Read Roses for Free Online Page B

stricken look through the rearview mirror. “Before lunch, Miss Mary?”
    “Before lunch. I want you to go up to the attic and open Mister Ollie’s World War One footlocker. Have Sassie get the keys
     from my top bureau drawer to unlock the lid. Leave the keys up there. Shouldn’t take too long, then you can have your ham
     and black-eyed peas.”
    In the mirror, Henry’s eyes narrowed. “Miss Mary, you feelin’ all right?”
    “I’m feeling sensible, Henry, if that’s what you’re asking.”
    “Yes, ma’am,” he said, his tone expressing doubt.
    Her eyes were dry by the time they turned into the wide, tree-canopied street of Houston Avenue, passing houses of grand proportions
     set back on rolling lawns in manicured order. “When we get to the house, let me out in front, Henry,” Mary instructed.
    Henry shot her another bewildered glance through the rearview mirror. “In front of the house? You don’t want me to drive you
     round to the side door?”
    “No, Henry, in front. Don’t bother to get out to help me. I can manage.”
    “If you say so, Miss Mary. Now about Mister Ollie’s army trunk. How’ll I recognize it?”
    “It’s the sickly green one pushed against the far right wall. His name is printed on it: C APTAIN O LLIE D U M ONT , US A RMY . You can’t miss it once you get the dust off. The lid hasn’t been opened in so long, you’ll probably need to use a crowbar.”
    “Yes’m,” Henry said, drawing the limousine to a stop before a wide flight of verandah steps. He watched with anxious eyes
     as his mistress maneuvered herself out of the backseat and began her ascent to the white-columned porch. She waved him off
     as she was halfway up, but he waited to pull away until she’d reached the final step. A short while later, Sassie Two, so
     called because she was the second Sassie in her family to serve as the Tolivers’ housekeeper, flung open the front door and
     came out, demanding, “Miss Mary, what you doin’ out here? You know this heat ain’t good for you.”
    “It’s not bothering me, Sassie, really.” Mary spoke from a deep white plantation chair, one of a number of pairs that graced
     the wide verandah. “I told Henry to drop me off in front because I wished to climb the steps again, to get the feel of entering
     my house by the front door. I haven’t done that in ages, and it’s been even longer since I’ve sat out here, observing the
     neighborhood.”
    “Ain’t nothin’ to observe about the neighborhood ’cept the grass growin’. Everybody else is inside where it’s cool. And you
     ain’t goin’ to find a blade of that grass changed since the last time you sat out here, Miss Mary. Why’re you doin’ it now,
     of all times? Lunch is about ready.”
    “
Dinner,
Sassie,” Mary corrected firmly. “
Dinner
is about ready. When did we southern folks start calling our noon meal
lunch
?”
    “Oh, about the time the rest of the world did, I imagine.”
    “Well, the rest of the world can be hanged. From now on, we have
dinner
here at noon. Dinner and
supper
. The world can have its
lunch
and
dinner
.”
    Hands on her ample hips, Sassie regarded her mistress tolerantly. “That’s fine by me. Now about your
dinner.
Will you be ready for it in about ten minutes when Henry comes down from the attic?”
    “That’ll be fine,” Mary said. “Did you give him the key to Mister Ollie’s trunk?”
    “I did. What in the world do you want it opened for?”
    “There’s something I need from it. I’ll go up after dinner and get it.”
    “Can’t Henry find whatever it is?”
    “No!”
Mary barked, clutching the arms of the chair in panic. Sassie’s dark face flooded with alarm, and she added in a mitigating
     tone, “I’m the only one who knows what I’m looking for. It’s… something I must do myself.”
    “Well, all right.” The housekeeper looked skeptical. “You want some iced tea?”
    “No, I’m fine. Don’t worry about me, Sassie. I know I’m