Sewing was the one talent Hannah had that her aunt was proud of. The girl was a superb seamstress. Verbena and many of her friends sported dresses sewn by Hannah’s hand. Though her work was shown off and bragged about continually, she received no pay for her labors. If one of the women would slip her a few dollars, when her aunt found out, she’d take it, saying it was still not enough to pay for the supplies such as thread, pins, needles and such that had been purchased to finish the product. Even with her aunt confiscating most of her money, Hannah somehow managed to save enough money her aunt didn’t know about to help pay for the material to make Drina a wedding dress to take with her to Arizona. Of course, she couldn’t shop for the cloth. Her sister Lydia paid for the balance, bought it and smuggled it in without her aunt knowing. Hannah had kept the dress hidden in her wardrobe and had worked on it after she was sure Aunt Verbena went to bed. Since she hadn’t heard from her sister, Hannah now wondered if Drina wore the gown to get married.
It had been so long since Hannah had been allowed to construct herself a new dress she’d grown two inches, and her shape had become that of a woman. The dress was now too tight in places, and it was above her ankles. This spring she did get to make over an old one her aunt had discarded, but it was a little faded before she even got it, and it didn’t fit her well since her body had changed its shape. She wondered if it would be prudent to ask her aunt for new material. Would Verbena think up some punishment and dare her to tell her sisters?
A knock on the door interrupted her thoughts. She turned as her sister Lydia came in.
“Lydia!” A big grin crossed Hannah’s face. “I didn’t know you were coming today, but it’s wonderful to see you.”
“Good to see you, too. It’s been a while since Aunt Verbena allowed me to come see you without an appointment.” Lydia reached down and hugged Hannah.
“I know. I think it’s been over a month.”
Lydia laughed and dropped to the ladder-backed chair. Her purple satin skirt spread out around her. “So, what’s new in your life, little sister?”
“Oh, Lydia, what could be new in my life? I sit in this room unless Aunt Verbena sends Tobias up to carry me downstairs. Most of the time I sew, but occasionally I read or just sit here and look out the window.”
“I’m sorry, honey. I wish I could do something about it, but you know when I tried to get you to come live with me, Aunt Verbena went to court and told them that you were too young and impressionable to live above a saloon. The judge agreed.”
“I know, Lydia. I wasn’t complaining.”
“If anyone has a right to complain, it’s you. I’d try to get you out of here again, but I know they still won’t let you come live with me. I’m sure everyone would agree that a saloon is still no place for a … young lady like you.”
“You mean a crippled woman like me, don’t you?”
Lydia looked hurt. “I didn’t mean that at all, Hannah.”
Hannah dropped her eyes. “I’m sorry, Lydia. I know you didn’t. I’m just a little grouchy today.”
“It’s all right, dear. Now, let me tell you why I came to see you today.”
“Please do.”
“I got a letter from Drina. She was concerned about you. She said you hadn’t answered either of her letters.”
Hannah looked confused. “I haven’t gotten any letters from Drina. I’ve wondered why she hadn’t answered any of the ones I’ve sent her.”
Lydia frowned. “She said she’d written you twice.”
“And I’ve sent her three letters. I wrote a fourth one today while Aunt Verbena’s friends were visiting.”
“Something doesn’t sound right. What did you do with the letters you wrote?”
“I gave them to Aunt Verbena to mail for me.”
“I might have known. I’d bet everything I own she didn’t mail them, and she didn’t give you the ones Drina sent to you.”
Tears came to Hannah’s eyes. “Do you think she’d really be that mean?”
“Of course, she would. Aunt Verbena would have no qualms about doing such a thing!”
There was a knock on the door.
“Yes,” Hannah said.
“It’s me, Miss Hannah. Miz Wedington told me to bring you down.”
“My sister is visiting.”
“I know, Miss, but she said to bring you down anyway.”
Hannah looked at Lydia and shrugged. “I don’t have a choice. She’ll get mad if I don’t obey. Maybe we can visit downstairs.”
