Wedding Bell Blues - [12]

her husband’s clammy hand. She could tell that Ben was offended by his mother’s insinuation about hisproclivities. Despite Ben’s rather obsessive penchant for color coordination, he liked to think he couldpass for a hetero he-man.

“And I just can’t believe this precious little doll here is my grandbaby!” Mrs. McGilly bounced thegiggling Mimi on her knee. “Mamaw just can’t wait to take her little granddaughter shopping, no, shecan’t.” She looked up at Ben and Lily. “Of course, I’m absolutely scandalized that y’all got married at theCity Drug. Why, we coulda had the biggest wedding Faulkner County’s ever seen.”

“You know I hate stuff like that,” Ben said. “Besides, we thought a discreet marriage would bemore appropriate — what with Mimi and all.”

“Now, Benny Jack, you know good and well nobody in this town woulda said a thing about it ifyou’d had a big church wedding. You’re a McGilly!” She smiled at Lily. “And now, so are you. We’reglad to have ya, hon.”

“Thank you, Mrs. McGilly.”

“Now you’re gonna have to drop that formal stuff. You’re family now. The least you can do is callme Jeanie.”

“Okay, Jeanie.” Lily was finding it impossible not to like Jeanie McGilly. Despite the wealth thatthe obscene diamonds on her fingers attested to, she was completely devoid of pretension. Her attitudesaid: My husband and I worked damn hard for all this money, and by god, we’re gonna enjoy it.

“You know what we oughta do tonight?” Jeanie said. “We oughta have a big barbecue to announceyour marriage. Y’all are gonna be in town for a while, right?”

“Actually,” Ben said, “we were talking about getting a place here.”

Jeanie clapped her hands with little-girl delight. “Oh, nothing would make me happier than havingall my boys right here in Versailles, all my grandbabies here where I can spoil ’em rotten!” She ran aFrench-manicured finger under her eyes. “Lord, I’m fixing to cry”

Lily was beginning to wonder how a person as open and natural as Jeanie could have produced ason as stuffy and uptight as Ben. “Well,” said Lily, “I guess we should see about finding a motel —”

“Motel!” Jeanie yelped, as if the word were blasphemy. “No family of mine ever stays at a motelwhen they can stay with me.” She leaned over conspiratorially. “Besides, hon, the only motel in Versaillesis that run-down motor court on the old road, and they just rent rooms by the hour. Why don’t y’all getyour things, and I’ll get you settled in the guest room? I would put you in Ben’s old room, but I don’tguess a new wife wants to spend the night in a room where she’s looking at her husband’s old math teamtrophies.”

Lily had brought minimal luggage: a small suitcase stuffed with clean underwear, a couple of pairsof jeans, a few T-shirts, and two respectable dresses and a dressy pair of shoes for the inevitable courtappearances. A single diaper bag filled with clothes and a few books and toys took care of Mimi’s needs.

Ben, by contrast, had brought two enormous suitcases that had to be pulled on wheels and one garmentbag. They were certainly doing their job to defeat gender stereotypes.

“This is the grandkids’ room,” Jeanie said, showing them a bedroom crowded with two sets ofbunk beds, a crib, and a playpen. “You know, I was just thinking this morning that I should get rid of thatcrib and playpen ’cause the boys is all getting so big.” She tickled Mimi’s chin. “I didn’t know thismornin’ that I was fixing to have me a baby granddaughter.” She set Mimi down in the playpen, whichwas filled with colorful blocks and beads. “Why don’t you play in here while I show Mommy and Daddytheir room?”

Mommy and Daddy, Lily thought. Naturally, Jeanie thinks I’m Mimi’s biological mother. Sheknew this was a notion they’d have to straighten out, but now didn’t seem like the time.

“Oh, Lily, I wanna show you somethin’.” Jeanie escorted her into a bathroom that was quitepossibly the most sensual room Lily had ever seen. A deep marble tub, which was big enough tocomfortably hold at least two people, was sunken into the floor. The tub was surrounded by candles, and acrystal bowl of many-colored bath oil beads sparkled like jewels in the light that shone through thewindow.

“What a beautiful bathroom,” Lily said.

“You can use it any time you want to,” Jeanie replied. “It’s my special place, I guess. I’ve beenwith Benny Jack’s daddy thirty-four years, and I’ve raised up three boys in this house. Sometimes I justneed a place where I can get away from the men, you know what I mean?”

“I know exactly what you mean.” Lily bit her lip as Ben erupted in a fake coughing fit.

“Well, this can be y’all’s room.” Jeanie led them into a room with a king-size canopy bed.

Paintings of outdoor scenes hung on the cream and hunter-green striped walls, and a stuffed wild turkeystood guard in the corner, looking as if he might say, “Nevermore.”

“Benny Jack’s daddy bagged him a coupla years back,” Jeanie said, when she caught Lily staringat the dead bird. “All the McGilly boys love to hunt, ’cept for Benny Jack here.”