The Farm
Balancing her cake carrier, Addy slammed the car door shut. Free at last, she walked up the creaky wooden front porch steps. Although Addy had been to Helena’s house that one time when the Girl Scouts camped indoors there, she had forgotten just how lovely the farmhouse was. There were double front doors with glass windows and an ornately carved mechanical twist brass doorbell. Helena once told Addy the reason old Victorian houses had wide front doors was so the caskets of dead family members could be carried out. The front parlor had sliding wood pocket doors for the same reason. Before there were funeral homes, people used to hold wakes for the deceased right there in the formal front parlor.
While Addy was admiring the beautiful porch swing and swirled patterns etched into the frosted glass of the front door windows, Helena opened the door. She wore a long aquamarine silk dressing gown. Addy didn’t have a moment to beat herself up for being so dowdy compared to her friend because Helena immediately hugged her warmly, saying, “Addy, I am so happy to see you. Sorry I’m still in my robe. Come in, come in.”
Woodrow followed Addy inside, and then went straight to the kitchen and lay down next to the stove. His duty of greeting guests was complete for the day.
Addy set the cake carrier down on the kitchen table. Helena stood back, and said, “Addy, you look wonderful.”
Addy hung her head in shame, but Helena, refusing to acknowledge Addy’s inferiority complex, continued sincerely, “You haven’t changed a bit!”
Relaxing a bit, Addy replied quickly, “… and you look so BEAUTIFUL.”
Helena laughed, “That’s what facelifts are for. Sit down, make yourself at home. I’ll put the coffee on. That’s the only domestic activity at which I am skilled,” she joked, trying to sound like a stuffy English butler.
Helena took out Mary’s old coffee percolator, the kind used on top of the stove. She had always wanted to buy her mom an electric percolator, but Mary would not hear of it. She insisted the stovetop percolator made much better coffee. “Just because they make things easier doesn’t necessarily mean they make things better,” Mary would quip. Helena had to agree with her on that one. At the farm, it always seemed time stood still; it was a good, secure, innocent feeling.
Addy sat quietly, looking around at the tidy, old-fashioned kitchen, with its converted coal stove, iron sink, and large pantry. Helena, so out of place in this bucolic setting, resembled an expensive, fragile porcelain figurine a farmer might have purchased for his wife’s birthday.
As the coffee perked merrily, Helena lowered the flame, and then went to the china cupboard to get the cups and plates to set the table. Addy removed the coffee cake from its carrier.
“Wow!” Helena exclaimed. “I haven’t had home-baked cake in ages. I plan to eat it all; with the exception of the one or two pieces I let you have.”
“How do you stay so thin, Helena?” Addy inquired.
“It’s called cigarettes, booze, and no food,” Helena laughed. “Do you smoke, Addy?”
Looking down, Addy answered, “No.”
“How about drink?”
Addy remained with her head down, and then responded, “Sometimes.”
“No wonder you look so young. I’m trying to quit smoking, but I will never quit drinking--it’s the only thing that keeps me sane in New York.”
Not wanting Helena to think she was judging her, Addy quickly remarked, “New York is such a crazy place. I did try smoking once, but it just made me feel sick. I do have wine now and again.”
By this time, the coffee was ready, and Helena carved out two huge hunks of coffee cake. Addy found it surprisingly easy to be around Helena, and she knew Helena was not judging her in any way.
The two friends dove into their slices of cake like two skinny schoolgirls who had not a care in the world. “This is to DIE for,” Helena exclaimed. “Why haven’t you opened up that bakery you used to talk about?”
Addy once again looked down. By now, Helena could feel Addy’s insecurity and did not want to do anything to make it worse. Helena said quickly, “How inconsiderate of me for saying that. I don’t have kids or a home to look after, and I obviously do not cook. I don’t know how you do it all. I’m sorry.”
“Some women are able to handle a family and a job, but I’m not one of those women.”
“Don’t be silly, Addy. You’re so smart and competent. You could do anything you set your mind to do.”
“… if my husband would let me ...” blurted Addy suddenly.
Helena knew she had struck a nerve. She wanted to hear about Addy’s husband but did not want to pressure this poor soul. Her life was probably already a living hell.
Trying to divert Addy’s attention to another subject, Helena said cheerfully, “Tell me about your children, Addy. You are so lucky to have kids. I wish I had some of my own.”
