Aunt Tally raised her eyebrows.
Before I answer your question, let me ask you one. Do you feel old?
Oh, a pause followed, when I get out of bed it takes me fifteen minutes to straighten up. And I never feel old when I take my medicine. She held up her martini glass. Truthfully, no. I look in the mirror. I know Im old, but inside I dont feel it.
I didnt. I do now.
Why, you look the same to me. You have boundless energy. And you take no prisoners. You havent changed.
I realize I dont relish solving problems like I once did. I thank Mariah DAngelo and Flo Langston for that.
Really? Aunt Tallys eyebrows shot upward quickly.
Yes. There was a time when I would have felt such accomplishment in harnessing those two to pull together. Now I think I can do it but Im tired, tired of peoples petty damned egos. If I didnt love our alma mater so much, Id have chucked the whole bag of beans.
Aunt Tally rubbed her tennis elbow, which ached from the increasing low pressure. Cant Liz resume being chairwoman?
Hell, no. Thats why Jahnae asked me to again chair the committee. Liz bounced between Mariah and Flo like a shuttlecock.
I thought our broker was Flos creature. Then Aunt Tally corrected herself. Im talking about only a small portion of my discretionary funds when I call Liz my broker; you know that Scott and Stringfellow manages the bulk of my family funds. She cited a prestigious Virginia firm whose performance record and care of clients spanned most of the twentieth century.
Yes and no. The board itself elected Liz their chair last year. Shes still youngwell, young to us; shes barely forty, if that.
Darling, these days they get face-lifts, boob jobs, fanny-lifts, tummy tucks at thirty.
Inez wrinkled her nose. All that violence done to young bodies. Well, back to your question, more or less. Liz pays great attention to Flo; after all, they are in the same business. But Mariah has pots of money. Liz tried to walk a middle course as chair, but they both overwhelmed her.
Hmm. I never perceived her as weak.
She isnt. But those two are stronger, and she cant please both.
Shes done a good job with your portfolio since Victor died, hasnt she? Aunt Tally mentioned Inezs late financial adviser.
She has, but shes not really chairman or chairwoman material. Im an interim, but we need to elect a new chair. Of course, first I have to convince Liz to resign.
Easy. Tell her well both pull our accounts.
Blossom!
Inez, thats the way the world works.
Im not doing that. You know me better than that.
Meow. Pewter wanted Inez to continue petting her, as shed stopped.
Yes, I do, but that doesnt prevent me from telling you the fastest way to achieve the desired result.
Me. Me. Me! Pewter raised her voice.
Inez looked at the cat, smiled, and resumed petting her. The trick is to make Liz think this is her own idea.
Well, if anyone can do it, you can.
Yes, I think I can, but it gets back to my feeling old. Once I would have seen this as a game. Id make up little goals and tick them off until I reached the final goal. Oh, you know, stuff like, first ten yards, introduce the concept in an offhand way. Second ten yards, mention the time this wrangling takes away from her true calling. You get the idea.
Clever.
Clever it may be, but I resent it. I am getting old.
Chickpea, people can feel management fatigue at forty-two. You just need a break.
Perhaps. Inez felt better after listening to her dear friend. There is one other little item, and this gets to the benefits of old age: One has many contacts, friends. When Mariah said at the meeting today that her computer crashed
Aunt Tally interrupted, Wait a minute, I dont know about this.
No one does, although I did have to tell Jahnae, who, being herself, remained calm and suggested a few paths to clarity. And youd better be quiet. This is board business.
Oh, balls! Im your best friend, your second skin and, furthermore, I will be one hundred years old tomorrow. Im entitled to secrets! She grinned, and in that grin, Inez saw her friend again as she was at twenty.
I know it, but I had to say it. Okay, heres the rub. Mariah is our treasurer. We open every meeting with the secretarys report, followed by the treasurers report. Mariah said her computer crashed. She didnt keep a written record.
Idiot. Young people really are stupid to trust machines.
Well, Blossom, we were idiots in our own way. We believed the War to End All Wars had done so.
