Lovey and Ezra did not allow the playing of music and dancing in their cabin, because they considered themselves, second only to the Kendricks, to be in mourning. But they attended occasional gatherings for an hour to be sociable and permitted Floyd and Pauline to go or not as they pleased. At one of these parties attended by Lovey and her family, Selma suddenly crept into the cabin and slipped over to Lovey. Standing in the yard listening, she had seen through the doorway, then waited to make sure when door opened to let someone else out.

Lovey tempered her surprise with a kiss and a soft exclamation: “Merry Christmas, Angel.” Ezra smiled at her and touched her on her long, blond hair. Made thus welcome Selma looked at the circle of children dancing on the side, away from their elders. When she saw her, Pauline broke from the circle and, emboldened by the Christmas spirit, went to Selma. Taking her by the hand, she led her back to the circle, which opened to include her. All then joined hands and danced.

After smiling at them and deciding to allow Selma to stay and dance a little while—she still was enough child to be unconventionally present—Lovey turned back to observe the larger group. Floyd was dancing with Clovis, and as he swung her around to the gibberish whine of the fiddle and the cheery pecking of the banjo, Lovey saw that the girl was pregnant. Old Maggie, who was happy with her hoard of peppermint sticks, her own Christmas treat from the mistress, chortled, seeing Lovey’s surprise.

Leon had ridden over for a party at Oaks. Bonard was home for the holidays and had promised to show Leon “how to get next to the girls.” Deborah and Felix were having a glass of claret before the open fire in the big drawing room that looked so unfestive, in spite of small hangings of holly and mistletoe. Nell, sitting bolt upright, pretended to nap so that no one would address her, and wondered if she might make an excuse to slip off to the kitchen for another bit of fruit cake before bedtime. She belched silently, parting her lips only enough to let the gas out. Deborah and Felix talked with satisfaction about the building of the cotton gin, which would be fully operative by the time cotton was ready next summer.

21

Lovey let the question of Clovis abide until after the start of the new year, and then she took the girl aside and asked if she knew she was pregnant. Clovis admitted that she did, and Lovey asked, “Who is the father?”

“I can’t tell you,” Clovis said.

“You will,” Lovey said.

“Don’t make me, Miss Lovey,” Clovis whined.

“You know Miss Deborah’s word on this, girl, and her word is law.”

“I won’t tell!”