Chapter 42

On a bright October afternoon, Birdie relaxes with Flossy and Ruby, reads Garnett Pittman’s moralizing newspaper statement, and notes booming business ahead of Ole Miss Homecoming. When Mr. Binny’s taxi delivers Frances and Mrs. Tartt unannounced, Birdie scrambles, stashing evidence and settling them in the attic nursery rooms because every hotel is full.

Birdie and Charlie try to secure lodging elsewhere but fail. With appointments stacked, Birdie proposes closing; Charlie argues the crowds will come regardless and that lost income will arouse Frances’s suspicion. Flossy and Ruby press the financial stakes. Reluctantly, Birdie agrees to open quietly and, if needed, pay Frances to keep Mrs. Tartt upstairs. She resolves to tell Frances tomorrow.

Before opening, Birdie ferries food and fans to the attic and finds Mrs. Tartt asleep. In Frances’s room, Birdie deflects questions about the boarders and Jack, then presses for news about Rory. Frances explains Rory is charged with attempted manslaughter for striking a policeman with his car; their lawyer seeks a costly, discreet arrangement to avoid prison and press, requiring Rory to recommit himself to a New Orleans hospital.

Birdie challenges using scarce funds to shield Rory, reminding Frances of his betrayals. Frances, clinging to reputation and hope, reveals she now understands Rory’s attraction to men and insists the treatment will make him a “normal” husband, preferring that to divorce. Birdie, shaken by the plan’s cruelty and expense, recognizes Frances’s pride and naiveté even as the house prepares to open beneath them.