All right. Aunt Tally grimaced but held up her martini glass in a silent toast to Inezs insight.
I called Billy Bonito, who is president of the Big River Bank, where our account smolders. She smiled.
Billy Bonito who drove fine harness horses?
Still does, although he hasnt the time to compete as he once did. You werent there in 77. Sugarcane collapsed in a workout at the Kentucky State Fair. I was there as the guest of Paul Hamilton.
I miss him. Aunt Tally recalled Joans late father, who had purchased Kalarama Farm after World War II. Frances, too. She mentioned his wife, Frances Paralee who passed in 2005 at age eighty-five.
We were standing at the workout chute that led into the grand arena when she just dropped in the traces. I ran over, as there wasnt time to find Billys regular vet. To make a long story a little shorter, I managed to save her. She retired to become a foundation broodmare for Billy.
Wonder if hes still so handsome?
Spect he is. Anyway, I flatly told him our problem and knew I was asking him to do something improper. He understood. For one thing, if something is amiss in that account, weve got to catch it right away.
And? Aunt Tally was keen on this now.
The account is in good order. However, Mariah did withdraw twenty-five thousand dollars, in cash, which she replaced today at 2:12 P.M. She transferred money from a joint accountpersonalat Big River.
Sitting bolt upright, Aunt Tally whispered, Thats not right.
I know it. I suspect that is why the computer crashed, and I put crash in quotation marks.
Does she have the right to issue checks?
She does, but the twenty-five thousand was cash.
A silence followed. Get rid of her. We cant make a big deal out of it, but this must never happen again. No officer can write a check to herself. Another pause. Mariah doesnt strike me as dumb enough to pull a stunt like this.
Me, neither. Thats what really worries me. The incongruity of it.
Any withdrawal, check or cash, is on a computer file.
Right. Inez paused. She then contributed twenty-five thousand to your fund with a personal check.
Oh, dear.
Inez sighed. This just doesnt compute, forgive the pun.
Still, she has to go.
I know. I know. While I was at it, I did a little snooping around through friends. Her businessFletcher, Maitland, and DAngelois losing money. People arent buying much jewelry these days. Her husbands construction business is down. Hes laid off thirty percent of his workers, but he does have large projects rolling, one of which is the new hospital near Independence, Missouri.
A very long silence followed this. Can you remove her without fanfare? But Im not sure we should right at this moment. It would be easier to get the board to pass an amendment saying all checks need to be countersigned by the secretary. In fact, we should have done that years ago. Aunt Tally nodded. Andrea from Omaha is the secretary, and that one is sharp as a tack.
She is. I need to speak to her first, then build a consensus in a nonthreatening way. Even if I dont specifically mention the twenty-five thousand dollars, if I float this issue it means Flo will take the warpath. Shell sense Mariah has dropped the ball, and shell be relentless until she finds out. Even if she doesnt, shell create more problems. I doubt Mariah will take this calmly, even though shell know I know.
Why?
Ill tell her.
Exactly.
Looking out the window of the classroom, Liz saw Gayle giving Harry, Mrs. Murphy, and Tucker the garden tour of the Bancroft Center, the new Rowland Applied Riding Arena, and fenced areas.
She returned her blue-eyed gaze to the two women standing before her, neither one in good humor this afternoon. It was as though shed overheard Inez and Aunt Tally discussing her lack of leadership. Had she known being chair of the alumnae board would prove so onerous, shed never have accepted. Seeing Inez forcefully maintain order and keep the group on track only underscored her failings. She wanted to get herself back on course, not least because some of the women were her clients. Mostly it was due to ego. Shed resign soon enough, because this was a real pain in the rear end, but she wanted to do it on her own terms and after some small success.
She didnt hustle the board for business any more than any of the other women did. Flo was a broker, as was she. Mariah owned and operated a high-end jewelry store in Kansas City. Andrea, along with her husband, owned a large trucking operation based just west of Omaha. DeeDee, from L.A., was one of the most successful real estate brokers in the vast easy-money citywell, easy one day, hard the next. Another member ran a large paving-stone company; one was a boutique grocer. The range of activities was impressive. A physician and a lawyer were also on the board. Trudy Sweetwater worked for an irrigation company and Mo Avola bred Red Angus cattle.
