Marrying Butts, Part Three

There weren't enough people in the small parish for Leta to blend into the crowd, but she wished she could. She had not accepted Mr. Butts’ invitation to attend this lecture on a Sunday afternoon to be put in this position. Yet it must be inevitable that she would encounter one of her trysts at some point. That he would be the flower-lover delivering Christian minister was more than she could have anticipated.

Of course, she hadn't known he was a minister the night they met in the bar, not that it would have made any difference. He was charming and highly complimentary of the new brooch she had received from her daughter for her birthday only a month earlier.

"Someone must like you a lot," he said, his voice thick as bourbon, "that's a beautiful bauble you have there."

She liked how he said "bauble."

"Why, thank you," she responded demurely.

"A beautiful bauble on a beautiful lady," he continued.

She smiled and opened her eyes wide so that he could see how blue they were.

For a moment, she thought he might shy away. Years ago, she had stopped batting her eyes. That was the gesture of a schoolgirl, and she was a mature woman. But because of his reaction—he suddenly looked down—she wondered if she had made a mistake. He was a sturdy man, he seemed direct and he held his glass of whiskey as if he was holding a dear friend. These were all the signals of a man who knew who and what he wanted. Yet the timidity of the eyes signaled a much different sort of man.

"Your glass," he said, gesturing just a little.

"Yes?" she responded, almost anxiously.

"It's nearly empty," he continued. She looked at it and observed that he was correct. Then she realized why he looked down, to her hand, her left hand.

"Yes," she agreed.

"That 's not good."

"No."

Then he gestured to the bartender. By this time, they were meeting at the eyes, and Leta was far more relaxed.

"And a lady should never drink alone," he continued.

The bartender replaced her gin and tonic with a fresh one.

"Thank you, Charlie," she said, and he nodded. Then she turned to the gentleman and raised her glass.

"I'm not," she smiled.

To be continued.