Chapters (30)
- Title Page
- Copyright Page
- Dedication
- ONE - The Naked Ladies
- TWO - Lizzy’s Key
- THREE - Verna Is Rebuffed
- FOUR - Saturday Night in Darling, or Life Is Just a Bowl of Cherries
- FIVE - The Roof Falls In
- SIX - The Dahlias in Full Bloom
- SEVEN - The Skeleton in Bessie Bloodworth’s Closet
- EIGHT - Verna Has a Visitor
- NINE - Beulah’s New Customer
- TEN - Bessie Bloodworth Learns a Thing or Two
- ELEVEN - Lizzy Goes to Work
- TWELVE - Verna Makes a Phone Call
- THIRTEEN - Verna Works the Switchboard
- FOURTEEN - Buddy Norris Collars a Crook
- FIFTEEN - Lizzy Faces the Lion in His Den
- SIXTEEN - “The Game Is Afoot!”
- SEVENTEEN - THE GARDEN GATE
- EIGHTEEN - Bessie Bloodworth Pays a Call
- NINETEEN - Lizzy Lays Down the Law
- TWENTY - The Dahlias Score
- TWENTY-ONE - Mr. Moseley Clears Up a Mystery
- TWENTY-TWO - Bessie Solves a Mystery, Myra May’s Car Breaks Down, and Violet ...
- TWENTY-THREE - Showtime!
- The Dahlias’ “Dirty Dozen” Housecleaning Tips
- Glossary
- Recipes
- Reading List
“Well, of course you couldn’t let them have her!” Lizzy exclaimed indignantly. “How could you? You’re Dorothy’s aunt, for pity’s sake. You had to take her!” Lizzy didn’t want to think about the possible legal problems that lay ahead. But surely a court would agree that Baby Dorothy was better off with her aunt than with a strange family. And these days, so many families had had to place their children in orphanages that they were full. Maybe there wouldn’t be any legal action.
“And you shouldn’t go second-guessing Myra May, either,” Bessie said in a practical tone. “You know as well as we do that she’s got a big heart, and she cares about you. Why, you’re her best friend! I’m sure that what’s best for you and Dorothy is going to be just fine with her.”
“I agree,” Lizzy said. She grinned. “And I hope she’s going to be so glad to see you—and so surprised and delighted to meet little Dorothy—that she doesn’t notice that Bessie and I came back without Big Bertha.”
Which is of course exactly what happened. Mr. Clinton dropped them all off in front of the diner. Bessie held the door for Violet, who was carrying the pink-wrapped bundle, and Lizzy brought up the rear, toting Violet’s suitcase and the bag of Dorothy’s diapers. Most of the dinner customers had finished and gone, and there were only a few to see Myra May give a loud whoop and rush to fling her arms around Violet, and then step back and give another whoop when she saw the baby. And if Violet had had any lingering worries about whether Myra May would welcome Baby Dorothy into their home, she must have been comforted when she saw Myra May’s face soften and a smile quiver on her lips.
“Oh, my goodness,” she breathed. “What a beautiful baby. What a beautiful little baby!”
It was a while before Lizzy could get Myra May’s attention long enough to hand her Big Bertha’s key and tell her that she’d have to send somebody from the filling station out to the cemetery with a battery, to see if they could get Bertha started and drive her home.
Myra May didn’t seem to mind at all.
TWENTY-THREE - Showtime!
TWENTY-THREE
Showtime!