Now Addy worried. If she talked about her children, would she make Helena feel sad? Addy would not talk about the kids. She would continue on the subject of Lionel.
“Helena, I’ve never told anyone before, but my husband beats me.” The words tumbled effortlessly from Addy’s mouth, but she instantly regretted what she said. Why had she revealed this to a person she had not seen in years? She was a stupid little fool, just as Lionel said.
Helena put her coffee cup down. Wanting to choose her words carefully, she sat there thinking for a long while. Addy looked away.
“Addy, I understand. I really do.” Helena continued, “My first husband beat me.”
Addy’s eyes widened in shock. Slowly placing her cup down, Addy said, “What did you do? What happened to him?”
“He’s dead now, thank God. Men like him deserve to be six feet under.”
The way Helena made these pronouncements had always been highly amusing to Addy. When Helena spoke, the kingdom obeyed.
This struck Addy so funny she began laughing aloud. At first, Helena was slightly taken aback, but she soon began laughing, too. The women laughed so hard, tears streamed down their cheeks.
“Don’t, Helena,” Addy protested, “please don’t. I’m going to pee my pants. Where’s the bathroom?”
Bent over with laughter, Helena pointed to a door off the hallway. Addy raced toward the bathroom while attempting to pull down her girdle on the way. As soon as her bottom hit the toilet, the pee gushed out all over. While Addy quickly cleaned off the seat with soap, water, and toilet tissue, Helena continued laughing loudly in the kitchen. Addy chuckled as she washed her hands. Catching a glimpse of herself in the bathroom mirror, Addy was almost certain she saw the pretty, pre-Lionel Addison Blake, Girl Scout par excellence.
When Addy returned to the kitchen, Helena was sitting at the kitchen table with her hands covering her face. Her body heaved with sobs. Was she laughing or crying? Addy worried.
Helena uncovered her face, and to Addy’s relief, she could see Helena had been laughing. “Now, why was that so funny?” Helena asked breathlessly.
Addy began laughing again. “It’s just the way you say things. You always made me laugh so much. Sometimes you did it on purpose just to get me to pee my pants, remember? It worked again this time after all these years.”
Helena suddenly became serious. “Addy, we have to do something about your husband.”
“It’s not that easy. I know I shouldn’t put up with the way he treats me, but I don’t have anywhere else to go. I don’t have money of my own, and I would never leave my children.”
Helena understood. So many women were in the same boat. They may have given up jobs to be full-time homemakers and were completely dependent upon their husbands financially. If the marriage became abusive, what could these women do? Some were probably just too ashamed to tell anyone. Even if they wanted to run away from their husbands, where would they go?
Addy suddenly remembered why she had come to see Helena in the first place. She would not try to convince her long-lost friend to sell or give the farm to the church, not ever. Instead, she would reveal to Helena every detail of Lionel’s devious plan.
Helena listened intently as Addy explained the whole story.
“Why that son-of-a-bitch,” Helena said, shaking her head.
“He is a son-of-a-bitch, Helena. I hate the sight of him. I’ve hated him since the night of our honeymoon.”
Helena thought for a moment, shook her head, and smiled slyly. “Addy, we are going to beat him at his own game. Don’t you see? This is your ticket to freedom. You can just keep coming here, pretending you are slowly trying to get me to agree to give up the farm. If the fiend complains that it is taking you too long to convince me, you can just say that you first have to establish my trust. After all, I am a tough cookie, right?”
“Brilliant!” Addy exclaimed. “Just brilliant. You can’t imagine how much it would mean to me if I could come here to see you often. It would make my life bear…” Addy stopped mid-sentence. “Oh, I didn’t mean to say that. The kids are what I live for. They make things bearable, but coming here would be wonderful.”
“It’s settled then. We will plan to get together at least once a week. I would love for you to bring the kids to see the animals some time.”
“They would like that so much. They’ve always wanted pets, but Lionel thinks animals are too dirty to keep inside, and our yard is not fenced in.”
Addy looked at the old wooden pendulum clock that sat ticking on the kitchen shelf. It was already one o’clock. Where had the time gone?
“I’ll have to call Lionel to pick me up soon,” Addy said sadly.
“I can drive you home. That will give us more time together. How about if I take you out for a glass of wine?”
