Southern Lights: A Novel

“Sit down,” her grandmother told her harshly, and looked at her daughter-in-law. “She’s not going anywhere, Luisa. Why don’t you try to relax? She’s not going to hurt you. She’s just a child. She doesn’t want anything from you. And her mother doesn’t want him either.” Her son had reported to her what Alexa had said to him over lunch. His mother wasn’t surprised, and respected her for it. She told Tom that Alexa was right, and at least had pride and self-respect. She was sure she probably did love him, but she didn’t want a man who could hurt her that badly, and wait ten years to come back, when it was convenient for him. Tom had been shocked by what his mother said.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Luisa said grandly, as Eugenie looked at her with narrowed eyes.

“Yes, you do. You’re afraid that Tom will do the same thing to you that you and he did to Alexa. He won’t. She won’t let him. You’ve got him. And Savannah has nothing to do with it. She’s stuck here. So there’s no reason to punish her.”

“I haven’t punished her!” Luisa looked outraged. “Did she tell you that?” She looked daggers at Savannah, and her mother-in-law shook her head.

“No. Tom did. He says you’ve been mean-spirited and rude to her since she arrived.” Eugenie pulled no punches, southern or not. And she ran the show. Savannah was mortified to be listening to their conversation. She didn’t want to defend her stepmother, but she didn’t want to confront or condemn her either. She was too formidable an opponent to take on, and already bad enough without that. “I think you should just sit back and enjoy yourself for a change, and have some fun. You got him. He’s not going anywhere.”

“How do you know that?”

“He’s not that kind of man.” She knew her son, and also that he didn’t have the guts. “You dragged him out of that marriage, and I pushed him. Without our help, he’s not moving. And a seventeen-year-old girl is no threat to you. All she’s doing here is waiting for her mother to finish her trial so she can go home.”

“Why is she spending so much time with you?” Luisa sounded suspicious and suspected a plot between them. It was the kind of thing she would have done, but not Savannah. It was the farthest thing from Savannah’s mind.

“Because she’s a nice girl,” her grandmother said kindly. She had grown fond of her in a short time, and she was grateful for the time they had shared. “And she’s probably lonely here, without her mother. You haven’t done anything to make her feel at home.”

“I … I …” She started to splutter, but she had no response.

“Why don’t you come back and visit some other time, when I’m alone?” She was sending Luisa away, and Savannah stood up, embarrassed to be witness to a conversation where they talked about her as though she weren’t there. Luisa acted like she didn’t exist.

“I have homework to do anyway,” Savannah said, bending to kiss her grandmother. She promised to come back soon, and a few minutes later she drove away, and Luisa was left with the mother-in-law who knew too much, and had been part of it, but now held it against her.

“I thought you’d be good to him,” she said as Luisa sat down across from her, angry that Eugenie had championed Savannah’s cause, but not hers. Savannah was a lot easier for the old woman to love than Luisa. “You haven’t been good to him. You’ve been mean to my son. You won him, like a dog at a fair. He’s yours now, he has been for ten years. There’s no need to kick him. He might be nicer to you, if you treat him well.” She was defending her son, with good reason. Luisa had treated him badly for years.

“I really don’t know what you’re talking about, Mother Beaumont.” Luisa would have liked to say that they were the rantings of an old woman, but they both knew that she was totally clearheaded and what she was saying was true. Luisa pretended to look hurt but in fact was livid.

“I think you ought to go home and think about it,” Eugenie said to her. It was late in the afternoon, and she was tired. Savannah had stayed for a long time, and her grandmother had enjoyed it. But now she was worn out. Too much so to deal with Luisa. “You’ll lose him in the end, if you treat him badly. Alexa won’t have him back. But someone else will. He’s a fine-looking man.”

“I’ve already lost him,” Luisa said hoarsely, looking crestfallen, and for once was sincere. “He never loved me, not since I got him back. He never stopped loving her.” They both knew it was the truth, and Eugenie had regretted it ever since. Her son had been miserable for ten years, and in great part it was her fault. She felt guilty for it now, and was repaying the debt to Savannah, and felt guilty about her too. Luisa was only thinking about herself, and the fact that her husband didn’t love her, and never stopped loving Alexa.