named her doll after herself.

"Oh," I said, my voice dripping with

disappointment. I smiled through it. "Yes, Celeste."

I touched the doll lovingly and she embraced it again and smiled. I kissed her forehead, fixed her blanket, said goodnight. and left her.

For a moment or two I stood in the hallway undecided as to where to go and what to do myself. Then I returned to Mama's door and knocked again. This time she opened it.

"What?"

I was speechless. She was wearing an aqua blue, form-fitted light sweater blouse and a matching skirt, but the skirt was far shorter than any she had worn since Daddy's death. I also noticed that she wasn't wearing a bra and the V-neck of the sweater revealed more of her cleavage than she had ever revealed. With her hair back, the teardrop gold earrings with a tiny ruby in the middle of each were visible. They were her mother's. She had made up her face with rouge and eyeliner and a bright red lipstick.

"What is it?" she demanded. "Don't stand there gaping at me like that when I ask you a question, Noble. Well?"

"Baby Celeste is in bed," I told her.

"Oh. Good, Very good, Noble." She started to close the door.

"Why are you so dressed up?" I asked.

She paused and looked as if she was deciding whether to bother to answer. "Fin going out," she said.

"What? Where? Now?" I fired at her. Her Glare made me feel uncomfortable. but I wouldn't just turn away.

Her face softened a bit. "I decided to accept an invitation. He had asked earlier. He wanted to take me to the Lodge, a small hotel on a lake in Greenfield Park. I was there once with your father years and years ago, and I remember the restaurant and the bar had windows that looked out on the lake. On an evening like this it should be very pleasant. I just called him."

"Him?"

My mind was reeling. Did she mean Daddy? Who had asked her earlier?

"Mr. Fletcher. Dave. He's feeling particularly low tonight. His troublesome daughter, Betsy, has run off again. The best thing would be if she would stay away for good, of course, but she doesn't do that. She goes off with one worthless man or another and returns when she has exhausted her interest in him or has run out of money." She paused and smiled. "I knew that was going to happen today, of course. It's what I would call a moment of opportunity.'

I was as speechless as someone who had just been struck in the head with a rock. "Opportunity for what?" I finally managed to ask.

She shook her head. "Go to sleep. Noble," she shot back, and, before I could say another word, closed the door in my face.

I went to my room and sat on the edge of my bed, dazed and confused. About ten minutes later. I heard her come out and descend the stairs. Rather than follow her. I looked out my window. Sure enough, I saw a car coming down our driveway. The front door opened and closed below and Mama was visible. As soon as she approached the car. Dave. Fletcher got out and hurried around to open the passenger's door for her. She got in and he got in and they drove off, the taillights diminishing and then disappearing around the turn at the entrance to our property.

I had no idea why but my ribs felt as if they had turned into a cage of ice. I heard voices clamoring inside me, one in particular complaining.

I thought it was Noble.