“I understand. She’s probably trying to get rid of me, but I’ll come with you.” Lydia paused. “Wait a second. Didn’t you say you wrote Drina?”
“I did.”
“Give the letter to me and I’ll make sure it gets in the mail right away.”
“Oh, thank you, Lydia. It’s on that small table over there.”
Lydia picked up the letter, put it in her draw-string purse and they headed downstairs.
When they reached the informal parlor, Tobias put Hannah on the settee. She thanked him as she always did, and he nodded, then went back up the stairs to get her wheelchair.
Verbena came into the room. She was tall and thin, and as was her style, she walked with her back stiff and her shoulders thrown back. Her gray hair was piled on top of her head in a tight bun and her thin face was accented with piercing brown eyes. She brushed imaginary lint from her tailored blue dress with the handmade lace collar. Hannah had completed the outfit only a week ago. With a sour look on her face, she said, “I thought you left, Lydia.”
“I’ll be leaving shortly, but Hannah and I hadn’t finished our visit.”
“We’ll be a having our evening meal soon.”
Lydia looked at the timepiece pinned to the bodice of her dress. “It’s only four-thirty. Do you eat this early?”
Verbena pursed her lips, but didn’t reply.
Lydia went on. “I got a letter from Drina. She asked about you, Aunt Verbena.”
The older woman looked a bit interested as she turned toward Lydia. “Oh? What did she say?”
“She said she hoped you were well and still enjoyed all the ladies you entertain in your fine house.”
“That was nice of her.”
“She also asked about Hannah and she wondered why her baby sister hadn’t answered the letters she’d sent her.”
Verbena’s eyes widened, but she muttered, “There have been no letters from Drina.”
Hannah glanced at Lydia. She was uncomfortable with the way the conversation was going, because she knew her aunt would take it out on her if Lydia made her mad.
Lydia must have sensed her sister’s discomfort, because she said, “Well, it’s a long way to Arizona. I’m sure it would take a long time for a letter to reach Savannah.”
Verbena visibly relaxed. “That’s probably true.”
Lydia stood. “Well, I don’t want to keep you from your meal.” She leaned over and kissed Hannah’s forehead. “I’ll see you soon, dear.”
“Thank you for coming, Lydia.”
Tobias came in with the wheelchair and Verbena said, “Tobias, see Lydia to the door.”
He put the chair down in front of Hannah. “Yes, ma’am.”
“Good-by, Aunt Verbena.”
Verbena only nodded then turned to Hannah. “I hope you haven’t gotten any ideas from her. You seem to change every time she visits you, and that’s why I’m not fond of her coming. Your sister is not a good influence on you.”
“No, ma’am,” Hannah muttered and held her breath. Was her aunt going to come up with some punishment for her because Lydia had visited? Then Hannah realized she didn’t care. It would be worth it, even for the short time she spent with her sister.
But her aunt actually almost smiled when she said, “Mrs. Bessie Calhoun, the new preacher’s wife was so taken with the dress I’m wearing that she said she’d love to have the seamstress make her one. Of course I bragged that my niece was the seamstress with so much talent that she could d
esign clothes for anyone. I told Mrs. Calhoun I felt sure you’d be happy to sew a dress for her.”
Hannah realized she wasn’t going to be punished and took a relieved breath. “Of course. I’d be happy to sew her a dress.”
“I knew you would. Therefore, I made arrangements for her to bring the material she wanted it constructed from by here later this afternoon. I thought it’d be a good time for you to get her measurements. That’s why your sister couldn’t stay any longer today. It wouldn’t be fitting for someone like Lydia to be visiting when the preacher’s wife arrived. I’m sure she can come back by to see you in a month or so.”
Hannah didn’t answer and Verbena went on, “Now straighten your dress and smooth down your hair. Reverend Cedric and Mrs. Bessie Calhoun are two people I want you to always look presentable in front of when they see you. Mrs. Calhoun should arrive at any moment. I’m not sure whether he’ll be with her or not, but either way, I want you to look nice.”
