She Called the Bride the Help, So I Read the Bill Aloud novel · Chapter 15 of 24

Chapter 15: Mine to Read

Joelle's POV

The photographer called me on Wednesday at seven in the morning, while I was cracking eggs.

"Ms. Ferrand, I just want to confirm," he said. "Mr. Falk asked me to hold my notice until June. Is that what you want?"

I set the egg down on the counter.

"Say that again."

"He came by on Saturday. With the page from the approvals." The photographer cleared his throat. "He said you'd be reading at the banquet. Did he not tell you?"

"No," I said. "He didn't."

I hung up, and for a while I stood in my kitchen looking at the wall.

Then the florist called.

The cellist.

The man from the printer with the favors, and each of them said the same careful thing in a different voice.

By eight o'clock I knew that eight people in Natchez had been told my business before I had been.

By eight-fifteen Reuben was at my door.

He had not been sent for.

He stood on the step with his hat in one hand and a piece of torn paper in the other.

"I was coming to give you this," he said. "I wrote it Tuesday."

"Give me what?"

"A note. It says what I did."

"I know what you did." I did not open the screen. "I've had the florist on the phone."

His face did not change much, but I saw it tighten.

"Come in," I said. "I don't want the neighbors to enjoy it."

He came in and stood on the rag rug, as he had the night it rained.

I did not offer him coffee.

"You told me you'd stay out of it," I said.

"I said I wouldn't fix it."

"You went to nine businesses on my behalf."

"Eight," Reuben said. "The ninth is the band."

"And you took the Claiborne gig," I said.

"I did," Reuben said.

"You told me in the van, the day we returned the gifts, that you'd never take a Claiborne dollar. Not ever."

"I did say that," he said.

"So what is it? Was it a lie, or does it only count when it's cheap?"

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