She actually walked a well-trod path blazed by the clubwomen of previous generations, who’d proved their mettle in political deal-making on beautification and temperance boards across the South. They were perfumed, be-gloved, well connected, and ruthless, and the bane of any elected official who crossed them. Jolie emulated them as closely as she did every other mother figure in her life and took the plum job of mayor after paying her dues in the ordinary way, with a long stint on the Historic and Beautification Board, and back-to-back terms as a rare female city commissioner. Her rise had been quick, but hard-won, as she had no deep roots in Cleary proper to recommend her, other than Hugh, who alienated as many voters as he won with his smart mouth and condescending ways. Her real base was her old pals in the Garden Club set, who were her great and steadfast supporters as she transformed the faded, deserted little downtown into a well-known stop on the local antiques circuit. The oasis of cobblestoned streets and graceful Drake elms had won a Florida Main Street Award, and a bit of national attention.