Of course, her aunt hadn’t taken into consideration that Lydia was busy at her work and it wasn’t easy for her to get away, or that the sisters were enjoying the visit with each other, but there was no way she’d bring either fact up at this time. Hannah knew she had no other choice, so she gave the older woman one of the practiced false smiles she’d been able to master through the years of living with her relative. “That’s fine, Aunt Verbena. I look forward to meeting Mrs. Calhoun and the Reverend also, if he accompanies her today.”
“That’s a good girl, Hannah. Just remember, you must always be polite to my friends.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Chapter 2
Four weeks later, a rented buggy pulled up in front of a two-story Victorian home with its gingerbread trim and decorative porches both downstairs and up. There were several huge oak trees in the yard with streams of moss hanging from their limbs and a flower garden with an explosion of deep pink and white azaleas off to the side.
Though the beautiful spring day should have made him glad to be in Savannah, Jarrett MacMichael frowned. There was no obvious reason for his concern, but he couldn’t get over the feeling that something was amiss. His detective mind told him to keep his eyes open, because something wasn’t right here. He just wasn’t sure what, but he intended to find out.
First of all, he wondered why anyone would worry about a person living in this luxury? Was there a tyrant in the house? If so, would the young Miss Hamilton be afraid to tell him if something bad was happening to her? Would he have to dig for clues to this whole situation, now that he was here? And the most immediate problem, would the aunt who they said owned the place admit him into her house? To top it all, would this trip to Georgia be a waste of time? He hoped not. It had taken more wires and a couple of letters to cement the deal with the Wilcoxes. That had happened four weeks ago, and now that he was in Savannah, Jarrett wanted to accomplish the quest he was hired to do. Though, after looking this place over, he couldn’t help having some reservations. In the last wire from Wilcox, he had said the main goal was to escort Hannah Hamilton to Hatchet Springs, Arizona if the girl was able to travel. Jarrett decided the first thing he had to do was to find out what ‘able to travel’ meant.
That presented him another problem. Though Jarrett kind of liked them, he had no experience with children, to speak of. His sister Charlotte’s twins were toddlers, and lived on a small ranch near their grandparents. Jarrett had seen them only one time, this past Christmas. Though he figured he might could handle a little boy, he wasn’t sure about taking care of a girl. If he had to take the child back to Arizona, he decided the smart thing to do was to hire a nurse to accompany them. He was taking Aaron Wilcox at his word that money was no object in the completion of this task, and his expense account was the largest Jarrett had ever had.
Looking again at the stately home, he wondered what he should do first. His plan had been to simply walk in and explain that he was checking up on Hannah Hamilton for her brother-in-law and his wife; but for some reason, he didn’t think this would be a smart move, and he hesitated. His instinct had served him well in the past, and he decided to heed it this time. This meant he would have to change his strategy.
He could turn around, go back to the livery and exchange the buggy for a saddle horse. He could then go visit the farm where Mrs. Wilcox’s father lived and see what he could find out about Burl Hamilton’s relationship to the child, Hannah. But that would waste time he hadn’t prepared for. Besides, after the trip to the farm, he’d still have to come back here to speak with the girl. That is, if she wasn’t too young to answer his questions.
He decided he’d stay where he was and play it by ear when he got into the house. He’d invented stories on the spot to tell people before and it had worked out well – most of the time.
Securing the horse and buggy to the hitching post at the end of the yard, he walked up the pristine walkway. Bracing himself for whoever or whatever was inside, he used the big brass knocker.
In a matter of minutes, a nice looking, middle-aged Negro man, almost as tall as Jarrett, opened the door. “Yes, sir.”
“Hello, sir. I’m Jarrett MacMichael, here to see Miss Verbena Wedington.”
The man stepped aside and let Jarrett into the entry hall. “I’ll inform her you’re here, sir. Please wait.”
