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Lily shook her head, and Gloria came closer, her eyes wide.
“She had a gentleman caller last night. He was there all night.”
“Are you sure, Gloria? Maybe it was one of her sons.”
“I don’t think so. I’ve known them all since they were boys, and unless they suddenly went gray, it wasn’t any of them.”
“Well, perhaps there’s some other explanation. You really should check with Mavis before you get people thinking something that might not be true.”
“It really is preposterous for Mavis to have a gentleman caller at her age,” Gloria continued.
“All the more reason to get your story straight,” Lily said. “You wouldn’t want people thinking you started a vicious rumor.”
“Er … well, perhaps,” Gloria muttered. Then she straightened and looked at Lily. “I thought I heard a pig last night. I must be hearing things.”
“I haven’t heard any pigs,” Lily said quickly. “But there was a documentary about pigs on TV last night. Maybe Winifred had her TV turned up and that’s what you heard. You know she’s rather hard of hearing. Sometimes the whole neighborhood gets to listen along with her.”
“Perhaps that’s it,” Gloria said, but she didn’t look convinced. “I’ll tell you now, young Lily, things in this neighborhood aren’t what they used to be. I’ve lived here for fifty years, and it just isn’t the same place now.”
“How is it different?” Lily asked, then immediately regretted it.
Gloria looked delighted that someone had asked for her opinion.
“The children don’t have the same respect they used to,” she began. “Just the other day, I was out in my yard watering my roses, and along came a couple of kids on skateboards. Skateboards! Who ever heard of such a thing in our part of the world?” She paused to let the outrage sink in. “Anyway, I raised my hand to wave and say hello, but they zoomed past me without a single glance in my direction. Back in my day, we’d have stopped to say hello. It’s only polite.”
“Oh, those dreadful skateboarders,” Lily murmured. “They were probably on their way to the park and were watching for pets or small children who might run into their path. You must admit, being run over by a skateboarder would be an awful way to die.”
“Terrible. But that’s not all.” Gloria wasn’t willing to let her moment of opportunity pass without making the most of it.
“What else?” Lily asked, torn between a desire to escape and the urge to burst out laughing, which Gloria would no doubt consider an appalling lack of manners. The thought made it even harder to stuff down the giggles trying to escape her throat.
Gloria leaned closer and lowered her voice. “Elsie said her great-nephews got caught peering through old George’s windows the other night. He had the TV on and was watching porn. Porn! Can you believe it?”
“And they were watching it with him, only he didn’t know it?” Lily’s lips were twitching with the effort of staying serious.
“They were hiding in the garden looking through the lace drapes. You’d think he’d have the decency to draw the drapes if he’s going to indulge in disgusting behavior.”
“I guess he wasn’t expecting an audience,” Lily said drily. “Normal people don’t hide in gardens and peer through windows. It was probably the last thing on his mind.”
“Well, as I said, this neighborhood just isn’t what it used to be,” Gloria huffed.
Lily glanced at her watch. “Well, it’s been nice to chat, but my dinner should be ready about now. Have a good evening, Gloria.”
“You too,” the older woman responded.
Lily hurried inside, where Bec was standing by the stove serving the stew she’d made.
“What took you so long?” she asked. “I was about to send out a rescue party in case you got eaten by Henry or something.”
“It wasn’t Henry I had to worry about,” Lily responded. “It was Gloria.”
Bec grinned. “Ah, you were the victim of our resident busybody,” she said. “What news does she bear this evening?”
“All the usual crimes and misdemeanors of the neighborhood,” Lily replied cheerfully. “I was struggling to keep a straight face through some of it.” Then she sobered. “But she did say she heard a pig. I think I convinced her it was nothing, but we need to be careful.”
“It would be disastrous if Gloria found out about Henry,” Bec agreed. “Word would be all over town in no time. I’d have to find him another home before two hours were up.”
“Speaking of which, have you had any luck finding him somewhere else to live? He can’t stay in the backyard forever.”
