Part 1 – Ready

The sun cast an early orange glow on the rooftops of Milford, like a smattering of zest on a Bundt cake. Tom DeLancy, of 27 Mason Drive, tossed a silken blue necktie around his shoulders. He began carefully tying an overhand knot. 

Simple. Efficient. Effective. Not unlike the man himself. 

He was dressed, neatly, in the grey tweed suit his wife had laid out on the dresser. The smell of bacon and coffee wafted into the bedroom. 

“A Windsor would make a better first impression at our new church,” sighed Evelynna DeLancy, leaning in the doorway, one hand on her chin, analyzing her husband’s attire up and down. Tom turned around to face his wife.

“This one’s fine honey. No one will notice—” Tom dismissed. 

“That was not a suggestion,” Evelynna cut in, voice low, one eyebrow cocked. “Who am I in this room, Pet?”

She took a few slow but deliberate steps forward to the middle of the room and stopped, hands on her hips, black heels together. Tom’s Adam’s apple dipped low and sprang up above his overhand knot. 

“Forgive me, Mistress Eve, I forgot myself,” Pet lowered his head.

“Well, let’s make sure we don’t forget again,” Mistress Eve scolded, eyes glinting, voice smooth as butter. 

“Come here.” Pet closed the distance between them in three strides. He was a full head taller than his mistress, who was now standing nose-to-knot with his tie. 

Mistress Eve yanked it loose and flung it to the floor. Pet stood at attention, unflinching. 

“On your knees.” 

Pet dropped. 

“Pick it up.” 

Pet reached. 

“In your mouth.”

Pet lowered his face to the carpet. 

Mistress Eve seized the fabric from Pet’s teeth and roughly tied a perfect double Windsor. 

“There,” she patted his chest, “what do you say, Pet?” 

“Thank you, Mistress Eve.”

“And?”

“And I’m sorry for talking back, it won’t happen again.” Pet hung his head, awaiting his mistress’s approval. She simply slipped off her heels and set them on the end of the bed. 

“Shine them,” she declared. “I’ll see you in the kitchen.” Pet scrambled to retrieve a bottle of polish from his desk drawer. 

“Good boy,” Mistress Eve turned on a nylon clad heel and left Pet to work. 

Five minutes later, Evelynna was staring at her reflection in the pointed toes of her shoes. She kissed Tom on the cheek and thanked him, slipping her feet back into them. 

Tommy, wearing black trousers two inches shy of his ankles with a blue sport jacket one size too big, was already halfway through a slice of toast with orange juice. 

“Tommy dear, you forgot to take the trash outside yesterday evening,” Evelynna said. 

“Sorry mom. Will right now,” the boy promised, gulping the last of his juice and wiping his mouth with the sleeve of his jacket. 

“No need. Go back to your room and put on the new pants I bought to go with that jacket,” Evelynna instructed. 

“I’ll get the trash honey,” Tom volunteered, already standing and adjusting his tie.

But, just as Tom was emptying the trash into the metal bin outside, he was greeted by a rather peevish looking Mrs. Embleton in a green pillbox hat clutching a handbag. 

“Mr. Thomas,” she began, “so glad I bumped into you.” 

“Actually it’s—” 

“I was just leaving for church, but I’ve been meaning to let you know,” she continued, “your bins need to be tucked in behind your house, dear, except on pick up day.” 

“Oh, my apologies Mrs. Embleton.”

“I don’t know how they do things in Chicago, but we can’t have the raccoons coming in and forming a gang in this neighborhood,” Mrs Embleton snorted as if she’d told an amusing joke. 

“Well, I don’t want to keep you,” replied Tom. 

“Will I see you at church, Mr. Thomas?” 

“Yes, I believe you will, Mrs. Embleton.”

Part 2 – Aim

The DeLancy’s arrived at the church exactly ten minutes before the service. Neither too early, nor late. They’d rather hoped to slip in the back unnoticed. 

“Mr. and Mrs. Thomas, welcome to Milford First Baptist,” said a familiar voice, loud enough to turn heads around them. 

“Mrs. Embleton, we couldn’t be more thrilled to be here,” Evelynna replied in kind. 

“Actually, Mrs. Embleton, it’s not—” 

“Not in our nature to clang like a church bell in the Lord’s house,” Evelynna cut in with a wink. 

“Oh you’re absolutely right, dear, where are my manners?” Mrs. Embleton lowered her voice and chuckled away like they’d just shared a private joke. 

“So we’re the Thomases now?” Whispered Tom, eyebrows raised. 

“The longer it goes, the more amusing the reveal,” mused Evelynna with a twinkle. Tommy was already taking a seat in the back pew next to his new friend Graham Embleton and a couple other boys their age. Tom and Evelynna found a seat in a pew next to the Finches.

