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That’s all I know. It is!”
he insisted when Papa Joe looked at him with a doubtful
expression.
    “About that property, I know Darcy and Henry
want to buy it. Lucien spat in Henry’s eye when he tried to talk to
him about it four years ago. Think she’ll sell?”
    “She didn’t spit in my eye, so that could be
a good sign,” Simon replied with amusement. “But I don’t know. She
could decide to stay, at least that’s one rumor I’ve heard.”
    “Why would she want to do that? She’s a
singer making money recording records and such.”
    “From what I hear, Rae Dalcour is not a woman
so easy to figure out. Could liven up this town, eh?” Simon wore a
slight smile.
    “Umph.”
    When Papa Joe’s worried expression remained,
Simon became serious. “Why does this bother you so?”
    “Lord, we don’t need all that stirred up
again.” Papa Joe raked his fingers through his iron-gray hair.
    Simon tried to reassure him. “Papa Joe, this
has nothing to do with what happened all those years ago. It’s a
simple business proposition. She’ll either say yes or no.”
    “Just like young folks. I was the same at
your age. All that old-timey stuff didn’t have anything to do with
me.” Papa Joe, his head tilted, looked back to previous decades.
“But it does, Simon. Somehow it just won’t go away.”
    “I don’t understand. How can what Vincent
Dalcour did fifty years ago have anything to do with his
granddaughter?” Simon shook his head slowly. “I know it’s hard for
you to forget what happened. But–”
    “Seems like yesterday that Vince was standing
right there, on that corner, laughing and joking with us. We used
to come to Mr. Peter’s store, one of only three black drugstores in
this part of the state back then.” Papa Joe was too caught up in
his memories to hear anything else.
    Simon crossed to him and placed a hand on his
shoulder. “What Mr. Vincent did is in the past, Papa Joe. It was
bad, but it’s over. Rae Dalcour will most probably sell and that
will be that.”
    Papa Joe blinked his eyes at him. He sighed.
“Maybe you’re right, son.”
    “Of course I am. And even if she doesn’t, it
won’t matter. Sure, folks will talk, but they’ll soon get bored and
move on to more recent gossip. You’ll see.” Simon gave his shoulder
a pat.
    “Hope she sells and just leaves,” Papa Joe
said with a fierce gleam in his eyes. “Talk to her, Simon. Offer
her a good price that she can’t refuse. All the Dalcours love
somebody else’s money. She’s probably no different. Just make her
think she’s taking money out of your pocket for free.”
    “I’ve never heard you talk like this about
anybody, Papa Joe.” Simon was disturbed by the hostility toward a
young woman whom Papa Joe had probably never even met.
    “She’s a Dalcour; that’s all I need to know.
You’ll see.” Papa Joe looked at him. “Don’t get too close, son.
They’re trouble.”
    “So everyone keeps telling me.”
    Papa Joe nodded soberly. “Listen to them,
Simon.”
    “Oh, come on, stop getting yourself all
worked up over nothing. I’m a big boy. I think I can handle Rae
Dalcour, even if she is a package of firecrackers ready to go off.”
Simon chuckled. He tried to joke his grandfather out of his somber
mood.
    Papa Joe studied his grandson. “I know she’s
attractive, boy. That spark in your eyes tells me you know it, too.
Just remember what damage firecrackers can do if you get too
close.” He patted Simon’s hand. “Well, enough of this serious talk.
I’m getting too grim in my old age. Let’s go over to LeBeau’s for
some lunch.”
    To avoid upsetting his grandfather, Simon did
not pursue the subject. Yet he could not help but be intrigued that
Raenette Dalcour could inspire such concern by simply coming back
to her hometown. In spite of Papa Joe’s warning and Baylor’s
remarks, Simon found himself anticipating a chance to spend time
with her. He’d seen her from a distance only once more,