Wild Swans by Patricia Snodgrass Read Free Book Online

yours ain’t gonna make things any better for you.”
    “The best she can give me is the freedom to choose who I want to marry and when.”
    “I’m afraid that ain’t gonna happen dear heart. You’re only other choice is the habit and you know it.”
    Althea folded her arms across her chest. “Or she’ll what?”
    “Slap that rebellious look off your face for starters. Then throw you out of the house and disinherit you.”
    “That’s hardly a threat Tante Cal. Disinherit me from what? Being landlady to a rundown old plantation house that should have been burned during the Northern Unpleasantness and a store and gas station hardly anybody goes to. And none of it belongs to her anyway, so all I’ll inherit are leases, and that’s only by the grace of God and Mrs. Bristow.”
    “She’s got more than what you’ll get if you defy her any further,” Cally retorted. “You step your toes out of line and see what happens to young girls who get set out into the world with neither man nor trousseau.”
    “It’s not the dark ages,” Althea said as she rested her elbows on the table and placed her chin in the palm of her hands. “I can get a job in a secretarial pool, or maybe become a nurse’s aid.”
    “It’d help if you knew how to type, and do bookkeeping but you don’t. You refused to take the office ed. courses in school,” Cally replied as she studied her cards. “And as far as nursing school goes—”
    “—Mom told me not to worry about it, so I didn’t. Just like there was no need to study hard and go to nursing school which is what I wanted in the first place.” She frowned into the crook of her arm. I wish I had, though , she told herself. I really do.
    “It’d be best if you stayed put and did as your ma says,” Cally advised. “She can’t afford to spend no money on you for either secretarial or nursing school.”
    “She didn’t have trouble going broke for this stupid wedding. Besides,” she added, “you hinted there was a big inheritance if I stayed put and did as I was told.”
    “I hinted of no such thing.”
    “Yes you did.”
    “I was referring to an investment in your future,” Cally corrected. “You don’t have the nerve to be a good nurse. Besides, why bust your hump when you can marry money and not have to lift a finger except to get your nails done?”
    Mr. Lindt chuckled. “I believe that’s a bourrée , Miss Cally,” he said.
    Cally looked at the cards, scowled, and said, “I believe you’re correct, Mr. Lindt.” She tossed her cards casually into the middle of the table. “Now see what you made me do, Althie? I lost track of the game and it cost me ten dollars.”
    “You can afford to lose ten dollars if you can afford to bet it,” Althea retorted.
    “You have a fresh mouth, young lady,” Cally replied as she removed a ten dollar bill pinned to her bra and handed it over to Mr. Lindt. “I always keep my wagers, Mr. Lindt. It was a pleasure playing with you.”
    Lindt tipped his hat. “Thankee Miss Cally for teaching me this most delightful game. Would you care to try another hand?”
    “I suppose not,” Cally replied. “I need to check in on Mrs. Ramsay. I’ll see if she’d like to sit outside for a bit, and maybe we can all have some po’ boys for supper.”
    “Mom gets mad when you use up all the cold cuts for po’boys,” Althea observed, her eyes still downcast as she looked at the table. “You know how she is.”
    “It’s too hot to cook. And none of us can endure Mrs. Ramsay’s chicken gumbo. Especially not on an evening like this. She can lump it if she don’t like it,” Cally replied. Althea grumbled. Mr. Lindt snorted and shook his head.
    Cally winked at Mr. Lindt, rose and walked into the house. Althea slid deep in the chair with her arms folded across her chest. She looked as petulant as she felt. She heard Mr. Lindt utter a noise that sounded suspiciously like a snicker. She glanced over at him but he was gazing out toward the