With that, Doll led Ibby up the stairs and rang the doorbell. Through the etched-glass paneling in the front door, Ibby could see a long-legged woman in uniform approaching.
“Fine morning to you, Doll.” The woman opened the door. “And who we got here?”
“Ernestine, this here is Miss Fannie’s grandchild. She visiting for a while. Miss Fannie thought Miss Ibby might be good company for Miss Annabelle.”
Ernestine waved them in. “Miss Annabelle’s out in the kitchen doing her best to finish off the batch of chocolate lace cookies I just made.”
“Miss Honey here?” Doll asked with a slight catch to her voice.
“She’s out shopping.”
Doll sighed with relief. In the kitchen, a little girl with beribboned pigtails was perched on a stool, eating a large lace cookie. Her kinky hair was the color of a brand-new penny, and her face was covered in freckles of almost the same hue.
“Cookies just came out of the oven. Want one?” Ernestine asked Ibby, picking up a plate of cookies.
“Yes, please,” Ibby said politely as she placed a cookie on the napkin Ernestine held out for her.
Annabelle jumped down from the stool and looked at Ibby. She had chocolate smeared on the side of her face. Ibby took an instant dislike to her. And from the nasty look on Annabelle’s face, the feeling was mutual.
“Who are you?” Annabelle demanded, her mouth falling open to reveal a gap in her front teeth large enough to fit a number-two pencil.
Ibby thought Annabelle looked like a cross between Howdy Doody and Raggedy Ann. It wasn’t a good combination.
“Be nice, Miss Annabelle,” Ernestine said. “This here is Miss Fannie down the street’s granddaughter. She come to visit a spell.”
Ibby took a bite of the cookie and watched Annabelle. Annabelle in turn cocked her head as if she smelled something awful.
“You two run on outside and busy yourself in the backyard,” Ernestine said.
Annabelle licked the chocolate off her fingers and opened the back door. “You coming or not? I don’t have all day.”
Ibby looked up at Doll with pleading eyes.
“You go on now, Miss Ibby. It’ll be all right.” Doll nudged Ibby forward and whispered in her ear. “You just remember what I told you.”
Chapter Twelve
Not an hour later, Doll peered out the back window to find Ernestine walking up the driveway wearing a nervous face, with Ibby trudging along beside her.
“Look like we got a little problem,” Doll said, pinching her mouth to one side.
Queenie wiped her hands on her apron and went to the window just as Ernestine came to the back door.
“What happened?” Doll propped the screened door open with her foot.
“Ibby and Annabelle, they got into a fight. I’ll let her tell you about it.” Ernestine nodded at Ibby.
Queenie grabbed Ibby’s chin as she came up the back steps. “God Almighty. What happened to you? You got one doozy of a black eye.”
“Her knee, it’s kind of scraped up, too.” Ernestine looked up at Doll from the bottom of the steps. “Miss Honey says Miss Ibby ain’t welcome at their house no more for beating up her Annabelle.” She leaned closer to Doll and Queenie. “Been a long time coming, far as I’m concerned. Looked like a catfight in the backyard until I got the garden hose and sprayed ’em down. Just sorry Miss Ibby here got hurt.”
“Thank you kindly for bringing her home,” Queenie said as she closed the screened door.
Ernestine turned to go.
A second later Queenie opened the door and called after her. “If that be the case, might want to let Miss Honey know that Miss Fannie won’t be able to help her out no more when Mr. Henry come around, if you know what I mean.” Queenie smiled real big.
Ernestine’s shoulders heaved with laughter. “I understand. Certainly do. I’ll be sure and pass that on to Miss Honey.”
Queenie pointed to a bush at the bottom of the steps next to where Ibby was standing. “Child, reach down and pick me a leaf off that bush.”
Ibby picked a leaf and handed it to Queenie. Queenie crushed the leaf in her hands and handed it back to her.
“Here, press this up against your eye. Geranium leaf will calm it down a bit.” She turned to Doll. “Where’s Miss Fannie at?”
“She’s taking a nap, resting up before the big game on the TV this afternoon,” Doll answered.
“Good. Give me some time to think about how to handle this. Miss Ibby, come on over here and sit on this stool so I can get a better look.” Queenie scoured the kitchen. “One around here somewhere. Just saw it.”
“If you looking for that spiderweb, saw one out on the porch,” Doll said. “Noticed it when Mr. Henry came by earlier.”