“Did John say the wedding was off?” Caroline’s usual deferential tone was gone.

“No,” Eunice said. “Nobody said any such thing.” She met John’s gaze and he tried not to look panicked.

“Except Patty-Cake,” corrected Connie. At that moment John realized that Patty-Cake was gone. If nothing else, she had a keen sense of self-preservation.

Harriet said, “She’s been telling us you weren’t coming back, you ran away because of something John did.”

“Well, Patty-Cake is wrong, as usual,” Caroline said shortly. “Is she there? I’ll tell her so myself.”

“She was here—” Connie said, looking around.

“She lit out,” said Harriet.

“So you’re not canceling,” said Eunice. “Just to be clear, you’re not calling things off?”

“I am not calling things off,” Caroline said.

“What about John?” asked Harriet, trying not to look at him directly. “Is he calling things off?”

“Nothing has been called off,” said Caroline, her voice so clear and commanding that John wondered for a moment if it was really her, or if she had hired someone to make this phone call. Whoever was talking, he was glad that person was willing to spare him the lie Harriet wanted to hear.

Caroline said, “I’ll see y’all at Thomasina’s at seven for the rehearsal dinner, okay?”

“Um,” said Eunice, “so you won’t be at the rehearsal itself?”

“No,” said Caroline, “and neither will you. We don’t need to rehearse this wedding, we’ve done it four times already. Let’s just meet at the restaurant, okay? I’d like to spend some time with Mama when I get home, and then I’ll bring her and Uncle Bruce to Thomasina’s.”

There was a shocked silence, in which the four older Rose girls sent one another looks that needed no translations.

“Sugar, I have to say, you’re scaring me a little bit.” Pearl sent John a pleading look. “You don’t sound like yourself.”

“I’m sorry that I scared you,” Caroline said, more calmly. “I really am sorry for the trouble I’ve caused. But I’m asking y’all to help me now, and trust me. Will you do that?”

“Why, of course we will,” said Harriet, sounding a little shocked. “We’d do anything for you.”

“Anything,” echoed Connie and Pearl.

Eunice said, “I expect you want to talk to John alone, so we’ll just—”

“Wait,” said Harriet. “About your dress—”

“—go,” said Eunice firmly, taking Harriet by the elbow.

“We’ll see you at Thomasina’s,” said Connie, sounding doubtful.

“See you later, honey,” Pearl said. She gave John one last, hard look, and then she closed the door behind her.

“I hate speakerphones,” said Caroline when he had her on the handset again. And then: “Could you ask Rob to make sure Patty-Cake is in plain sight? I really don’t want her listening in.”