nervousness. He kept riffling through the suits and ties in his closet. If he was going to try to pass himselfoff as heterosexual, he couldn’t be too well dressed.
Granny McGilly had taken Mimi out for a few hours this afternoon, on the theory that Ben andLily needed some grown-up time to collect themselves. Granny McGilly also wanted Mimi to get used tospending time with her, since she was serving as babysitter during the hearing.
For their grown-up time, Lily and Ben had invited Jack and Ken to come over—to comfort themin their time of hysteria. At first Lily had been wary about inviting the two of them over so much, but Benassured her she had nothing to fear: In Faulkner County, the rumor was that Lily and Ben were playingmatchmaker for the bachelor professor and old-maid veterinarian. Once again, Lily found herselfmarveling at the obliviousness of straight people.
As they waited for Ken and Jack to arrive, Ben sat on the couch and Lily paced the length of theliving room. “Could you just light for a minute?” Ben asked. “I feel like I’m living with a gianthummingbird.”
Lily forced herself to sit in the armchair. Her knees bent, but her body didn’t relax. “We wereinsane to think we could pull this off. We should’ve stayed in Atlanta and fought this honestly.”
“I still like our chances here. And besides, if we hadn’t come back to Versailles, I never would’verun into Ken, and you never would’ve met Jack. Who’d have thought a sham marriage would put us in asituation where we’d both fall in love?”
“Hey, you fell in love, buddy. I’ve never said anything about being in love.”
Ben rolled his eyes. “Well, no, you’ve never said anything, but I have a sneaking suspicion thatyou and Dr. Jack have been doing more than trotting off to farms and giving pigs enemas.” He leanedforward. “I saw your face when you came home the other night, Mrs. McGilly. I know the face of anadulterous wife when I see one.”
Lily smiled and shook her head. Jack had been a comfort to her since the moment she met her — aremarkable friend and, as of the other night, a remarkable bedmate. But she couldn’t just pretend the yearsshe had with Charlotte didn’t exist, couldn’t just climb up the ladder and dive into another relationship ...
not so soon. “I still love Charlotte, Ben.”
“Of course you do. And I never stopped loving Dez. Even after we weren’t lovers anymore, I stillloved him. And now that he’s dead, I still love him. I don’t have to stop loving Dez just because I loveKen. And you don’t have to stop loving Charlotte just because you love Jack.”