The Tolling of Mercedes Bell: A Novel (20 page)

“Everything’s going to work out for you now, Kid, and your old man just couldn’t be happier!”

Eleanor inclined her cheek for Jack to kiss and patted his arm patronizingly. Nothing much about Mercedes pleased her, but Jack was undeniably a catch. Her friends would be very envious of this son-in-law, who looked like a movie star and exuded charm. They would also be perplexed at how Mercedes had ever managed it, in light of all the scurrilous things Eleanor had reported about her over the years. There would be some explaining to do, but never mind that. First there was the wedding to think about: the guest list, what to wear, and innumerable arrangements that she must supervise.

Then, to her daughter, she gave a perfunctory hug. Embracing Eleanor was like caressing an armadillo, and just as much fun. Today she had fastened to her dress an especially large and prickly brooch. While Mercedes averted impalement, Eleanor barked at Germaine to settle down. The girl, who simply could not restrain her joy, ran off into the living room and threw herself, enthralled, upon the couch. Mercedes laughed and looked up at Jack, who was also laughing at Germaine’s irrepressible glee.

Philip nodded his head. “That says it all.”

Jack invited everyone to be his guests for dinner at a new restaurant. Philip, who had just poured his third drink, happily accepted.

A
T THE RESTAURANT,
Eleanor looked askance at her surroundings. Instead of a traditional place where she was sure to be recognized,
Jack had invited them to a sleek, modern restaurant, popular with a hip young crowd that favored its California nouvelle cuisine. Eleanor didn’t know what to make of the spare, modern decor—the absence of tablecloths, carpets, and elaborate window coverings. Instead, there were exotic lighting fixtures suspended over polished wood tables and sleek black chairs. Eleanor glowered at the gay couple who sat at a nearby table, shamelessly holding hands. She scrutinized her menu and shot Philip more than one disgruntled look.

Philip, now three sheets to the wind, toasted the happy couple and winked at Germaine. He started to get up, presumably to make a speech, but Eleanor seized his hand and gave him a kick under the table. He sat down and emptied his glass.

L
ONG AFTER
J
ACK HAD RETURNED
to his hotel and everyone had retired, Mercedes lay curled up in the soft covers of the four-poster bed, in the soothing stillness of the night.

She was ascending a wide staircase a few steps behind Eleanor, several steps behind Elizabeth and a few ahead of Germaine. Elizabeth followed an infinite line of women whose shapes faded into the distance. Mercedes, on a landing, looked to the left, then to the right, then down.

The smooth marble of the stairs was cool under her bare feet. All four women wore loose white robes. Elizabeth looked as she had when a young bride. Her hair was blond again, and all her wrinkles had vanished. She beckoned them to follow. Eleanor, also young, had glossy brunette hair and full red lips. She went up the stairs reluctantly and looked back at Mercedes, as if to warn her. Tree branches hung over the banister. Germaine stooped to pick up a pecan shell and gestured to Mercedes. They looked over the banister at the adjacent forest. Then they were in the forest, following Elizabeth and Eleanor through the majestic trees, whose leaves shimmered in the breeze. Sunlight slanted through the branches to the forest floor.
Mercedes sat cross-legged in her special spot and inhaled the cedar-scented air, transfixed by the branches swaying high up in the canopy.

“All of life is one continuous flow of energy, of which you are an integral part,” a voice said. “All parts are interconnected, interdependent, and conscious. Energy never dies, cannot be disturbed or harmed. This truth is innate in every human being and is eternally accessible to those who wish to find it.”

A great horned owl glided silently past Mercedes’s window as she slept. The light of the full moon shone on the bird’s back, making its silhouette visible below. Another owl hooted from a nearby magnolia tree as it circled in the cool air. The quiet earth was awash in moonlight. A large rat darted out of the ivy into the street and down the gutter. The vault of heaven above was filled with stars, billions and billions of stars that shone even during the day, when they could not be seen by the creatures of the earth.

M
ercedes let out a sigh when the front door of the pink palace closed behind her. They were back to the ghetto’s tumult. Mercedes thought wistfully about how quickly they had acclimated to the bucolic setting of her grandmother’s home, where the loudest sounds came from the gardeners’ tools and from Eleanor. She missed its surroundings and their little house seemed so empty without the men.

