Olympia saw Zelda in the distance on the lawn talking to a woman Olympia had never met before. The woman had the familiar deer-in-headlights look that many people experience in Zelda’s presence.

  “So anyway…” Zelda jabbered on to the woman as Olympia came closer. “You whack your husband uptop the head with something ever’ once in a while, and he won’t be such an ass to you anymore. I used to hit my husband with shoe once or twice a week back before he died.”

  “Zelda!” Olympia interrupted as she approached. “I have been looking for you.”

  The woman who had been trapped by Zelda used the opportunity to back away slowly, then bolted for another group of women standing across the lawn. Zelda never seemed to notice that her companion had gone, nor did she ever return her attention back toward the empty space where her companion had previously been.

  “Lympy! You know I gotta make the rounds! That’s how you get all the good gossip. And I got some doozies! Erma Fendlebreyer switched covens and is now part of the Corwin clan. Joyce Frickie has left her husband and done become a total lesbian. And Jakeb Vernon has opened up his own law practice in Shreveport and withdrew from the Association altogether. He’s joinin’ up with the northern branch.”

  “Did you miss the meeting while getting all the news?”

  “Nah, I sat in the back when I saw it’d already started. How’s Salem holdin’ up? Ya’ll already done the cremation I guess.”

  “Yes, and Atheidrelle was a horror. I’m really worried about Salem. Do you know what she did, Zelda?”

  “Lord, yes!” Zelda exclaimed. “It’s all anybody is talking about now. You know I had a vision she was gonna do sum’thin stupid like that. Should’a warned you.”

  “I wish she would reconsider burying him here. Michael belongs at Blanchard House with the family.”

  Zelda huffed to the wind. “It’s poetic justice if you ask me. I kinda like her gumption. It is stupid, but it’s gumption. That bitch Atheidrelle wanted Nacaria executed all those years ago, and she made it impossible for her husband to even see his kids. She even takes his seat on the Council ever’ chance she gets. I think it’s a kind of justice for Michael to be buried here. Let her walk past him every day. Besides, he’s an Obreiggon ain’t he?”

  Zelda had a point. Olympia had to admit that. But her fear of Salem’s decision being one of impromptu spite rather than a well-considered sentimental choice bothered her. It also was not a good idea to resurrect old feuds, and interring Michael in Atheidrelle’s backyard was going to do nothing but bring wrath.

  “I been look’in for Pastoria,” Zelda said, changing the subject.

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  “I’m sure she’s here somewhere,” Olympia said. “Although I haven’t seen her either. But I have been rather occupied with Salem. I have not made the rounds yet.”

  “You talk to her lately?”

  “Not lately,” Olympia admitted. “We’ve been so wrapped up with the death of David and Michael, I haven’t had a chance. I know that Demitra spoke with my nephew Seneca, so they do know about what happened.”

  “Lympy, when did you last talk to your baby sister yourself?”

  “I guess about two months ago. Why? Has something happened to her?”

  “She’s stone broke, Lympy,” Zelda confided. “Shirley Fielding told me all about it earlier. She wondered if you knew. Shirley works at an insurance office in Mobile, you know. Well, she told me Pastoria’s house and auto insurance lapsed. She called her herself. Pastoria told her she was having money problems and would have to let it lapse till she can get on her feet and reinstate it.”

  “Oh, my!” Olympia sighed. “Is it as bad as all that?”

  “It sure looks that way. I say you call that bank president down in Mobile. Your stepson. Martin’s son, you know?”

  Olympia smiled. “Yes, Zelda, I am very well aware of my second husband’s son.”

  “Well—he lives there, and he’s her banker. I think you need to call him and see what’s going on. You ain’t got but one sister. You need to figure out how to help her out.”

  Suddenly a deep voice interrupted the two friends’ private conversation, “She won’t let you. I wouldn’t even try.”

  Olympia and Zelda whirled around to find a dashing man in his late forties standing behind them. Olympia’s surprised face turned into a smile as she embraced her handsome nephew.

  “Drake Blanchard!” she cried. “You seem to have determined to stay good looking no matter how old you get.”

  “Aunt Olympia,” he grinned. “And Madame Zelda, I see you’ve changed your hair since I saw you last Consort. It was kind of orange then, I believe.”

  “Yeah, I darkened it a bit for the summer.”

  “We were just discussing some gossip Zelda heard about your mother,” Olympia explained.

  “Yes, I overheard. I saw you and was coming over to say hi when I picked up on the tail end of your conversation.”

  “Drake, are things really that bad for her?” Olympia asked.

  “Yes,” Drake admitted. “Dad’s hardware stores are going under. They’ve been a bit mismanaged since his death, I think. Mom put too much faith in the manager’s abilities. She should have let Seneca and me run things, but she didn’t want us disrupting our own careers.”

  “Do you think the business can be saved?” Olympia asked.

  “I doubt it. We just can’t compete with the big box stores like Lowe’s and Home Depot. Even though we’ve been around forever, customer loyalty doesn’t outweigh cheaper prices,” Drake mused.

  “What can I do?”

  “Aunt Olympia, I wish you could do something,” Drake sighed. “But you know your sister as well as I do. If she will not let her sons help, she’s not going to let you. Seneca made some payments for her behind her back, and she hit the ceiling.”

  “My sister has always been a stubborn woman.”

  Zelda chuckled, “Yeah. It ain’t a family trait at all.”

  “Is Pastoria here with you Drake?”

  “No ma’am. I represent the Blanchard family tonight—well, the Mobile Blanchards that is.”

  “You tell Seneca that your aunt will handle everything. You boys stop worrying,” Olympia promised.

  “I told you, Mom isn’t going to accept any help from you or anyone.”

  “Drake, I have my ways of handling my baby sister. Half the decisions in her life I made for her without her ever knowing they were not her own idea. I will find a way to help her, and she won’t even know she’s been helped. You boys leave it to Aunt Olympia.”