Miss Zula came up to stand on Angie’s other side. “There’s Miss Junie, and her twin sister, Alma. Alma married Harmond Ogilvie the June we graduated and died of a burst appendix not a month later. His mama told him it was God’s judgment. A boy whose family worshipped at Episcopal Christ Church and sat down to Sunday dinner with the governor should never have thought to marry a Catholic.”

“How did old Harmond take that piece of wisdom?” Tony asked.

“Bubba—that’s the name he went by in those days—married Button Preston a year later, and made his mama proud.”

“This is Harmond Ogilvie, the chair of the board of regents?”

“And Button Preston, who is president of the Junior League, like her mama before her.”

“Ogilvie is a small town,” Angie said.

“And don’t you ever forget it,” said Miss Zula.

Tony was moving along the row of photos. He stopped suddenly in front of a group portrait. There were nuns in full habit, their faces framed by white wimples, two priests, and a half dozen laypeople, most of them male.

“The younger priest looks familiar,” said Angie, studying the photo.

“I’m not surprised,” said Miss Zula. “That’s Miss Junie’s uncle, Father Liam.”

“Come on over here and eat, would you?” said Miss Anabel. “This humidity is playing havoc with my meringue.”

There were many questions Angie wanted to ask Miss Anabel, few of which she got a chance to put to the fierce old lady, who immediately took charge of the conversation. “Zula,” she said, “tell me again why Caroline didn’t come along. And where is this Rivera Rosenblum I’ve heard so much about?”

“Junie needed a ride to her house at the lake,” said Miss Zula. “And of course Caroline took her.”

“Rivera was detained,” Angie said. “She’ll be sorry to have missed this visit.” It was the truth, so she could meet Miss Anabel’s watery blue gaze with complete ease.

“Now, that’s too bad,” said Miss Anabel. “Maybe she’ll come sometime on her own. And what about Louie?”

Miss Zula put down her teacup. “I didn’t bring Louie because he makes you sneeze.”

Tony grinned at Angie as he spooned strawberry jam on his plate. He had a sweet tooth, and no objection to putting off work if the older women were set on a long visit.

Miss Anabel said, “He’s the best dog you’ve ever had.”

“You say that about every dog of mine,” said Miss Zula. “But he still makes you sneeze.”

“So does sunlight,” said Miss Anabel, scowling. “And I don’t let that keep me from stepping out of doors. Miss Mangiamele, why aren’t you married, a pretty young woman like you?”

Angie inhaled a mouthful of iced tea. While Tony was thumping her on the back, she saw that Miss Anabel was watching her almost as closely as Miss Zula.