Chapter 6
Except for Marian Sutherland, the woman in the aqua jumpsuit, the Oak Room was deserted when Jennalee returned. She stopped at the door to watch this family matriarch cast a final gaze over the preparations. Tables and chairs were in place, flowers, linens, and service for one hundred forty-three in order, while up front a blue-on-white banner stretched across the paneling: SUTHERLAND FAMILY REUNION. Affixed to its lower edge was an addendum: 22nd Year. To the left stood a lectern, to the right an easel supporting a large diagram. Marian Sutherland lingered there, traced a finger down its length, then slowly crossed to the door. As Jennalee stepped back to avoid discovery, she noted the older woman’s energy seemed to have fled.
Alone in the room, Jennalee found the diagram an e
