Page 17 of Magnolia Summer

Celia let out a breath of relief. But this was not over. Something had to be done. How could this dangerous person be allowed to wander unhindered amongst women and children?

When she turned to look for Lizzie she was still talking and smiling with a group of girls her own age.

She shouldn’t bother Lizzie with this concern. Lizzie needed time to enjoy herself with her friends. Celia bit her lip and vowed to keep her eye on Griff. The man was dangerous. Maybe no one else was aware of what he was capable of, but she’d seen it with her own eyes.

She searched the grounds for Dr. Beverly. He also knew how dangerous Griff was. When she caught sight of him, he was talking with a young lady with upswept blond hair and a tiny hat perched on top.

Celia started to march up to him and demand to know how much danger Tempie had been in a few minutes before. But no, that wouldn’t be very polite. Besides, seeing him with the pretty young woman and remembering Lizzie’s words to her about him, she thought better of it. If she simply approached them and demanded to speak with Dr. Beverly, the woman would no doubt think she had designs on the handsome young doctor. But as soon as that girl moved away from him, she would take up her concerns with Dr. Beverly.

She tried to appear inconspicuous, standing at the perimeter of the church yard and not making eye contact with anyone. Her watchful gaze went from Griff Beverly to his brother and back again.

The woman speaking with Truett smiled and even laughed as she talked. She leaned toward him, tapping him lightly on the arm with her fingertips. In reaction, he leaned away from her, moving his arms slightly farther away from her. Why couldn’t the woman take a hint and leave the doctor alone?

As more people arrived in the churchyard, it became increasingly difficult to keep her eye on Griff and Truett and avoid speaking to the people passing by her. A woman and her husband introduced themselves and shook her hand. Another girl, Ruby Prichard, whom she vaguely remembered from the funeral, came up to introduce her brother, Casey, who blushed when she shook his hand.

They moved away, thank the Lord, and she flashed a look at Griff, who was still in the same place, then at Truett Beverly. The flirtatious young lady conversing with him was finally walking away, and he was staring straight at Celia. And walking toward her.

Had he caught her looking at him? Even if he had, he couldn’t know she’d been watching him for the last five or ten minutes. She’d better be more careful, though, or she just might have him—and the rest of these people—thinking she had set matrimonial sights on him.

Chapter 6

Truett finally broke away from Beulah Pettibone. He’d wanted to go over and talk to Celia ever since he saw them drive up, but Beulah had cornered him, wanting to talk about the cotillion her mama was giving for her eighteenth birthday. He hoped he hadn’t hurt her feelings, but she could probably tell he was not interested in the details of the upcoming gathering.

He strode toward Celia Wilcox. She looked perturbed, maybe even angry.

He took her hand. “Miss Celia.” He bowed and kissed it lightly before letting go.

She frowned. He grinned. It amused him that she seemed so wholly unimpressed with him. But he’d promised himself he would make her repent of her low opinion of him, so he’d better make some progress today. After all, he didn’t know when he’d see her again. And it kept his mind off worrying about James and Almira—and the sheriff.

“Dr. Beverly, I’d like to speak with you.”

At that moment the people in the yard began moving toward the open door of the church. It was time for the church service to start.

“Of course, Miss Celia. If you don’t mind being late for church, I don’t mind either.”

“I don’t think this will take long. I couldn’t help but notice your, ah, encounter with your brother two days ago. Then this morning he was touching my little sister, Tempie.”

“Touching her?”

“He was tying the strings of her bonnet. I don’t mean to be impolite, but I was alarmed. After I saw what your brother is capable of, I don’t believe it’s safe . . .”

“Don’t believe what’s safe?” He probably shouldn’t goad her. Of course he knew exactly what she was getting at. She was afraid for Tempie’s safety around Griff. It was a legitimate concern, after what she’d witnessed.

Her eyes were so pretty. Framed by thick black lashes, they were a dark brown, almost black, that matched her thick hair, which fairly glowed in the morning sunlight. Too bad she kept it pulled back so tightly. No feminine tendrils to hang down by each cheek like the other girls.

“Dr. Beverly, are you listening?”

“Of course. You were talking about Griff being a danger to Tempie.”

She stared. “Well?”

“It is true, Griff is dangerous when provoked or when he thinks he’s being treated unfairly. He has the mind of a five-year-old, but the body and instincts of a man. Not a very good combination, I admit. But the community has adjusted to him. I am able to recognize when he’s becoming agitated, and so are many others. I don’t believe Griff would ever feel threatened by Tempie, and I assure you, none of the men here would allow anything to happen to your sister.”

During his discourse, she folded her arms across her chest, tilting her head to one side.

She finally smiled—a serious smile, but pleasant. “Thank you for explaining the situation, Dr. Beverly. I can’t help but wonder, though, if you’ve considered the other options for him.”

“You mean Bryce Hospital in Tuscaloosa?” The hospital for the insane was actually a very progressive and humane program. Truett had toured the facility once years before. The hospital was headed by Peter Bryce, the leader in the field of medicine for the mentally insane, and it had attracted doctors from all over the country—and even the world—who wished to study his revolutionary ideas, much gentler and kinder ways of treating them than were used anywhere else.