Interestingly, no academics served. Liz once asked Inez why, and the thin old lady quipped, They dont know how to make real money.
Liz wondered if John Maynard Keynes qualified as an academic and decided it was best not to counter Inez.
Will you get to the point? Mariah plopped behind a school desk.
Flo also decided to sit.
The classroom, which would be empty for another two hours, proved pleasantly warm. Liz sat between the two, moving her light desk so theyd be in a semicircle.
Well, Id like to iron out some difficulties. I feel guilty that Inez has had to step in for me and its because I cant get you two to cooperate.
Flo, eyes narrowed, said through compressed lips, I will do anything for William Woods. Just what the hell is it you wish me to cooperate about?
Measuring her words, Liz replied, It seems to me that whatever Mariah suggests, you counter, andshe looked at Mariahwhatever Flo says or suggests, you take issue with.
Is it my fault Flos ego is in an ever-expanding stategaseous, you might say. Mariah smiled wickedly through her violet-tinged lipstick.
Ego! Mariah, you still havent forgiven me for stealing, as you put it, Dick Langston.
I confess. When he chose you, I was upset, but as time has passed, Im ever so glad. She waited a beat. Hes aged terribly since losing the Democratic nomination for governor eight years ago. She looked at her nails, looked up again. And, really, darling, couldnt you two find a better plastic surgeon? He looks well, Asian.
You leave my husband out of this, Flo spat.
Look, you two, this is exactly what Im talking about. I dont know all that has transpired in the past. Cant you table it for the good of the school?
Ill be convinced its for the good of the school when she doesnt put forward PeteFlo named Mariahs husbandto construct any new buildings on campus.
I have never, never put forward my husband. He makes a bid like any other contractor in this state.
And youre an important member of the alumnae board. I say that gives Pete the inside track.
It does not. Hes above reproach.
Better than I can say for you. Flo fluffed her streaked hair with her right hand.
Mariah, face flushed, half-rose out of the wooden seat. Just what does that mean? She caught herself, sat down, then calmly switched subjects. Were we to have a dishonesty contest, I do think Id trail you, darling.
Thats enough. Liz slammed her hand on the table.
Flo, coolly assessing the attractive younger woman, spoke in a dark alto, Just who do you think youre talking to?
You, Flo. You you should be above this.
Mariah, arms crossed over her hunter-green sweater and a gold pashmina draped over her shoulders, laughed. You two could win Oscars. What a performance. Im actually impressed.
Flo snapped her head in Mariahs direction. What in the hell are you talking about?
This is just too orchestrated, you knowpupil chides mentor, mentor retaliates. Youre in collusion. And you both want to destroy me.
Why would I want to destroy you? Liz was incredulous. I do business with you.
Yes, you do. And youve been good up until now. I think Flo used you to get back at me. Make her a lot of money, she probably said, Then pull the plug.
Youre out of your mind. Flo was slack jawed.
Clever. Ill give it to you. Of course, I knew Liz would follow your lead, but the profits were impressive, and Istupidly, I freely admitthought perhaps she could put business before your personal relationship. Too late, I realized your relationship was more complicated than that. You had to have been feeding Liz information.
I did not! For one thing, Mariah, you know nothing about my business except that Im a broker. I stick to the basics: food, shelter, energy, and agriculture. I dont even suggest investing in clothing. Ever present in my mind is the flameout of Halston. Im extremely cautious about emerging technologies. Yes, I could have made my clients much more money in the dot-com explosion, but that was more than a decade ago. I was just beginning to hit my stride. I deliver slow, sustained growth. Liz goes after the high-risk stuff, and if youve been part of that, so be it. I, too, have bought into some packages shes put togethernon-technology, if you care. But its not my area of expertise.
Brava, Mariah said drily.