Jarrett nodded. When the butler left, Jarrett again wondered why someone living in this type comfort would need help. He shook his head and looked around the elaborately furnished entry. To the left of the front door was a parlor. He could see the furnishings were of carved woods and the chairs were upholstered in velvets and heavy damask materials. The painting over the settee was framed in a heavy gold leaf and he was sure it was of good quality. The tables in the room had marble tops and the oil lamps were of cut glass, including the one hanging from the ceiling. On one of the tables sat a marble statue approximately fourteen inches high. It looked to be of exceptional quality. The woman who lived here had to be wealthy.
The butler returned. “Miz Wedington said to seat you in the parlor, sir.”
Jarrett was surprised when, instead of going to the left, the butler opened the doors on the right, exposing another parlor. This one wasn’t as elegant as the first, but it was still well furnished. He followed the butler inside and took a seat on the black horsehair sofa.
In a few minutes a tall, neatly dressed older woman came into the room. She didn’t smile as she entered, but she did hold out her hand.
“Miss Verbena Wedington, I presume.” Jarrett stood and took her hand. “Jarrett MacMichael, ma’am.”
“It’s Mrs. Wedington, Mr. MacMichael.” She stared at him
“I’m sorry. Thank you for seeing me without an appointment, Mrs. Wedington. It was gracious of you.”
Verbena’s stern look softened a little. “Since you’re a stranger to me, may I ask why you’re here, sir?”
His instinct told him this woman couldn’t be fully trusted. Now was the time to fall back on his inventive mind. He just hoped he’d be able to convince her he was a gentleman. A rich one, at that. “I’m so sorry, ma’am. I should have stated my business earlier. I’m here from Flagstaff, Arizona to meet with two men who want me, along with a friend of mine, to invest in a new hotel in Savannah. The town is growing fast and they’re sure it will be a prudent investment. I’m sorry I’m not able to give you the names of these men, but I’m sure you’ll understand.”
“Yes, I do appreciate why you can’t name the people you’re going into business with.”
“Thank you for understanding. Many people wouldn’t.” Jarrett gave her a big grin. “Now, to explain why I so rudely dropped in on you without informing you first: This afternoon was the only free time I’m afraid I’ll have for several days and I wanted to keep a promise to a good friend of mine.”
She frowned, but said nothing.
Jarrett went on. “Of course my friend doesn’t mind if I give you his name. It’s Aaron Wilcox.”
“I don’t believe I
know Mr. Wilcox.”
“He told me you hadn’t met personally, but you do have a connection. Mr. Wilcox’s wife is your niece, Drina Hamilton Wilcox.”
She looked puzzled. “But Drina went to Arizona to marry a ranch man.”
Grinning at her expression, he said, “Oh, he’s a rancher, all right. Aaron Wilcox owns one of the largest ranches in Arizona, but his real wealth comes from his interest in an Arizona silver mine…and I think he also has some connection to an uncle who runs a shipping business in Galveston.” At least part of this was true. Wilcox did own a huge ranch.
Surprise spread across her face. “Oh, my. I never dreamed…”
“When Aaron told his wife I was coming to Savannah on business, she insisted I visit you and find out how things were going with you and her sister, Hannah. She wanted me to see if there was any way she could help you with her sister’s care.” Now he’d thrown out the name and the idea that there might be money involved, he was anxious to hear her reply.
Verbena’s eyes seemed to glow. “As you must know, looking after Hannah has been a trial for me, but as a good Christian woman, there was no way I could turn my back on the child. As it turns out, she hasn’t given me that much trouble. Of course, I can always use financial assistance. Hannah’s father is in no position to help at all. Her sister, Lydia gives me a little money occasionally, but she can’t be relied on.” She paused and Jarrett waited. She then went on, “I’m delighted to learn Drina has married so well. The poor girl had a rough life living here in Georgia with her papa. She deserves to be comfortable now.”
Jarrett wanted to ask her why she hadn’t helped her niece when she needed it, but he only smiled. “Yes, she’s very happy.”
He decided it was time to push his luck. “I don’t want to impose, but would it be possible for me to meet Hannah? I’ve heard so much about her…”
Was it fright that crossed Verbena’s eyes? If not, what could it be? He knew instantly that she didn’t want him to meet the girl.
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