16

Magnolia League Meeting: The Senior Four

September is the height of hurricane season in Savannah, and this morning, though the weatherman has issued no warning, it’s raining hard enough to feel like one might actually be on the way. Miss Lee struts from the car to Magnolia Hall, holding her trench coat tight around her. When she steps into the hallway, she sees that Mary Oglethorpe has forgone the sweet tea (and the pink wine, for that matter) for a strong, hot pot of Swamp Brew.

“Hello, Dorothy,” Sybil says.

“Hi, girls,” Miss Lee says. “Thank you for coming on such short notice.”

Miss Lee phoned the other Seniors last night after returning from her dinner date. When Mary, Khaki, and Sybil got the call, naturally they dropped everything to come. The Seniors are rarely summoned, but when they are, it’s important.

“I probably should have called a full meeting, but I didn’t want to alarm the whole damned world.” Mary and Sybil exchange glances at their leader’s candor. Though they have known her since they were toddlers, as president of the League, “Miss Lee” usually separates herself from her friends with a veil of formality.

“Here,” Mary says. “Have some brew.” She pours the thick, pungent liquid into a cup. Miss Lee gratefully takes a sip, looking at Mary’s rumpled dress and bird’s-nest hair with an amused eye. “Mary, you’re looking a little disheveled this morning.”

Mary smiles sheepishly. “It’s this new kid I’m dating.”

Sybil shakes her head. “I keep telling you. You conjured yourself too young.”

“Sybil, you’ve been lecturing me for thirty years about that.”

“And now look. Where were you last night? Doing karaoke on River Street? Jell-O shots with high school students? How is a sixty-five-year-old woman supposed to keep up with that?”

“I’m not the one who can’t keep her senator husband out of the news for skinny-dipping in Rio,” Mary snaps. “Maybe if you’d chosen a better age, you wouldn’t have such problems keeping Tom in check.”

“I told you, she was Argentinian, not Brazilian.”

“Girls, please.” Miss Lee sighs.

“Well, we’re here for Miss Lee,” Sybil says, trying to focus the meeting. She turns to the president, who, despite her evident distress, is resplendent in a silk jersey wrap dress. “What is the issue at hand?”

“Alex is missing,” Miss Lee says.

“Hmm.” The Senior Four are not alarmed. Magnolias, protected as they are, have more freedom than normal teenage girls. “Did you call Sam to investigate?”

“No. Certainly not. Not with our history.”

“Ah,” Sybil says, nodding. After what happened to Louisa, that certainly makes sense.

“Anyway, I don’t need his insight on this matter. I’m certain she went back to that… zoo where she was raised.”

“On her own?” The women are more concerned now. Things are different outside the safe boundaries of Savannah.

“I believe so. Her backpack is gone, and she bought a one-way airline ticket to California with the credit card I gave her.”

“Are you going to get her?” Sybil asks. “You can use Tom’s plane…. We’ll just lump it in with the other non-state-business flying he’s in trouble for.”

“That’s the question,” Miss Lee says, obviously frazzled. She takes a sip and closes her eyes. Sybil and Mary wait for the brew to take effect. After a moment, a visible sense of calm comes over their leader’s lovely face. “I’m thinking of just letting her go.”

Sybil puts her hand over her face, but it’s impossible not to see that she is pleased.

“Why are you so smiley about this?” Miss Lee snarls. “Anxious to get the heir out of the way?”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Sybil replies. “I simply know that it will make her happy. Hayes is concerned about Alex’s happiness.”

Miss Lee gives Sybil a long, distrustful stare.

“Why does she get to go?” Khaki asks. “What about the Blue Root?”

“She’s got a buzzard’s rock,” Miss Lee says. “She can do anything she wants.”

“How did she get that?” Sybil demands.

“It fell off my daughter’s neck,” Miss Lee says quietly.

“You mean before…”

“Yes.”

A hush falls over the room.

“I’m so very sorry, Dorothy,” Mary says.

“I’m not!” Khaki shouts, suddenly rabidly furious. “This is what you get for ruining my life!”

“Khaki,” Miss Lee says, “you were in danger of ruining us all. Everything. I couldn’t just let you tell all of New York society our secrets. I had to do something.”

Sybil remains cautiously silent. Miss Lee looks at her friends coldly and purses her lips for a moment. “I made all the wrong choices with Louisa,” she says finally. “So this time I’m letting Alexandria do what she wants.”

“Then who gets the mantle?” Sybil asks.

“Careful, Sybil,” Miss Lee says. “Your eagerness is not entirely ladylike.”

Khaki and Mary giggle as Sybil’s face turns red.

“The truth is, honey, I still believe she’s the one,” Miss Lee says. “This will be the test, I suppose. If Alex is a real Magnolia, she’ll be back.”