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I was surprised at how refreshed Fanny looked when we all returned. Despite what could only have been a degrading and unpleasant time for her, she looked as relaxed and confident as a cat sprawled before a mouse hole. Randall still looked quiet and uncomfortable, but Fanny was visiting with people, laughing loudly, shaking hands and waving. Of course, I understood she was putting on a show for Logan and me, turning our way every once in a while to see if we were watching her. How like a child she still was, I thought. She simply didn't realize what she had gotten herself into when she took Drake.

Logan's mother looked happier. Her friends had gathered around her during the recess, clucking like hens. All the information brought out so far had made Fanny look bad and our position look good. Loretta, too, was hopeful now that Fanny wouldn't want her incident with Logan revealed. With things going so badly for her, why would she want to reveal more unpleasantness?

And then, of course, there was Randall to think about. My lawyer pointed out that if she had gotten him to marry her by making him think she was having his child, she would risk losing him by stating it was Logan's. What I feared in my heart, though, was that Randall wasn't as important to her as hurting me and getting Drake.

During the recess, parents of many of my former students and many members of the Winnerow business community came over to us to wish us good luck. As I expected, most people thought the Reverend Wise had been a courageous man to confess to his own sins in a public forum. He had challenged the Devil face to face and the Devil had taken one step back. During the recess he had stood off in a corner, his devoted parishioners gathered around him, listening to him recite passages from the Bible that he thought fit the situation.

As we all streamed back in, I caught him gazing at me. He was wearing an expression of selfsatisfaction. When I had come to him years ago to argue for the return of Fanny's child, I had threatened to expose him in his own church. He'd warned me then that his followers would never turn against him.

After the hearing resumed, Camden Lakewood entered certain financial documents into evidence, papers stating that Logan and I had been made executors of Drake's estate. Then he called Fanny to the stand.

She rose from her chair and patted her hair gently on the sides, smiled at Randall, and sauntered across the courtroom to the witness chair as if she were making an entrance on stage. She held a smile so tightly on her face, it looked like she was wearing a mask. Then she deliberately paused just in front of our table and stared down at me.

"I suppose yer satisfied now, Heaven," she said. "But ya ain't goin' ta be long."

I shook my head and looked away.

When she was asked if she would tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth, she replied, "A course, I will." There was some snickering in the audience.

"Mrs. Wilcox," Camden began, "I understand you just recently became Mrs. Wilcox. How recently was that?"

"Randall and I got hitched two days ago. We went ta Hadleyville and got married by a preacher all right and proper."

"I see. How long have you known Mr. Wilcox?"

"I knowed him a while," she said, smiling at me.

"Now, Mrs.-Wilcox, this wasn't just a marriage of convenience, was it?" Camden asked.

"Huh?"

"You didn't get married just so you could make a good case for becoming Drake's guardian, did you?"

"Objection, Y'Honor," Wendell said. "Ah resent that implication. There is no evidence--"

"That's what we're here to determine, Your Honor," Camden said softly. The judge thought a moment and then nodded.

"Overruled. I think the question is in order and I would like to hear Mrs. Wilcox's response. Mrs. Wilcox?"

"Yes, Y'Honor?"

"You can answer the question."

"What question?"

"I'll repeat my question," Camden said. "Did you marry Randall Wilcox only so you would appear to have a proper home for Drake?"

"Well . ." She looked at Wendell, who shook his head quickly. Camden Lakewood caught the glance and the motion and positioned himself between Fanny and Wendell so her lawyer was blocked from her view. "Yer askin' me if'n this is a phony marriage just so I kin git the judge ta give me Drake," she said, obviously recalling what Wendell Burton told her she might be asked. "Well, it ain't. Randall loves me and I love him, so we both figured it was time ta tie the knot. And we do have a proper home. You kin have a proper home without bein' rich as Heaven, kin't ya?"

Some of the audience silently nodded their agreement.

"You were married before, were you not, Mrs. Wilcox?" Camden asked, coolly ignoring her outburst.

&nbsp

; "Uh-huh. I married Ole Mallory."

"Old Mallory. I take it your first husband was considerably older than you were?"