Southern Lights: A Novel

Tom introduced them then. And it was her turn to be surprised. “Senator Edward Baldwin,” Tom said formally, and Alexa realized why he looked familiar. He had the same heavy Charleston drawl as everyone else there, and was senator from South Carolina. One of the dignitaries Henry had promised, if not the Pope.

Alexa smiled at him. “It’s an honor to meet you, Senator.” They shook hands, he nodded, and headed for the bar, and she and Tom continued dancing and commenting on what a beautiful wedding it was. They both knew it must have cost Scarlette’s parents a million dollars, but they could cleary afford it. Alexa liked the fact that Scarlette was so unassuming and that all she wanted to do was be a nurse, and have babies in a few years. There was nothing showy or pretentious about Travis’s bride. Alexa approved, and so did Tom. Luisa was thrilled with the wedding and the obvious expense. And the rehearsal dinner had gone off well. Luisa had pulled out all the stops, not to be outdone by the parents of the bride, but she was anyway.

Tom danced another dance with Alexa, a slow waltz in honor of the old folks, which reminded her of their wedding in New York. And then he took her back to her table. There was too much noise to really have a serious conversation, and she was grateful for that. He had a wistful look in his eye and was drinking a lot of champagne. She thanked him for the dances, and went back to chatting with the priest.

It was two hours later, as she was thinking of making a discreet escape back to the hotel on her own, when Senator Baldwin appeared out of nowhere and sat down in the seat the priest had vacated.

“Is anyone sitting here?” he asked, looking worried.

“Just the Pope,” Alexa said casually, and he laughed out loud. “I was told by my stepson he was going to be here, but it was just a priest from the local church. He left.”

“I was fascinated by your case,” he launched back into the subject. “How did you keep it out of the hands of the feds with all those states involved?”

“I refused to give it up.” She smiled at him. “And my DA put up a good fight. We got the first four cases, so it didn’t seem fair to lose it to the feds after we did all the work. They kept a pretty close eye on us, but they let us keep it to the end.”

“That was quite a victory for you,” he said, looking impressed again.

“Not really. We had an airtight case, with DNA matches with every victim. Are you an attorney, Senator?”

“Used to be. I’ve been in politics for twenty-five years.” She knew that about him too. “I was a prosecutor for about two years when I started. I didn’t have the stomach for it, or the talent. I like politics better than the law.”

“What you do is a lot harder,” she said admiringly. She wasn’t impressed by his position, but thought he was smart. He obviously thought the same of her.

“What brings you to Charleston?” he asked with interest, and she hesitated for only a fraction of a second, and then answered.

“I used to be married to the father of the groom, a long time ago.” He smiled when he heard it and nodded.

“That’s great that you stayed close. My ex-wife and I have been divorced for twenty years. We spend all our holidays together. I’m crazy about her husband. Great man. Much better husband for her than I was. I’ve been married to the Senate for twenty years. She married him and had three more kids. We have two. It makes for wonderful holidays together.” She didn’t tell the senator that her relationship with Tom and Luisa was not that way at all, and Luisa was not her best friend. Luisa would have had a stroke if Alexa showed up for Christmas. Alexa just laughed and nodded, it was simpler. He asked her for a dance then, to be polite.

She asked if he was from Charleston. And he said from Beaufort, which she knew was nearby, and a pretty place. He was pure South Carolina through and through, was undoubtedly related to a dozen generals, and probably had a mother in the United Daughters of the Confederacy, like Tom’s.

They danced for a few minutes. He was an elegant dancer who was easy to follow, and was surprisingly tall once she was in his arms. And then he totally startled her with a confession, and said that he didn’t enjoy spending time in the South. He said he spent most of his time in Washington, D.C., and preferred it. “I don’t have a lot of patience with all the local gossip, all the grande old dames waving the Confederate flag, and everyone being ‘nasty nice’ about everyone else while smiling and putting the knife in their back. It’s a little complicated for me. Washington is a lot simpler.” That wasn’t always simple either, Alexa knew. But what he said was exactly how she felt and would never have dared to say, especially here, or to him, about the South.