Digging Up The Dirt

An’gel turned to see a tall, striking woman in her sixties advancing into the room. White hair, cut short and styled attractively, framed a face with flawless café-au-lait skin. She was dressed comfortably in black slacks and a white blouse.

Hadley rose quickly and went to her side. “Why didn’t you stay upstairs, honey?” He appeared distressed.

The woman kissed his cheek. She ignored his question. She looked straight at An’gel and Dickce. “I’m Coriander Simpson.”

“My wife,” Hadley said.

Coriander took Hadley’s chair, and he stood, looking ill at ease, beside it. She looked up at him fondly. “Relax, love, it’s all going to be just fine.”

He touched her shoulder briefly, and An’gel could see that he adored her.

“We’re delighted to know that you’re alive,” An’gel said. “And the heartiest congratulations to you and Hadley.”

“Thank you,” Coriander said. “I know this must come as quite a shock to you. Not only my being alive, but also being married to Hadley.”

“In a way,” Dickce said. “An’gel had already figured out that it was you Hadley was probably in love with forty years ago.”

Coriander nodded. “He was, though he didn’t want to admit it for a while. He wasn’t so good at committing to one woman back in those days.” She laughed and looked up at him. “Fortunately for me, he got over it.”

“I visited with your mother,” Dickce said, her tone cool. “Either she’s a prize-winning actress, or she really believes you died forty years ago.”

Coriander closed her eyes for a moment. When she opened them, tears began to flow. “Mama doesn’t know I’m still alive. I wasn’t even sure if she was either. She’ll soon be ninety-eight. Tell me, how is she?”

“She looks well,” Dickce said. “She still grieves for you.”

An’gel couldn’t blame her sister for being blunt with Coriander. Mrs. Simpson had obviously made a deep impression on Dickce, and even though she hadn’t met her, she could understand some of the pain Mrs. Simpson felt.

“Perhaps you should go see her,” Dickce added. “Before it’s too late.”

Hadley pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and handed it to his wife, who was now crying softly. She mopped at her tears and nodded. “I know it was a terrible thing to do to Mama,” she said. “But at the time it seemed best to make a complete break. We didn’t think we’d ever come back here, you see.”

“It was my idea,” Hadley said. “I had to talk her into it, and I’ve regretted it often. We never really expected to come back to Athena, and we thought we might as well protect them from the backlash they could face because of an interracial marriage.” He glanced at his wife. “I know Hamish would have reacted badly.”

“My daddy would have, too, God rest his soul,” Coriander said. “He never would have understood, although Mama might have come around eventually. I thought about them every day since.” She blew her nose into the handkerchief. “Once we sent that telegram, there was no going back.”

Hadley smiled at his wife. “We’ll go see your mother tomorrow, okay?”

“I think you should try to contact another member of the family first,” Dickce said. “Break the news to them, and let one of them tell your mother before you simply appear on her doorstep.”

Coriander nodded. “You’re right. I’ll see if I can get ahold of one of my brothers. They’re going to be upset, too.”

“Why didn’t you tell us the other day you were married?” An’gel asked. “When we first saw you at the garden club board meeting. Why all the secrecy now?”

Coriander said, “I was pretty sick when we first arrived. Had a terrible case of the flu that I must have picked up on the plane, or right before we left England. I was in no condition to meet anyone. It’s only in the last couple of days I’ve felt halfway human again. I suppose you were trying to protect me, weren’t you, honey?”

Hadley nodded. “I didn’t want a lot of people turning up here when you were ill. I knew there could well be a circus once people found out we’re married, and have been all these years.”

An’gel had her own ideas about why Hadley hadn’t told them he was married. He might sugarcoat it for his wife, but An’gel would bet he wasn’t eager to confront anyone over the fact that his wife was African American.

Coriander caught An’gel’s gaze and widened her eyes. An’gel realized that was Coriander’s way of saying she understood Hadley’s reluctance.

“Now that I’m feeling good again,” Coriander said, “I’m ready to face Athena, I suppose. I know it’s going to be hard for some people to accept, even now, but they’ll simply have to deal with it. Their problem, not ours. After all we’ve been through, I’m not going to put up with their ignorance.”

“Exactly,” An’gel said. “Your marriage is your business and nobody else’s.”

“Up to a point,” Dickce said.

“What do you mean?” Hadley asked, obviously startled.

“The current situation,” Dickce replied. “If An’gel is right about the motive behind the murder and the attempted murders, Coriander could be in danger once the parties concerned find out about your marriage.”