* * *
That morning, Emmett had come to consciousness with a sensation of floating—like one who’s being carried down a wide river on a warm summer day. Opening his eyes, he found himself under the covers of an unfamiliar bed. On the side table was a lamp with a red shade that cast the room in a rosy hue. But neither the bed nor the lamplight were soft enough to mollify the ache in his head.
Emitting a groan, Emmett made an effort to raise himself, but from across the room came the patter of bare feet, then a hand that gently pressed against his chest.
—You just lie there and be quiet.
Though she was now wearing a simple white blouse and her hair was pulled back, Emmett recognized his nurse as the young woman in the negligee who, the night before, had been lying where he was lying now.
Turning toward the hallway, Charity called out, he’s awake, and a moment later Ma Belle, dressed in a giant floral housedress, was standing in the doorway.
—So he is, she said.
Emmett hoisted himself up again, this time with more success. But as he did so, the covers fell from his chest and he realized with a start that he was naked.
—My clothes, he said.
—You think I’d let them put you in one of my beds while dressed in those filthy things, said Ma Belle.
—Where are they . . . ?
—Waiting for you right there on the bureau. Now, why don’t you get yourself out of bed and come have something to eat.
Ma Belle turned to Charity.
—Come on, honey. Your vigil here has ended.
When the two women closed the door, Emmett threw back the covers and rose carefully, feeling a little uneasy on his feet. Crossing to the bureau he was surprised to find his clothes freshly laundered and neatly folded in a pile, his belt coiled on top. As Emmett buttoned his shirt, he found himself staring at the painting he had noticed the night before. Only now he could see that the mast was at an angle not because the ship was leaning into a high wind, but because it was foundering against the rocks with some sailors hanging from the rigging, others scrambling into a dory, and the head of one bobbing in the high white wake on the verge of being either dashed upon the rocks or swept out to sea.
As Duchess never tired of saying: Exactly.
* * *
? ? ?
When Emmett exited the bedroom, he made a point of turning to his left without looking down the vertiginous succession of doors. In the lounge, he found Ma Belle in a high-back chair with Charity standing at her side. On the coffee table were a breakfast cake and coffee.
Dropping onto the couch, Emmett ran a hand over his eyes.
Ma Belle pointed to a pink rubber bag on a plate beside the coffee pot.
—There’s an ice pack, if you’re partial to them.
—No thanks.
Ma Belle nodded.
—I never understood the attraction myself. After a big night, I wouldn’t want a bag of ice anywhere near me.
A big night, thought Emmett with a shake of the head.
—What happened?
—They gave you a mickey, said Charity with a mischievous smile.
Ma Belle scowled.
—It wasn’t a mickey, Charity. And there was no they. It was just Duchess being Duchess.
—Duchess? said Emmett.
Ma Belle gestured at Charity.
—He wanted to give you a little present. In honor of finishing your time at that work farm. But he was worried you might get a case of the jitters—what with your being a Christian and a virgin.
—There’s nothing wrong with being a Christian or a virgin, Charity said supportively.
—Well, I’m not so sure about that, said Ma Belle. Anyway, in order to set the mood, I was supposed to suggest a toast and Duchess was going to put a little something in your drink to help you relax. But the little something must have been stronger than he thought it was, because once we got you into Charity’s room, you spun around twice and out went the lights. Isn’t that right, honey?
—It’s a good thing you landed in my lap, she said with a wink.
Both of them seemed to find this an amusing turn of events. It just made Emmett grind his teeth.
—Oh, don’t get all angry on us now, said Ma Belle.
—If I’m angry, it’s not with you.
—Well, don’t get angry with Duchess either.
—He didn’t mean no harm, said Charity. He just wanted you to have a good time.
—That’s a fact, said Ma Belle. And at his own expense.
Emmett didn’t bother pointing out that the intended good time, like the champagne the night before, had been paid for with his money.
—Even as a boy, said Charity, Duchess was always making sure that everybody else was having a good time.