Chapter Six

Following the Sunday service, the congregation gathered in the spacious church yard. Maneuvering around the picnic tables and the buffet they had all contributed to, the faithful churchgoers mingled and mixed. They used this special time at their monthly picnic to catch up on the latest events and happenings in each other's lives, swap stories about their latest witnessing and/or religious epiphanies. If certain members weren't able to attend, they were inquired after and homemade chicken noodle soup was made for those who were ill. It was also a time for these so-called good Christian women to commit the ever-popular sin of gossip. If God had presented his on-earth disciples, the parish's beloved priests, with a poll asking them which sin was most often confessed by their flock, the answer would indubitably be a unanimous "gossip."

Abigail Bennett had often been the center of said gossip. Following the death of her mother nearly four years earlier, The Women pitied her. When she did not follow their approved pattern of handling grief, they abandoned her. Abbey had not adhered to the rules of grieving, as far as they were concerned. In their ignorant minds, she had not recovered. Instead, she had rebelled. If she had been asked, and she hadn't been, she would have told them that she had no plan to recover. She was perfectly fine to mourn her mother for the rest of her life, and she would do it the way she wanted to. Abbey was never one to conform to the restrictions of society.

The Women expressed, to themselves of course, their aversion to Abbey's taste in men. Specifically, the amount of men she seemed to consort with, as it exceeded by far the amount they alotted for their own daughters. They couldn't, not for the life of them, understand why Nick Bennett hadn't involved himself more in her romantic affairs. In the last three years, Abbey had had a whopping four boyfriends, upsetting by three the number they themselves preferred. Her current boyfriend was a Women-approved suitor and they prided themselves on this. Nick and Joanne Bennett had informed the Women that Abbey was now dating Ron Erlich and their faces had lit up like Christmas trees.

Ron Erlich was a good Christian boy. His parents had belonged to the church for years, and had even been married by Father McDevitt. Ron was the Women's little darling. In fact, they had been trying to set him up with Abbey for years, but she had always been busy with Scott Griffith, Steve Reeseman, and David Lowry. The Women had big plans for Ron and Abbey. They were going to have a mid-spring wedding at the church, and they reception would be held at the Bennetts' estate in Andover. Their honeymoon would be enjoyed in the Bahamas, or Hawaii if they so chose, and then they were to live happily ever after in a house with a white pickett fence and five happy, healthy, bouncing children. In this nonsensical reverie, Ron was a successful lawyer who would eventually make partner at Andover's foremost law firm, Smith, Smith, and Whitney. Abbey was to become an ecstatic little homemaker, who enjoyed cooking, cleaning, gardening, and shopping for little nick nacks to place stragetically about the house.

The Women were delusional.

Nick and Joanne Bennett made an admirable effort to avoid The Women and were, for the most part, successful in this venture. Michelle was encircled by a group of her friends from Sunday school, and Julia was surrounded by a group of girls she had once called her friends. She knew it was likely that they now talked about her behind her back, but when she was around, they were all hearts and flowers. Bored though she may have been throughout their entire conversation, she didn't dare try to escape from them, as she was certain it would lead to nothing but further agony. When Nick caught a glimpse of Abbey mingling, her usual grin plastered to her face, he waved her over.

"Abbey! Honey, come here. There's someone I'd like you to meet. Assuming that you haven't met already."

Abbey jogged over to them, and smiled cordially at Father McDevitt, Father Norwood, and another man of the cloth she did not, indeed, find herself familiar with.

"How are you, Abbey?" Father McDevitt asked.

"Oh, I'm fine, Father, thank you."

"Abbey, I'm not sure you've met Father Bartlet," Nick said.

"No, I haven't. It's a pleasure to meet you, Father Bartlet," Abbey replied.

Jed felt his knees go weak and knew all the color was draining from his face.

"The pleasure's all mine, Miss Bennett."

"Abbey," she insisted.

"Okay," he said, nodding. "Abbey."

"Abbey's a student at Amherst," Father McDevitt offered.

Abbey looked down at her shoes, allowing her hair to fall and cover her face.

"Abbey," Nick said, laughing heartily. "It's not like you to be shy like this."

She immediately looked up again.

"I'm not. I thought I saw a…bug."

Nick raised both eyebrows in a suspicious amusement.

"A bug?"

"Mmm-hmm. Crawling on my shoe. It was…you know."

"Non-existent?" Nick replied.

Joanne used that opportunity to jab her husband in the ribs with her elbow, an act she never tired of engaging in.

"Anyway," Abbey said, nervously. "It's gone now."

"Well, good," Nick said.

Though he immediately regretted it, Jed tried to make her feel at ease by adding, "I'm not much of a bug fan myself."

This remark garnered confused glances from both Father McDevitt and Father Norwood. Luckily, it garnered a smile from Abbey.

"I like butterflies," Abbey said, observing him carefully.

"Sure. Butterflies. Almost as likeable as ladybugs," Jed responded.

"I'm not so much fond of caterpillars though."

"No, I'm with you there. Never saw the fascination with them personally."

By this time, all the other innocent bystanders had begun to feel, much like the imaginary insect that had attacked Abbey's shoe, rather non-existent.

"Well," Father McDevitt said. "I've just noticed Mrs. Gill over there. I'm just going to go see how she's feeling this afternoon. She had taken ill last week."

Father Norwood nodded in accordance.

"I'll join you."

"And I think we'll go see what Michelle is up to," Nick said, on his and Joanne's behalf.

"Okay," Abbey said.

"Nice talking with you, Father," Nick said to Jed.

"Likewise."

The realization that they were now standing together alone hit Jed and Abbey a few seconds after Nick and Joanne took their leave.