It was Lizs turn to speak. Mariah, the market is down thirty-five percent. Chrysler and GM have collapsed. The government spent our money bailing them, plus theyve thrown billions at failing banks. Lehman Brothers died a painful death, and AIG has been a holy horror. I didnt create those conditions, but Tim and I are doing better than average. Our customer portfolios have lostof course they havebut less than the market average. Furthermore, I dont think I should discuss the particulars of your portfolio with Flo in the room.
You dont have to; she already knows them.
I do not. Flo took a breath, composed herself. Once again her hand fluttered to her hair. I have, however, considered your business. On Dicks 57th birthday, I bought him a gold Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso. At that time, it cost $16,700. Its an understated, fabulous watch, wouldnt you agree?
Fabulous. Mariah nodded.
Along the way, I did price the gold Rolex Oyster, which ran for about thirty thousand. The platinum was out of sight. I was just curious. Curious about pearls, too, as Ive always wanted another strand. I so love pearls. She paused, a large smile animating her face. Yet Fletcher, Maitland, and DAngelo routinely sell these brands for about thirty percent less. Only Tourneau does that, she named a firm specializing in watches, and at those prices they sell rebuilt ones, although they do sell new ones for a bit less than other companies. But no one delivers the deals you do.
Were quite proud of that. Were efficiently run. Always have been. Cut the fat.
You liar. Youre selling fakes.
How dare you! How dare you accuse me of such a thing!
I dare because its true, and I will prove it.
Mariah stood up, threw her shawl more tightly around her throat, and picked up her alpaca coat. She headed for the door, then turned. Liz, Flo, I will expose you two if its the last thing I do. She slammed the door behind her.
Flo rose and picked up her jacketa lined waxed Filson, since shed planned for the weather. Liz, Id say your attempt to get us working together was a spectacular failure. Or, to use your word, a flameout.
Liz, shaky, rose to her feet, also. Flo, is it true about Mariah?
I will prove it. In my own good time. She turned a steely gaze on her understudy. I always get to the bottom of things, Liz.
Never forget that.
Pewter flopped on her side on the parlor rug and opened one eye when Harry, Mrs. Murphy, and Tucker gratefully came in from the cold.
Tucker hurried over. You missed seeing all the horses.
We have horses at home. Pewter rolled onto her other side.
Lazy. Fat, lazy cat.
Am not.
Tucker, a twinkle in her eye, said, Biggest manure pile Ive ever seen.
Irritated, Pewter lifted her head. Why would I care about a manure pile?
Oh, you know, in case you had to throw up a hairball.
Mrs. Murphys laughter further enraged Pewter, who shot up and swatted at the corgi, who ducked. Death to tailless dogs!
Sourpuss. The corgi bounded to the kitchen.
Harry, already in the kitchen, heard the fuss. Whats going on out there?
Oh, nothing. All three animals were now in the kitchen and responded in unison.
Given that it was late March, the sun set later. However, the low, billowing gray clouds, emitting a soft glow, moved quickly overhead and blotted out the sun.
Someones coming, Tucker barked.
Many someones. The Jameson Singers gathered outside the front door. Their first song, Charleston, brought back Tallys youth.
Big Mim, upon hearing the lively song, opened the door. Come on in. Its bitter cold out there.
The young women filed in to the parlor, formed a triple row semicircle, and began to sing the songs that Tally and Inez would know. Soon the two old ladies sang along with them.
I Wonder Whos Kissing Her Now led into Black Bottom. Song after song recalled a past, at once near yet far. Tears rolled down Tallys cheeks, then Inezs, and soon everyone was crying.
Harrys grandfather had had an affair with Tally. This had all come to light a few years ago, but Harry was reminded of it now, reminded of how bittersweet Aunt Tallys life had been.
After the songs ended, Aunt Tally laughed and said, Were all a bunch of big babies.
Everyone laughed with her.
Big Mim and Little Mim had known of the serenade, so they brought back from town a smorgasbord of food to augment what Trudy Sweetwater had supplied. The students dove in. William Woodss cafeteria food was good, but students did get bored with it. Champagne was uncorked, and Aunt Tally as well as the more rigid Big Mim chose not to ask anyones age. Surely one glass of champagne to toast a grand old gal was not out of order.
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