Addy’s first instinct was to say “no.” What if Lionel smelled wine on her breath?
Then she had the sudden realization that Lionel might approve of anything she did with Helena, so long as he believed Addy was working on breaking Helena’s resolve. Why did he believe that Addy was up to the task? It was probably because she was the only person in Chester who had any concrete connection to Helena. It was either Addy or no one.
“Yes. I would love to go for a wine. I just have to be back by three o’clock when the kids get home from school. May I use your phone to call Lionel?”
“I’ll run upstairs and change. It’ll only be a minute.” Helena felt as if she was getting a new lease on life. She loved intrigue and hated violent men. This was exactly what she needed to get her mind off her mother’s passing. At least Edward was sweet and loving in the beginning of their marriage, but it appeared that Lionel had never been kind to Addy.
Poor kid. Suffering all these years at the hands of that tyrant. Helena was not ready to tell Addy about how Edward had died or about the baby girl she’d lost. She wondered if she would ever reveal her deepest of secrets to Addy. Time would tell.
Dressed in a stunning tangerine tweed pantsuit, Helena descended the staircase confidently and gracefully. The colors she chose for her wardrobe always complemented her sleek blonde hair. Addy still could not comprehend that this amazing looking, wealthy woman actually wanted to be her friend.
Helena suggested they take a ride to a café in Madison. It was once again a warm, Indian summer day, so they rode in Helena’s custom-designed silver Rolls Royce convertible with the top down. With her eyes closed, Addy sat back and relaxed as the wind tussled her hair. Had she ever felt so wild and free?
The café was deserted, and the waiter recognized Helena immediately. “I was sorry to read about your mother,” he said sincerely.
“Thanks. Could you bring us the wine list?”
The waiter quickly delivered a long brass-covered menu. “Would you ladies like to order something to eat?”
“We don’t have a lot of time, but why don’t you bring us shrimp cocktail. Do you like shrimp, Addy?”
“Yes, thanks.”
Helena perused the wine list and decided upon a bottle of German Riesling. The waiter brought the shrimp cocktail out shortly, opened the wine, and poured some into a glass for Helena to taste. “That’s fine, thanks,” she said politely.
Their table was next to the window overlooking a beautiful marina. The deep blue water of early fall sparkled in the late day sun. Addy sipped her wine slowly, and Helena kept refilling both their glasses. Not long ago, Addy was lying in bed recovering from the most severe beating she had ever endured. Today she was sitting in an exclusive café by the ocean with a lovely woman she had thought she would never see again. Although Addy was not used to drinking wine often, she liked the sensation it gave her. She felt warm, alive, and almost hopeful. Maybe she was drunk.
The friends continued to chat and make plans for their next meeting. Fortunately, Helena was keeping track of the time on her stunning diamond and gold watch. About two thirty, she said, “We had better get going.”
The place was still empty. Helena looked around for the waiter. He was leaning against the bar looking bored. Helena waved to get his attention, and rushing over to their table he asked, “May I get you ladies anything else?”
“Just the check please.”
Addy saw Helena take two $50 bills from her wallet and stared in disbelief. Just wine and shrimp cocktail had cost one hundred dollars, almost a month’s worth of groceries.
“Let’s go,” Helena said.
“I can’t let you pay all that,” Addy protested.
“That’s not so much. If you want good wine, you have to pay for it.” Helena laughed.
As they pulled up in front of Addy’s house, Mary and her friend were approaching.
“That’s my daughter, Mary,” Addy said proudly. “Do you know I named her after your mother?”
This gesture touched Helena’s heart. “She’s beautiful. She looks like you.”
“Thank God,” Addy joked. “None of my children look like my husband. Imagine if I had to stare at his face times three?”
The two conspirators laughed happily at Addy’s comment. Mary saw her mom sitting in front of the house in Helena’s beautiful silver Rolls Royce. She ran up to the car and said, “Hi Mommy. What a pretty car.”
Addy introduced Mary to Helena, explaining that Helena was a friend of hers from way back when she was a Girl Scout.
“I’m a Girl Scout,” Mary said shyly.
“That’s wonderful. Good for you,” Helena said, suddenly thinking about the little girl she had lost. “I live on a farm and have some animals there. Would you like to come see them with your mom someday?”
“I love animals,” Mary replied. “Could I go to her farm, Mommy?”
