Chapter 24

On a bright and sunny day two weeks after the funeral of Ellie Jane Lauderdale Hutchinson visitors to Briarwood Cemetery saw a very attractive older woman sitting on the bench next to where Charlie and Ellie Hutchinson are interred in the Lauderdale section of the cemetery. She was alone but nonetheless to the casual observer she seemed deep in conversation.

"Sorry I haven't come by earlier but I was occupied with Jamie and getting settled in after he left and before you ask yes I fucked him. I know you don't approve Ellie but he is a grown man now. It's not like I'm taking advantage of him and yes I remember what happened last time. You don't have to holler.

"I've decided to give your hopes a try. I'm moving back to Savannah, at least for a while. Right now I'm planning on staying at momma and papa's house. We'll see how it goes. Jamie offered to set me up in Charlie's house because it would be more convenient for my me. I haven't decided yet whether to take him up on the offer. I'll have to give it some more thought. I have a feeling the river house would be a better place for him to entertain. Not as many prying eyes as at Charlie's house but I do think he was considering me when he made the offer and not his shacking opportunities.

"Jamie was in town for about a week for your funeral and things to do with the affairs of your estate. He left to meet Vickie in San Francisco but I expect him back soon. He will be coming to Savannah on a regular basis for a while to get a handle on all your enterprises and charities. You would be proud of him Ellie. Instead of taking the money and running, which I would have done, which of course you knew, he started to lay out his plans for being a good steward of the resources you left him.

"He's fucking his sister. There's nothing that can be done about it but I don't think it will amount to anything more than a piece of ass whenever he's in town. I must say they do look good together. I don't think he cares as much for her as Jed did for her mama. As you remember it happened when Jed was here after Charlie died. Rose just couldn't stay away from him nor he her. They made up for their prior unrequited love and Emily was the result.

"I've been to the country club a couple of times and have met some nice new people and have become reacquainted with some old ones.

"I didn't tell him Ellie. As we discussed when I told you I was fearful of coming back because Anne still has people in Savannah that she visits. It wouldn't be fair to Jamie or to Katie at this late date.

"It happened because I was taking 'day after' birth control and had been for decades before it was legal in the United States. Do you recall Lisa, the French girl I roomed with at Georgia? She sent me a care package every few months from Paris. You know I was never very good about keeping track of things especially if it had to do with sex or when I was drinking or both. I forgot to take them many times and I was just lucky. Most men that I fucked had had vasectomies and I became rather blasé about the need for birth control.

"I remember it like it was yesterday. I had missed a period before you made me leave Savannah but didn't give it much thought until I missed a second one while in Switzerland. A doctor there gave me the news and in a little under eight months she arrived and the blood tests showed the father was closely related and it had occurred during a time when there was only Jamie. And of course he was the only closely related man or boy I ever slept with. I saw her from a distance at the funeral and you were right she is exactly like Jamie with just enough of me. Her mannerisms are his down to a T and she gets her looks from me.

"Bob and Anne did a wonderful job with Katie's upbringing in Richmond and you can't do much better than the University of Virginia. Why am I telling you something you already know? Must be my age catching up with me I guess?