Free Hope Springs - 05 - Wedding Cake by Lynne Hinton Page B

older woman had told him years ago to call her by her first name, “Lily broke up with me about nine months ago. I didn’t tell you like I didn’t tell anybody because I can’t stand the questions and the look of pity that is starting to form on your face right now.”
    Beatrice tried to change her expression. She could feel the pity look when it started to emerge.
    Eldon continued. “She’s found somebody new and she’s happy. So don’t ask me anymore about her. Don’t tell me to marry her. Don’t talk to me about Lily Bitterman ever again.” He turned away from Beatrice and looked up the street. “I’ve got a route to make, and besides, it looks like you have received an important wedding invitation to attend to, so with that announcement postmarked from Columbia, South Carolina, and the Jenkins one, I’d say you got plenty of nuptials to keep you busy this spring.” And he tipped his hat at Beatrice and headed down the sidewalk.
    “Well, Eldon Macintyre, why on earth wouldn’t you think you could tell me about your breakup? I mean nothing but goodwill for you.” Beatrice kept talking but Eldon never turned around. “I’ll find you a woman, Eldon!” she yelled, and it was loud enough that a couple of neighbors who were standing outside turned to look in her direction.
    Beatrice smiled at them and waved. She never was one to worryabout what others thought of her. She headed back to the house and glanced down at her stack of letters. On top was indeed what appeared to be a wedding invitation. She looked back up the street at Eldon as he moved in and out of driveways, delivering the mail. It surprised her to hear that he had noticed her letters. He had always seemed so discreet, acting as if he never paid any attention at all to anybody’s mail.
    Beatrice studied the letter and suddenly noticed the return address, and she recognized it as her daughter Robin’s address in Columbia, South Carolina. The envelope was a thick paper stock, expensive, Beatrice could tell. It was mauve in color, with a gold-stamped pair of wedding rings on the back.
    Robin had moved from Charlotte, North Carolina, a few years earlier. She was a banker, a loan officer, and she had gotten a promotion that involved a move south. It hadn’t seemed like such a big deal for Beatrice because she rarely saw any of her children anyway, and Robin especially seemed always too busy to come back to Hope Springs to visit her mother and stepfather. As far as Beatrice knew, Robin had not been dating anyone and was a very committed single woman. Beatrice had given up on matchmaking for her daughter after she graduated from college. But it was certainly not because she lost heart. Her resignation came entirely from Robin, who claimed that if her mother didn’t quit setting her up on blind dates or giving out her phone number to young men, she was going to take a job in San Francisco, and never speak to Beatrice again. Her mother got the message loud and clear and never tried matchmaking on her again. Still, she always asked about Robin’s love life, and she had never heard Robin mention anyone that she was dating.
    Beatrice held the invitation carefully as she walked to the frontsteps of her house. She sat down on the top step and slowly opened it. She pulled out the card and as she read the words, she couldn’t believe it. It was exactly as it appeared. Robin was getting married, and Beatrice was finding out from a wedding invitation. It read:
    Robin Newgarden

and

Farrell Monk

Invite you to their

Destination wedding
.
July 3, 2010

2:00 P.M.

Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
    That was it. Inside the envelope there was also a short letter of explanation about how to reserve airline tickets and rooms at the hotel, an itinerary of events that lasted the entire weekend, and a phone number to call for more information and to RSVP.
    Beatrice stared at the invitation. She shook her head, trying to understand how her own daughter could be getting married