“Of course, sweetheart,” Addy replied. She knew Lionel would now approve of anything related to Helena. Mary excused herself and ran into the house to use the bathroom.
As the boys came rambling home, they spied Addy sitting in the Rolls. Only in magazines and movies had they ever seen such an amazing car. They ran over to Addy in disbelief.
“Hi Mom. What a car!” Peter exclaimed, and Jimmy was equally impressed.
After Addy introduced her sons, Helena said, “Your mom and I were friends when we were in school. I have a farm and animals nearby. Would you like to come visit the animals someday?”
Both boys shook their heads “yes” but were fully engrossed in checking out every detail of the car. Laughing, Helena continued, “When you fellows learn to drive, you can take this buggy out for a spin.”
Peter and Jimmy stared at each other in disbelief. Imagine them tooling around town in a Rolls. They’d get tons of girls for sure. Addy broke the trance, saying, “Boys, you should go inside now and start your homework.”
Peter and Jimmy reluctantly bid “good-bye” to Helena, and she said, “I hope I’ll see you at the farm soon.”
After the boys went inside, Addy said, “I had better go now so I can fix dinner. Thank you so much for everything, Helena. I had such a lovely day.”
“No, thank YOU for the coffee cake. I know what I’m having for supper tonight. Will I see you next Wednesday, same time, same place? I can come pick you up so you don’t have to trouble your dear husband to drive you,” Helena said raising her eyebrows.
Addy laughed. “I’ll call you Tuesday afternoon to let you know if he insists on driving me, OK? We don’t want to upset the apple cart, do we?” Addy smiled.
“Heavens no,” Helena said sarcastically. “We will follow ‘his majesty’s’ orders to a T.”
As Addy got out of the car, she thanked Helena once again, saying she could not remember when she had laughed so much.
“Me too,” Helena agreed. “See you next Wednesday. Bye.” As Helena stepped on the gas and flew away, Addy hoped the police did not stop her for speeding. After all, the two women had drunk a whole bottle of wine.
When Lionel came home from work, the first words out of his mouth were, “Well, how did it go today?” Addy was facing the stove with her back to Lionel. She didn’t want to get too close to him for fear he might smell the wine on her breath.
“Things went fine,” she answered.
“What do you mean? Did you bring up the topic of the farm?”
“Of course,” Addy lied. “I planted the seed today, but Helena is a long way off from even considering the option of letting the church have the property. She said she doesn’t know what she is going to do with the farm, but she’s staying on in Chester indefinitely. I don’t think she wants to live in the farmhouse. I suspect she wants to go back to New York. Anyways, she asked me to come over again next Wednesday. I knew you wouldn’t mind if I agreed because I’m getting to first base with her.”
Lionel seemed pleased with her report. “Whatever it takes.”
When the family sat down to supper, the boys were still talking about Helena’s car. Lionel asked the boys a lot of details about Helena and her stunning vehicle. Mary piped in, “She wants us to come out to her farm.”
Addy’s heart sank. She was sure this was not what Lionel wanted to hear. Much to her surprise, Lionel said, “That would be great.” Then he turned to Addy and said, “Let her fall in love with the kids.” His comment went right over the children’s heads, as they excused themselves to go upstairs to do their homework.
Lionel said he had to go back to the office to finish some paperwork. What a relief. Now Addy could take her time reviewing the events of her day without Lionel accusing her of being lost in space.
Lionel left, and Addy once again was alone in the kitchen. She remembered how the silence of the house the night before had inspired her to think about Greg. Tonight, however, she made a conscious effort to put Greg out of her mind. After all, what good did it do to dream about the impossible? As she cleaned up the kitchen, she reflected upon her magical day with Helena. To think she was going to the farm again next Wednesday!
Addy counted the days until Tuesday finally arrived. She had asked Lionel if it would be OK if Helena picked her up and, surprisingly, he agreed. Addy called Helena Tuesday afternoon to tell her Lionel was going to let Helena come get her.
“Great,” Helena said. “I’ll pick you up around ten o’clock.”
Lionel had called in the afternoon to say he would not be home for dinner. Once the kids were in bed, Addy prepared a pumpkin pecan loaf to take to Helena’s in the morning. By the time Addy finished baking Lionel was still not home. Addy went upstairs to bathe and get ready for bed. She soon fell into a deep, peaceful sleep, feeling that somehow her life was going to take a turn for the better.
