Charlotte videotaped themselves having sex once? But they had erased it after they’d watched it. Hadn’tthey? Lily was so busy panicking she didn’t even hear the judge ask Buzz to make his opening remarks.
When she looked up, she saw Buzz standing before the judge in a suit that looked as if it had beenslept in last night and then used as a napkin this morning.
“Your Honor,” Buzz began, “I wanna tell you a little about my client, Lily McGilly. Mrs. McGillyis an award-winning author and illustrator of several books for children. In her hometown of Atlanta, shedid a great deal of volunteer work for organizations that helped women and children. She has volunteeredto teach art classes for after-school programs for underprivileged youth and has helped prepare food insoup kitchens that feed hungry children and their parents. Mrs. McGilly’s love for children is so strongthat when her friend Charlotte Maycomb made up her will, she knew that Mrs. McGilly would be the bestperson to care for her baby girl.
“And when Lily Fox married my other client, Mr. Benny Jack McGilly, whom we believe to beMimi Maycomb’s biological father, they entered into marriage in the spirit of creating a stable, lovingfamily for Mimi to grow up in. Through the testimony of members of the McGilly family, I intend toshow that Mr. and Mrs. Benny Jack McGilly have created a stable, loving family. Charlotte Maycomb’swishes should be respected.”
“Is that all?” Judge Sanders asked.
“Yes, Your Honor, that’ll do it,” Buzz said, returning to his seat.
Lily had serious doubts that Buzz’s opening remarks would “do it.” Not only were they briefcompared to Hamilton’s, they lacked Hamilton’s sense of theater. Also, while Hamilton’s entire argumentwas built on the perceived evils of homosexuality, Buzz didn’t even touch on the gay issue.
Lily looked at Ben, whose face was an unreadable mask. He might still be under the impressionthat the McGilly family name would get them out of this mess, but Lily thought differently. Thingslooked bad.
Hamilton’s questioning of the Maycombs only made it worse. When Ida Maycomb took the stand,Hamilton spoke to her in soft, gentlemanly tones. “Mrs. Maycomb, I know this is a difficult subject foryou, but I want you to recount for us a conversation your daughter had with you six years ago, after shehad met Mrs. McGilly.”
Ida Maycomb was the very image of the tragic, martyred mother. On some level, Lily was sure,she was enjoying her role in this drama. “She called me up one day and said there was something she had