Why Are You Weeping, Sister?

Chapter 4

"No, Mother. I will not be seeing Henry Linderman again. Not now. Not ever."

Zenobia wasn't having it. "Of course, you'll see him. He and his mother will be here Saturday for supper."

"Then Mary Kathleen and I will be at the Lyric that evening. I will not sit in the same room with that man, mother."

"What has gotten into you? Henry Linderman is from a good family. His uncle owns a thriving brewery, for God's sake. So why isn't he good enough for you."

Gwendolyn threw up her hands. "His table manners are worse than Papa's field hands'. He utterly embarrassed me at luncheon today. And he insulted me."

"How did he ever do that?"

"He tried to force alcohol on both Mary Kathleen and I. He had the nerve to tell me the food on Wednesday's menu was all meant to excite his interest in me. Then he leered at me in public."

Zenobia Graham had the nerve to laugh, a dirty, suggestive sound.

"You think this is funny, Mother? Why, if Jon knew..."

Gwendolyn's head snapped back when her mother back-handed her.

*****

"Noble, you old chicken inspector. How are ya?" Henry selected a cue from the wall rack at the Maryland Club, where his friend, Norman "Noble" Riesling, was showing off his skill at 9 Ball.

"Keen, Hank. Just keen. Saw you walking out with that skirt earlier. You do any good?" He pushed his bowler hat to the back of his head, and ground his cigarette out on the floor.

Henry hit the cue ball so hard it hit the rail and flew off the table. "Bitch walked out on me. Left me sitting at the Palmer House while she and that uppity Mick maid hopped a cab and beat it."

Noble retrieved the ivory ball and reset it on the felt. "Figured it'd be duck soup for you, boy. What'd you do to make her scram?"

He waited until his friend sunk his ball. "Nothing. Bought her a nice lunch, bottle of wine, then tried to make conversation. I had just taken a mouthful of food, and they just jumped up and ran."

"Hmm. Bet Miss Blaze was disappointed."

Henry nodded. "I told her I'd be bringing a new girl this month. Figure it'll just take me a little longer to close the deal."

Noble concentrated on chalking his cue, careful not to let the blue powder get on his black gabardine. "Want some help?"

"Help? Like what?"

Noble looked around at the other men in the billiard room. "Why don't we go to your private booth and discuss this?"

*****

Zenobia was shocked when she received the note from Elfrieda Linderman. "Well, Gwendolyn, it looks like you won't have to contend with Mr. Linderman's presence after all. His mother wrote to say Henry will be out of town, and asks if I would object if her cousin, Carlene Riesling, and Carlene's Norman came with Elfreda in Henry's place."

"That's wonderful, Mother. But may I please plan the menu with Mrs. Malone myself?"

Her mother waved her hand. One less thing for Zenobia to deal with suited her down to the ground.

Gwendolyn began planning Saturday's menu immediately. She wanted no slip ups, no chance for any double entendre based upon her choices. Cream of mushroom soup, tomato aspic for the salad course, baked flounder in dill, chicken a la king on toast points, ham with baked apples. She'd have to discuss dessert with Mrs. Malone, but she wanted something nicer than what was served last week. Best of all, no one could make anything suggestive out of that meal.