Around ten o’clock the next morning, Helena pulled up in her shiny silver dream car. Addy grabbed her jacket and the pumpkin bread and rushed outside to greet her friend.
“What have you got there, Addy?”
“Pumpkin bread to go with our coffee.”
“Fantastic. I can see what I’ll be eating for dinner tonight.” Addy just could not believe that Helena did not cook at all for herself. Maybe if she didn’t have children, she would eat crazy like that, too.
When they arrived at the farm, Woodrow, barking loudly, wagging his tail excitedly, once again raced to meet them. On such a crisp, spotless autumn morning, the farm was like a Grandma Moses painting. Helena made the coffee while Addy went to the cupboard to get the dishes. It was amazing how quickly she had come to feel right at home at Helena’s. Never in her life had she gone into someone else’s cabinets or refrigerator without permission. The aunts had taught her that such actions were extremely rude.
Addy felt as if she belonged in this kitchen. Although Helena herself was far from a homemaker, her mother Mary’s warm, domestic spirit still lingered in the farmhouse. Domesticity does provide a girder of strength and safety to a home.
Long ago, Addy had resigned herself to the fact that she was an unlucky person, so symbols of luck fascinated her. While in college, she had read Charles Dickens’ novella, “A Cricket on the Hearth,” with its themes of luck, true love, and a happy household. One of Addy’s great interests had been to research the meaning of symbols across disciplines and cultures. She imagined that even in prehistoric times, the little cricket might have provided companionship to the wayfarer carefully picking his way through hostile environments. She learnt that the cricket had been a sign of household luck for thousands of years, appearing in English folktales as a symbol of good fortune, love, and a happy home. Some American Indian tribes revered the cricket and believed it was disrespectful to imitate its sound. In Asia, the cricket served as a watchdog of sorts; whenever danger was approaching, the cheerful chirping always stopped.
That is true, Addy thought. She remembered summer evenings in childhood when she would linger in the backyard until moonrise. If she approached the hedges where the crickets were happily chirping, the music would stop abruptly. In addition, Addy once visited the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, where the collection of ancient jewelry from around the world fascinated her for hours. Early artisans from the Middle East and Europe carved images of the cricket on charms and amulets to ward off the “evil eye.”
As hard as Addy tried to make her own house feel comfortable and welcoming, a sense of gloom always hung in the air. Maybe the ugly furniture and dated decor contributed to the sterile atmosphere in the house. On the other hand, perhaps the specter of fear and sadness would remain in Addy’s home as long as Lionel resided there.
While Addy was lost in thought, Helena observed her actions. Addy had gone over to the cupboard and removed the plates, cups, and saucers. She then went to the silverware drawer and got out the spoons and forks. Addy’s eyes appeared glazed over, her movements methodical and slow, as if she were walking in her sleep.
“A penny for your thoughts,” Helena said with a smile.
Addy laughed. She was so used to Lionel flying off the handle when she drifted off into thoughts that she was stunned when Helena actually spoke casually about Addy’s habit of daydreaming.
“I’m thinking about crickets.” Addy then went on to share her musings about Charles Dickens, crickets, luck, folklore, and ancient jewelry.
Addy’s story fascinated Helena. “That is so interesting. I remember how intelligent you always were in school.” Addy blushed, and Helena laughed. “Come on, Addy. What do I have to do to convince you just how smart and creative you are?”
The two friends sipped coffee and ate cake while Duke Ellington and his Orchestra played, “I Let a Song Go Out of my Heart,” on the big brown radio. They whiled away the afternoon with laughter, coffee, cake, and music. Addy swooned to Mel Torme’s “Alone Together,” while Helena teased her for being so romantic. When Xavier Cugat’s “Cocktails for Two” came on, Helena got up and did the “cha-cha.” She danced over to Addy and pulled her out of her chair.
“Please don’t, I can’t dance, please,” Addy protested. Helena said, “Never say the word CAN’T.” She grabbed Addy’s hips and began shaking them to the beat. “Follow my feet.”
Feeling clumsy and awkward, Addy struggled to keep time. One-two-cha-cha-cha, she counted in her head.
Helena threw her head back, laughing, “I thought you said you couldn’t dance.”