Philip had slipped a roll of cash into her pocket when they parted. “Put some meat on those bones,” he said, “and let us know how we can help with the wedding. It’s about time things straightened out for you. Your mother and I just couldn’t be happier with Jack. He’s an excellent addition to the family.”

Germaine ran to phone Anne with the news. Mercedes began unpacking and fitting Germaine’s new wardrobe into her small closet. The delight she heard in Germaine’s voice made her smile. As she hung up the polka-dot dress, she envisioned the child again, twirling with joy, shouting that Jack was going to be her dad.

They left the house to go to the big, new grocery store in Piedmont, near their old neighborhood. They took their time and filled the shopping cart to the brim. They parked in the driveway and brought the bags in through the side door, to avoid notice in the neighborhood, lest it prompt another burglary. They sang along with the radio as they unloaded the bounty, stuffing their cupboards with food and supplies.

After Germaine was tucked in, Jack called.

“I’m getting addicted to you,” he said. “I want you here with me.”

She twisted the phone cord around her finger.

“Listen,” he continued, “I know just the place to take you ring shopping. It’s the store where my father bought my mother’s engagement ring, which I still have, actually. But it would be lost on your hand.”

“I’d be happy to wear your mother’s ring.”

“I know you would, but it’s small, and I can’t have my friends thinking I’m a cheap bastard. I wonder if you’d mind not telling anyone at the office just yet.”

“Germaine just called Anne. She’s so excited. So Caroline will know, but she’s discreet. When Germaine goes back to school, it’ll be very tempting for her to share her news.”

“They’re going to be quite surprised by her transformation.”

Mercedes laughed. “It’s fine with me if you make the announcement—then you can answer all the questions.”

“I’ll be your mouthpiece,” he chuckled.

“Then be careful what you say.”

“I’ve had an excellent teacher.”

“Your training hasn’t even begun,” she teased.

“I could say the same to you, my love.”

D
URING MERCEDES’S ABSENCE,
the Taylor case had been set for trial in early summer and had taken some interesting turns. Darrel was relieved to have her back and rattled off several assignments to be done as soon as possible.

Later in the day she walked into Caroline’s office, where her friend sat immersed in reading. She looked up into Mercedes’s eyes and said gleefully, “Anne told me your news. I want to hear everything!”

She told Caroline about her grandmother’s condition, and about Jack meeting her parents. She gave a detailed account of the proposal and Germaine’s ecstatic reaction to it. Caroline got to her feet, came around the desk, and hugged her.

“Isn’t that wonderful! I’m so happy for both of you. When are you going to tell people?”

“Jack wants to take me ring shopping next Saturday, and make an announcement after that.”

“Of course he does. Perhaps I should call you ‘Your Highness’ now.”

“Oh please! Germaine is half out of her mind. My mother bought her a new wardrobe and had all of her hair cut off.”

“That’s radical.”

“I hope you recognize her.”

“It’s easy to recognize your daughter. All I have to do is put a plate of food in front of her. If the food disappears instantly, it’s Germaine.” Mercedes laughed.

“Anyway, your secret is safe with us. And we would love it if Germaine could come over next Saturday, so take all the time you want ring shopping.”

E
VERY EVENING THAT WEEK,
Germaine pored over her studies to catch up with her classes. She read intently, worked math problems, and mouthed words as she wrote a book report for English. She recited French vocabulary, searched the globe that Jack had bought her to locate the Congo, memorized a poem by Robert Frost, and clipped news articles for a social studies project.

The haircut had brought stillness to her. She no longer tossed her head to get hair out of her eyes; nor did she have a braid to twirl in her fingers or bite as she read. It was easier now to picture her as an architect, a journalist, or a lawyer.

Every night Jack called with ideas for the wedding. After his calls, Mercedes tossed and turned. He was a man on a mission, and they were steamrolling down the expressway to an elaborate wedding. He wanted her, and it, more than he had ever wanted anything, he said, and his perseverance showed it.