Evelynna looked around. The church building was older. It smelled of hymnals and the musty red carpet adorning the floors of the sanctuary. Framed paintings of angels, olive trees, and a blue-eyed Jesus delivering the sermon on the mount hung on the walls. There was a big wooden podium on the stage and a plain wooden cross behind it. 

Pastor Phillip opened with a word of prayer and then asked if anybody had an announcement to make. Kathy Embleton sprang up like a Jack-in-the-box. 

“Well, I just thought it would be nice to extend a warm Milford welcome to two new families in town,” Mrs. Embleton began. “The Thomases, and the DeLancys. The Thomases are here today, please say hello after the service.

“I will be personally delivering a welcome basket to Chief DeLancy at the police station first thing tomorrow morning. If anyone has anything they would like to add to the basket, please find me in the fellowship hall after the service. That is all.” Mrs. Embleton curtseyed stiffly before sitting. 

Evelynna smirked behind her veil and leaned close enough to Tom to not be overheard. 

“This will be interesting.” Tom smirked, adjusting his tie. Evelynna slid a hymnal from the back of the pew and stood with the congregation to sing “Great is Thy Faithfulness”. 

Part 3 – Fire

[Welcome Chief Thomas DeLancy

(Inside) P., tell me how she squirmed. -M.E.]

Evelynna sealed the envelope with Scotch tape and hand delivered it to Mrs. Embleton, just as she and Mr. Embleton were stepping into their Studebaker with the Ladies’ Guild welcome basket at eight on the dot the next morning. Evelynna rushed out looking intentionally disheveled in a bathrobe and curlers. 

“Mr. Embleton, Mrs. Embleton, so glad to catch you in time to add my card to the basket, if it’s not too late?”

“Oh, of course not dear,” Mrs. Embleton chuckled, “Thank you ever so much, I’m sure it will mean a lot to Chief DeLancy.” 

“I’m sure it will, Mrs. Embleton.” Evelynna smiled warmly in departure and returned inside where she readied herself in a black cocktail dress with a liberal amount of rouge and red lipstick. She freed her hair from the curlers, letting brown ringlets cascade over her bare shoulders, then finished the look with a simple gold necklace. 

There was nothing left to do but wait for Kathy to return. Evelynna took her morning tea to the lounge chair on the back patio, along with an anthology of Mark Twain’s short stories and began reading Luck.

“Looks like another nice day,” Dr. Alma Penrose commented, looking up with one hand shielding her eyes from the sun. 

“I certainly hope so,” Evelynna smirked as Alma peered over the fence.

“That’s a lovely dress you’re wearing Evelynna. Are you planning to go out somewhere, if you don’t mind me asking?” 

“Just me and Twain today,” she said, taking another sip of tea and indicating the book in her hand.  

“Lovely. I have today’s copy of the Sun Times,” she waved the paper above the fence. 

“I read that one too. Didn’t see you at church yesterday Alma, do you go somewhere else?” 

“No. Some folks go to church to find peace,” Alma mused. “I find my peace right here under my tree, while everyone else is gone to church.” Evelynna smiled. 

“I don’t go to church for peace,” she replied. “I go for entertainment.” It was Alma’s turn to chuckle. 

After a few quiet moments with both women reading, the hum of a Studebaker pulling in next door interrupted the neighborhood stillness. 

The thud of a single car door and heels grinding in the gravel as the vehicle revved away signaled Kathy’s return, right on cue. 

Evelynna turned a page. 

“Mrs. DeLancy!” She approached the patio, her pillbox hat slightly askew atop her head. 

“Mrs. Embleton?” Evelynna peered over her book.

“My, my, you might have mentioned your husband was the new chief of police dear. Would have saved me a trip downtown if I’d known,” Kathy smiled wide, revealing clenched molars. 

“My sincerest apologies, Mrs. Embleton,” Evelynna set her book down and placed one hand earnestly over her chest. Across the street, a stream of water hit the pavement as Father Raoul watered his azaleas with a hose. 

“When you folks moved in I was certain you introduced yourself as ‘Thomas’,” she clasped her hands tightly in front of her.

“Ah. You probably heard me introduce my husband, Tom, and our son, Tommy. Perhaps you got confused. So sorry about the misunderstanding.”

Beyond the fence, a newspaper crinkled.  

“Yes. Perhaps. Well. Welcome to Milford,” Mrs. Embleton clipped, adjusting her hat. She turned on one heel and marched across the lawn, slamming her back door closed behind her. 

The Vances’ terroir barked and Mrs. Tiddle’s curtains swayed in her front window.  

Evelynna returned to her book. The brim of Alma’s sun hat rose over the fence once more.

“You’re a wild card,” Alma stated, grinning. 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Evelynna smirked, then raised her teacup in the direction of the doctor. “To Luck,” she toasted. Alma tipped her hat and disappeared behind the fence, cackling to herself. 

Evelynna turned the last page, then brought her empty teacup inside, stepping out of her pristinely polished black heels at the door.