Addy began laughing too, put her hands on Helena’s hips, and followed her steps from behind. By the time the recording was ending, they were both laughing so hard, Addy had to race to the bathroom.
When she got back to the kitchen, Helena joked, “Did you make it this time?”
“Just barely. I wonder if they make diapers for grownups?”
Helena made another pot of coffee, and they finished off the pumpkin bread. She said, “Addy, I haven’t laughed so much since I was married to James.” Helena stopped to explain, “He is my third husband and the love of my life. It took me three times to get it right, but as far as I’m concerned, he’s my only husband.”
When Helena spoke in the present tense, Addy’s face brightened. Helena could see that Addy didn’t understand. “He died,” Helena said sadly.
Addy felt angry, not with Helena, but at life. Helena finally found true love, but it was snatched from her too soon. Why were things so unfair?
Helena continued to talk about James for the rest of the afternoon. As Helena spoke, Addy drifted off into dreamland, picturing the tall, handsome couple, deeply in love, traveling, boating, and dancing under the stars. James wore a white tuxedo, and Helena was in a long, jade green evening gown. They were on the upper deck of an ocean liner, waltzing to the strains of the orchestra playing below. The moon, full and white-bright, glistened on Helena’s silver-blonde hair and sparkled on the sequins of her gown. As the vocalist was singing, “A Hundred Years from Now,” Addy could imagine James pulling Helena even closer and whispering, “That’s us, darling. We’ll be together a hundred years from now.” Helena was lost in the reverie of her memories, while Addy spun fantasies of Helena’s wonderful marriage.
“And I thought I was a romantic,” Addy joked.
This time, Helena actually blushed. “Stop it, Addy. James is one in a million. I got lucky.”
That word---“Lucky.” What did it really mean? Addy had chased after luck all her life but was never able to catch even the cuff of its sleeve. She had been unlucky since she was born.
“Helena, do you think a person’s luck can change?” Addy asked in a childlike way.
“Of course,” Helena replied. “We make our own luck--well, there are lots of things beyond our control, but we have to keep pushing for those things we can control.”
At that moment, there was a knock on the kitchen door. Addy looked guiltily at Helena as if they had been having too much fun, and Lionel had thus arrived to put a stop to it.
“Come in,” Helena called casually.
“Hi, Cosmo. I just remembered I haven’t paid you since my mother died. I am so sorry,” Helena said. “Addy, this is Cosmo Scortelli; Cosmo, this is Addy Blake--I mean Roberge--she’s an old school friend of mine.”
Wiping his hands on his overall, Cosmo, a short, stocky man with sanguine complexion, gave Addy a firm, friendly handshake. “Isa pleshur to meeta you,” Cosmo said with a broad smile.
Helena got her wallet, handed Cosmo a large wad of bills and said, “Is that enough, Cosmo?”
Cosmo looked surprised. “No, Missa Helena, isa too much. Your Mama giva me thirty dolla month.”
“My mother didn’t have a lot, Cosmo, but I’m rich.” Helena laughed. “Treat your wife to dinner.”
Cosmo thanked Helena repeatedly then turned and exited the kitchen door.
Helena remarked, “Cosmo is such a dear. He can fix anything and has always been there to help my mother. The animals love him. If I didn’t have Cosmo around, I would definitely have gotten rid of the animals by now.”
“I’m glad you didn’t get rid of them--at least not before my kids got to see them.”
“Well,” Helena said, “why not plan to bring them soon on one of their days off from school? I can’t wait to see them again.”
“Oh my God,” Helena exclaimed in disbelief. “We had better get you home, Addy, or that husband of yours will be sending out the National Guard so you can be there in time to cook his dinner.”
Addy realized they had not talked once about how they were going to lead Lionel on. “Helena, what should I tell him you and I discussed today?”
“Tell him that Helena got talking about her three marriages, and you just sat and listened. After all, you have to pretend to approve of my promiscuity so that I will come to trust you.”
“Perfect!” Addy laughed. “We’d better get going.”
As they drove, Addy felt prettier and smarter than she had in a long time. Helena acknowledged her as an intelligent, worthwhile person. Of course, her own children adored her, but that didn’t really count. Most kids love their mothers, no matter what. There had never really been any adults, except for her parents and Greg, who valued Addy’s uniqueness, but she had known them so briefly.
When Helena dropped Addy off at home, she made a date to pick up Addy next Wednesday morning at ten o’clock, give or take.
