“At the wedding?”

“Front row.”

“I don’t want to watch anybody get shamed.”

Eleanor smiled.

“Then don’t watch her.”

She squeezed Delia’s hand.

“Let them look at you.”

Saturday arrived warm and bright.

Four hundred guests gathered in the Whitlow garden.

White roses.

String quartet.

Champagne.

A tent large enough for a small town.

Paige wore a custom gown worth more than Delia’s shop.

She stood inside the house surrounded by bridesmaids.

“Where is the old lady?” she asked Loretta.

“Those are her chairs.”

Paige looked toward two empty seats in the front row.

“She’ll come down when the music starts.”

Then Paige saw Delia.

Sitting in the first row.

Her face went pale.

“What is she doing here?”

Brynn looked frightened.

“She’s supposed to be in jail.”

Loretta turned.

“Jail?”

Paige realized she had spoken too loudly.

“Nothing.”

The music began.

Paige walked toward the altar.

Julian stood waiting.

Calm.

Expressionless.

She reached him.

Whispered:

“Smile.”

He did not.

The officiant opened his book.

Then Paige saw movement at the back.

An elderly woman entered.

Not in a ragged coat.

Cream suit.

Pearls.

Silver hair perfectly styled.

Earl walked beside her.

The entire Whitlow family stood.

Paige frowned.

“Who is that?”

Julian looked at her.

“You poured champagne on her Monday.”

Paige’s eyes widened.

The woman walked down the aisle.

“Friday,” Julian continued, “you told her to sit down before she broke a hip.”

Paige shook her head.

“No.”

Eleanor stopped beside the front row.

“Rags come off, young lady.”

Paige stared.

Loretta whispered:

“That’s Mrs. Whitlow.”

Paige’s face emptied.

“Mother?” Loretta asked.

Eleanor pointed toward a chair.

“Sit down, Loretta.”

Then looked at Paige.

“You’ll want to hear this.”

The garden was completely silent.

Eleanor turned toward the guests.

“I was inside Prescott Bridal House Monday morning.”

She explained the old dress.

The laughter.

The ring.

The glove.

Then the salon worker who knelt down and repaired something everyone else mocked.

Paige stepped forward.

“She’s confused.”

Eleanor ignored her.

“Yesterday morning, I was inside Odessa Alterations.”

Delia looked down.

“I watched this bride throw Delia’s mother’s sewing machine onto the floor.”

Paige laughed desperately.

“She’s an old woman. What about the brooch?”

She pointed toward Delia.

“Everybody watched that come out of her bag.”

Eleanor looked toward Brynn.

“You were standing right there.”

Brynn froze.

“Tell them.”

Paige turned.

“Brynn.”

Eleanor waited.

Brynn began crying.

“I watched you put it there.”

Gasps moved through the garden.

Paige shook her head violently.

“Shut your mouth.”

“You told me to hold the train.”

Brynn sobbed.

“You put the brooch in her side pocket.”

Paige stepped toward her.