Peters, Elizabeth by KATHY

Author:KATHY [KATHY]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2011-11-05T01:00:01+00:00

"I heard what you said, mister," he shouted. "An' you heard what I said."

Laurie stood up and took Doug's arm. It felt like stone.

"We must be going," she said. "Thank you for the snack, Mrs. Wilson. It was delicious."

"I'm gonna give you a couple loaves of bread for the old ladies," Mrs. Wilson said placidly. "Like I said, Miss Lizzie's no hand at baking. But they're good neighbors."

She glanced casually at her husband. Having engulfed another roll, he had been about to burst out again; but as his piggy little eyes met those of his wife he closed his mouth.

"Thank you." Laurie accepted the neatly wrapped loaves. They were still warm. "Sorry to have bothered you."

"Yeah," Wilson growled. "Folks who don't have to work for a living stick their noses into other folks' business ... You girls still here? Git." The girls got. Mary Ella didn't seem capable of quick movement, but it was amazing how suddenly she left the room. Rachel followed, her eyes downcast. Wilson turned his beady eyes back to Doug. "An' you, better go home an' tend to your own business. That crazy old lady is your business. Lock her up."

Doug appeared to have been rooted to the spot. Laurie held the bread in one arm; the other hand, on Doug's sleeve, felt his muscles quiver and knot. She nudged him with her shoulder. Finally, he moved.

CHAPTER

7

It was raining hard. They had to circle the house to reach the car. Laurie had propelled her infuriated brother through the nearest door rather than remain in the house a moment longer. Oh, well, she thought; maybe the rain will cool him off.

Doug didn't speak until they were in the car. His lean face had remained calm and expressionless throughout the conversation with Wilson. It was still impassive when he raised his fist and brought it down on the steering wheel with a crash.

"Feel better?" Laurie inquired.

"Not much. My God! That monster ought to be locked up. He's sick!"

"He's probably a hard worker and a pious member of the church."

"He's a monster. What he is doing to those kids—"

"Vessels of iniquity, you mean."

"I guess that's why he's so much tougher on Rachel than on the others," Doug said, in a calmer voice.

"I guess. Oh, he's sick all right, by your definitions and mine. In Puritan New England he'd have burned witches. In biblical times, he'd have been a bosom buddy of Saint Paul's. Some men feel threatened by women. And Rachel is a woman, physically, if not legally. That's why people like Wilson turn to religion; it's so nice to be able to justify your neuroses by means of Scripture."

"You can justify almost anything by means of Scripture," Doug said. "It is a compilation, after all. He sure has those women beaten down "

"He seems to have a sneaking fondness for Betsy."

"God, what a revolting child! The way she fawned on him—"

"I agree, she's awful; but you can't blame her for buttering up to Daddy. It's a defensive strategy. Mary Ella defends herself by becoming a lump.

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