The Devil and Mrs. Davenport: A Novel by Paulette Kennedy

Author:Paulette Kennedy [Kennedy, Paulette]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing
Published: 2024-03-05T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 20

Loretta woke from her midmorning nap, stretching luxuriously. With Pete still away and the kids back in school, she had embraced Dr. Hansen’s advice. Instead of spending her days mired in thankless housekeeping, she indulged in decadent things, like naps and long baths, and wrote for two hours each afternoon before going to fetch the kids from the bus stop. She felt less moody as a result, and there had been no more disturbing happenings since the mirror incident.

Today, she even had a hair appointment—the first in years. When Gladys called and suggested it, Loretta had balked. Pete didn’t like her spending time with Gladys. And he certainly wouldn’t like her going to the beauty parlor while he was gone. But Pete wouldn’t be home from his conference until Monday. She wouldn’t let the beautician do anything Pete would notice. Only a trim, to make brushing her hair less of a chore.

After dressing, she went out to the back alley to wait for Gladys, who pulled through a few minutes later, guiding the Buick down the narrow gravel pathway. Loretta quickly got inside the car. What if Phyllis was watching out her back door? Hopefully the thick tangle of blackberry brambles lining the alley would be enough to camouflage them.

“You look nervous, doll,” Gladys said. “Is something wrong?”

“No, not really.”

“Good. I’ve been looking forward to this.”

“I have, too.”

Gladys smiled behind her oversize sunglasses. She had painted her lips a brilliant crimson. “Today will be fun. And next week, we’ll go to Savage Juliet and choose your dress for the Christmas gala.”

“Pete will be home next week. I suppose I could sneak out while the kids are at school, but he wouldn’t like me spending that kind of money. I’d better not.”

“Is it really that bad, Loretta? He won’t let you go anywhere or spend any money on yourself?”

“He won’t let me drive anymore. And he’s even got the neighbor spying on me while he’s gone. That’s why I had you pick me up in the alley.”

“That’s terrible. Earl has his moments, of course. They all do. But he’s never forbidden me to leave the house. Have you ever given him a reason not to trust you?”

Loretta didn’t know what to say. On one hand, she had lied about Dr. Hansen, and was still lying, which might justify Pete’s actions in Gladys’s eyes. But she was desperate. And her desperation had forced her to resort to deception.

“You aren’t having an affair, are you?” Gladys asked gently. “You could tell me if you were, Loretta. I won’t judge you.”

“No. Pete’s the only man I’ve ever been with.”

Gladys laughed. “Wish I could say the same about Earl. I was a get-around girl before we met. Even when I was at Bethel. They didn’t have all the rules they do now. No one cared if you drank or danced.” She shook her head. “We had the best parties at Ashley House back then.”

Ashley House. The girls’ dormitory at Bethel. A thought niggled at the back of Loretta’s mind.

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