Nora gave a nod that said, Of course it’s the perfect amount of mint. Agnes caught her eye, acknowledging her burdens.
“I was in my study, working. Money never sleeps, and all that. I heard her scream. I ran out to the driveway and there was Robert, holding her necklace. Seela was on the ground, where he’d pushed her. She’d just gotten back from a trip to town.” He rubbed his cheeks. “She could barely move. We had to help her up.”
“You and Robert? Robert helped her up?”
“Yes.”
“And what became of the necklace?”
“He handed it to me.”
“After you accused him?”
Archie looked up at the awning that shielded them from the worst of the sun. “Actually, no. Seela hadn’t said anything yet. She was injured.”
“When did the accusation happen?”
“Just after that. Seela called him a thief.”
“So you came out and saw Seela on the ground and you and Robert helped her up and he handed you the necklace, all before she accused him?” She let that sink in. “It seems to me,” she said calmly, “if Robert were going to steal something, which he never would, I’ve known him since he was a child and so have you and he’s always been the best of humans, he’d hardly be stupid enough to show Seela what he was taking. And pushing her? That’s crazy.”
He shrugged. “You think you know people.”
“I do know Robert. He’s pure integrity.”
“Seela has bruises.”
“Archie. You can’t possibly believe all this.”
He wiped his hands down his face and shook his head. “She’s my wife!”
Agnes worked to steady herself by means of deep breaths. For a moment the only voice belonged to the wind.
“You, Cousin, are a Lee. You must understand that this situation is bad for everyone. And it’s not how we are. We give people the benefit of the doubt, and we give good people a second chance. And a third chance, if they need it.” She paused. “Let’s say Robert did do it. Even then, would you want him to go to prison? His mother depends on him now, with Hiram dead. He has all those siblings who count on him for leadership. He’s an important part of the community, always on this or that board or committee. I am not denying Seela her perception. I’m sure she did see him carrying her necklace. And that she tripped and fell. But may God strike me now if Robert deliberately pushed her.”
“What about the wampum belt?”
“The belt! What about it?”
“That might be part of this. He was here off and on.”
“Archie! Stop this right now! You are making yourself ridiculous!”
He leaped up. “What am I supposed to do? I don’t know what you want from me!” His hair came loose and spittle clung to his lip.
“I want you to drop the charges.”
“I can’t do that! It’s up to Seela.”
Agnes pushed herself upright to meet him. It was time to command him. “You drive her to the station. Get her to tell the police that she made a mistake. She did make a mistake. You know it and I know it. It makes no sense.”
“But Seela—”
“Oh, for God’s sake! Does she scare you that much? Stick up for yourself!”
Archie pushed his hair back into place and pulled a handkerchief from his pocket. He wiped the lower half of his face. “Do you really think he didn’t do it?”
One, two, three, four, five… “I really do. Don’t you? Wait a minute—Seela is at tennis?”
“Yes.”
“After being attacked yesterday? You made it sound as though she’d be at the hospital, not the club.”
“Thank God she didn’t get hurt.”
Finally Agnes could no longer keep her temper. “Call the station! Fix this, Archie!”
They stared at each other, and he visibly relaxed. She had lost her advantage. Why were women never allowed their legitimate rage? She watched Archie realize that he had the history of civilization on his side, and all the laws made against women, all the burnings and incarcerations and jokes. She had made herself dismissible if not worse. Guilty.
“Calm yourself, Cousin,” Archie said coolly. He looked at his watch. “Seela will be back momentarily. I suggest you not be here then. What was the other thing you wanted to talk about?” he asked, all affection gone.
“That can wait. I want to be sure you understand now that you will be ruined in this community if you let this happen, Archie Lee. Your favorite uncle Lachlan would be deeply ashamed of you, as am I right now. This is a man’s life and his reputation. If you pursue this, you and Seela will not have a social place on Cape Deel.”
“You think you have that much power? People can hire another landscaper, you know. The first rule of work—everyone is replacable.”
“We shall see.” Agnes was tired now.
Archie called out, “Nora!” They waited stiffly until she appeared. “Please see Miss Lee to her car. Goodbye, Cousin.” He clasped his hands behind his back and bent slightly forward from the waist. Pretentious fool. He fled down the steps to the garden.
“This way, Miss Lee.”
“Thank you.” She walked just behind Nora, steadied by her deliberate gait. Suddenly it occurred to her—“Nora? Did you see what happened?”
Nora shook her head miserably. “I only saw after. When Mrs. Lee told Mr. Lee to call the police.”
“All right. Don’t worry. This can’t stand.”
She sped down the driveway to avoid running into Seela Lee coming the other way. On the drive home she tried to remember the line she thought of on the way over, but it was gone, wiped out by conflict. If Seela stole her book, too—
She pulled over to the side of the road and cried for the first time in years.
CHAPTER 8 Polly, Meadowlea, August 2000
POLLY’S GARDEN CAME IN WELL, campanula and globe thistle, cosmos and Queen Anne’s lace, hollyhocks in the sun and hosta and astilbe in the shade. She weeded with the help of a kneeling pad made of gel that buffered her joints. Every afternoon she walked to Agnes’s across the desire line, a routine she felt duty-bound to maintain but that she’d grown to dread. Agnes was furious and aggrieved about Robert, and in a permanent bad mood. The instant Polly arrived, she’d start in on it, especially on Seela, but if Polly chimed in, Agnes would retreat, saying she was too upset to discuss it—as if Polly weren’t. Agnes wasn’t going out at all, and rolled her eyes if Polly asked about her work. “Visiting the graveyard is the one cheerful part of my day,” she said belligerently. The only relief was that Agnes wasn’t obsessing about the Point as much. Polly didn’t want to talk about that. James had once again made his position clear in his letters to Polly, saying he was trusting her to be loyal. She was always loyal—but how to choose between the entities that deserved her allegiance?
After her glass of white wine and visit in the graveyard with an uncompanionable Agnes, Polly walked across the desire line back to Meadowlea, and as they had their ginger ale on the terrace, Dick sucked pensively on salted pretzels, and she told him what she’d done that day. He was aggrieved as well, and constantly snappish. Everything had happened so fast—Robert’s arrest, his taking a plea, his imprisonment. Dick had been incredulous, and Agnes had come over and told them both about Robert’s marijuana conviction. That had come as a shock to Polly and Dick, who’d never before heard of it. No wonder Robert hadn’t gone to law school. Agnes apologized to Polly for never telling her, but Robert had asked for privacy.