“We’ll make plans to get your kids out to the farm. Then, we’ll plot how to kill your husband.”
Addy laughed, but Helena didn’t sound as if she was kidding. At dinner that evening, Lionel pumped Addy for information about her visit with Helena.
“She wants the kids to come out and spend a day at the farm,” Addy said nonchalantly. The kids’ faces lit up.
“And…?” Lionel said impatiently. “Anything else?”
Addy raised her eyebrows and said with an air of mystery, “Yes, but we’ll talk about it when the children go upstairs.”
Lionel fell for her ruse. He was probably licking his chops waiting for some salacious details about Helena’s wanton life, and Addy was getting crafty enough to give them to him.
“I’ll take care of the dishes tonight, kids. You get an early start on your homework,” Addy said.
“May we be excused?” her three sweethearts chimed in unison.
“Yes, you may,” replied Lionel, preoccupied with what Addy might soon reveal to him.
Lionel sat drinking his after dinner coffee, while Addy cleaned the table and scraped the plates. She filled the dishpan with steaming hot, sudsy water and began the long chore of washing and drying the dinner dishes.
As Addy stood at the kitchen sink, she began to spin her tale. “Well, Helena has been married THREE times, and the last husband was a millionaire.”
“See. You got mad at me when I said she was a slut. I told you so. She’s damaged goods,” Lionel said with an air of wisdom.
Addy laughed inside as she lied. “You were right. Well, she has so much money that it looks as if she doesn’t care one bit about the farm. She has to pay a man to take care of it for her. I am sure she’ll want to get rid of it soon enough.”
“Have you mentioned the church yet?” Lionel said gullibly.
“Lionel, think about it. Helena doesn’t have much use for the Catholic Church, but she is getting to really like me and wants to spend time with the kids. I think that eventually she might listen to my advice as a trusted friend. Even though she seems tough, she is grieving at the loss of her mother. Right now she’s vulnerable so I have to tread gently.”
“Addy, that’s about the smartest thing I’ve ever heard you say. Just keep working on her. She’s bound to come around.”
Lionel went upstairs to shower so Addy dragged out the dishwashing and drying for two hours. If she stalled long enough, he might not be awake when she decided to call it a night. He eventually called down to her, “Are you coming up to bed?”
“I have to iron the kids’ school clothes now. I didn’t get to the ironing because I was at Helena’s.”
Lionel didn’t answer. Addy was not lying. There was a lot of ironing to do, and she was determined to finish it tonight so Lionel would be asleep when she went to bed. Although Addy had no hope of ever leaving Lionel, she was thinking about some of the things her friend had said. Helena had not shared any details about the beatings she had received from her first husband, but look at Helena now. She was alive and well, free and rich. The rebirth of her friendship with Helena sparked a flicker of promise in Addy’s heart.
There had been a great deal of rain in the summer so the foliage was exceptionally beautiful this year. No matter what happened at her house, Addy lived for Wednesday visits with Helena. Sometimes the two friends went out to lunch at nearby inns or shopped at exclusive gift and clothing stores. Helena was extravagant and insisted upon buying Addy a few beautiful items for Addy’s tired wardrobe. When Lionel questioned the new periwinkle Pendleton suit she donned for church, Addy explained Helena had bought it for her. Lionel loved hearing that Helena was growing so fond of Addy.
Very often during their time together, Helena would talk about the best way to bump off Lionel. Steeped in J.M. Harrison’s flawless tales of murder, Helena spoke often of elaborate plans to do away with Lionel once and for all. Of course, Addy thought she was joking.
“Criminals always make mistakes,” Addy laughed. “They eventually get caught.”
“I beg to differ with you, my friend,” Helena said. “Take the case of The Black Dahlia. The police still do not know who killed her. There are theories and suspects, but no one has ever been prosecuted. She was cut up in pieces, and the murderer got away with it.”
“Yuck. Please don’t talk about that. It is so scary. Besides, I could never kill anyone, no matter what they did to me.”
Helena quickly responded, “I could. That’s your Catholic conscience talking now. Some people do not deserve to live. They’re not worth the space they take up or the air they breathe.”
Addy was beginning to think that Helena was serious so she quickly changed the subject. “Speaking of scary things, I have an idea for Halloween. Tell me what you think.”