Hannah's Wishes

by Agnes Alexander

  “Most of the time, Miss Hannah stays in her room and does what she wants to. Like reading or sewing. Your aunt don’t say much.” He sighed. “It’s just when Miz Wedington gets upset that she seems to take it out on Miss Hannah.”

  “What does she do besides make Hannah stay in her room without her chair?” When he kept quiet, she prodded. “Come now, Tobias. Tell me what’s going on.”

  “Well, most of the time she won’t let Miss Hannah come down to eat her meals. Me or Minerva has to take them up to her.”

  “Does that upset Hannah?”

  “It don’t seem to, but the thing is, Miz Wedington don’t always send the good food to Miss Hannah. She’ll send her milk and bread or something like that.”

  Lydia looked around at him. “You mean she starves my sister.”

  “Oh, no, ma’am. There’s food for Miss Hannah, but it's jest sometimes not the fancy stuff Miz Wedington eats.” He kind of chuckled. “She’d be mad as a old kicked dog if she knowed me and Minerva ofen slips something special up to Miss Hannah.”

  “Í’m glad you do so, and I want to thank you for it, Tobias.”

  “It’s mostly Minerva who does it. She spoils Miss Hannah ever chance she gets. Sometimes, she knows when Miz Wedington is going to keep the good meal from her and she’ll take something to her afore Miz Wedington eats, herself.” He grinned. “Many a time, Miss Hannah gets the best piece of roast or chicken and her aunt don’t know a thing about it.”

  “I think that’s wonderful. I’m proud of Minerva.”

  “You ain’t gonna tell…”

  Lydia patted his arm. “Of course not. I’d never tell Aunt Verbena a thing. I want you and your sweet wife to continue to look after my sister.”

  “We will, Miz Lydia. We shore will.”

  ♥♥♥

  Jarrett sat across the desk from Reginald Phillips. He guessed the man to be in his late fifties, and the type of person who led a soft life. His hands were smooth and he dressed in duds suited for a banker. His graying hair was combed to each side from the middle, and was plastered close to his head by some tonic put on it, probably by a barber. His face was smooth-shaven, and his bluish eyes were bright. To top it all, he was friendly, and his manners were impeccable. But for some reason he couldn’t explain, Jarrett didn’t trust the man.

  “I’m so glad Mrs. Wedington recommended me to you, Mr. MacMichael. I’m sure we can be of service to you in your banking needs.”

  “I hope so, Mr. Phillips. No longer than I’ve been in Savannah I’ve already learned there are people you can trust and those you can’t. Fortunately, I met Mrs. Wedington and I find her to be an upstanding person with no agenda of her own. I feel I can rely on her to introduce me to others in town who will be of the same character as she.”

  “Verbena...I mean, Mrs. Wedington is a wonderful woman. She’s not only a dear friend, but she’s the one I turn to when I need advice. Friends like that are invaluable.”

  “I agree completely.”

  Reginald shuffled some papers on his desk and smiled. “Now, what can I do to help you, Mr. MacMichael?”

  “I’ll be transferring a large sum of money to Savannah in the near future. Because of Mrs. Wedington’s recommendation, I was hoping you’d be the one to take care of my finances for me when the money gets to town.”

  The banker’s eyes lit up. “By all means. I can assure you, your assets will be handled with the best of care and utmost discretion. If you wish, I’ll handle the account myself.”

  “I would appreciate if you would do so. As I said, I’m not sure who to trust and who not to until I’ve been in town a while longer.”

  Reginald nodded. “I can promise you, I’ll oversee everything to do with your account. You’ll not have a thing to worry about.”

  “I really do thank you for that, Mr. Phillips.” Jarrett rubbed his chin as if he was thinking. “Tell me, Mr. Phillips. Do you oversee Mrs. Wedington’s account?”

  He swallowed. “Absolutely. Nobody touches her money except me. I admit sometimes her account gets muddled, but I do my best to see that it pleases her at the end of every month.”

  Jarrett raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean, muddled?”

  “Oh, it has nothing to do with the bank and the way we do things. It’s just that she often takes money from the account and I’m not told about it until later. It’s easier to keep track of things if I see every transaction as it happens.”

  “Why does she take money without your knowledge?”

  “I honestly don’t know, Mr. MacMichael. But she draws some out every month or so and I have no idea what she does with it.”

  “Maybe it’s for her unexpected household expenses.”

  He shook his head. “She has an allowance for that. Even for the emergencies.”

  “Does she take a lot of money?”

  “Sometimes as much as ten or even twenty or thirty dollars.” He shook his head. “I shouldn’t be talking about such a thing, but I care for Verbena, as I feel you do. I don’t want to see her end up with no money since her husband left her wealthy. I’m trying my best to save her fortune for her.”

  “You seem to be a capable man so I’m sure you’ll be able to do it.”

  “Thank you, Mr. MacMichael. When I visited her the other day we did discuss an issue that could save her some money.”

  “And that would be?”

  Reginald frowned. “I’m not sure I need to say more.”

  “I’m sorry if you think I’m trying to pry. I’m not. I’m only concerned to see to what lengths you’d go to help me protect my money.”

  He relaxed. “I see. I will say this much. It has to do with that girl she’s had to support all these years. I feel that’s a drain on her budget.” He turned back to his desk. “Now, let’s discuss your account. How much money are you planning to bring into the bank?”

  Jarrett decided he’d better not press the issue of Verbena’s account any further. He put a thoughtful expression on his face. “I think five or ten thousand would be enough for a start. Of course, when my business partners put up their money, I’ll probably have to send for a lot more.”

  Reginald Phillips almost looked as if he was going to salivate. “That’s wonderful. When will you be wiring the money?”

  “I’ll get in touch with my bank in Flagstaff in the next few days. You should get a draft from them soon.” Jarrett stood.

  Reginald did the same and held out his hand. “It was wonderful to meet you, Mr. MacMichael. I’m sure our association will be a very productive one.”

  Jarrett took his hand. “It was my pleasure, Mr. Phillips. I think I’ll go tell Mrs. Wedington how pleased I am with her suggestion that I come here. Then, I’ll see you in a few days to make sure my money has arrived.”

  As Jarrett climbed into the saddle on the horse he’d rented earlier, he couldn’t help thinking he’d learned a lot more from this talkative banker than he thought he would. Now he knew Verbena Wedington wasn’t as wealthy as people thought, and Reginald had eyes on what was left of her inheritance. He also realized there was a plan to do something with Hannah. He wondered what scheme the two of them had thought up. He felt he could probably have pressed the issue with Phillips and found out more, but he didn’t want the man to become suspicious. He felt there was still time to learn all the answers.

  He turned the horse toward the Wedington mansion. He’d go by and thank Verbena for the introduction to Phillips. Though it was slight, there was a possibility he could find out from her what the two of intended to do for or about Hannah.

  He turned the corner to her street and was surprised when a buggy came from the other street and almost ran him down. He pulled up and waved when he recognized Lydia. She came to a stop, too.

  Jarrett smiled at her. “You’re sure in a hurry.”

  “I sure am. That aunt of mine has the audacity to send Tobias to bring a note asking for me to send her some money. I’m on the way there to give her a piece of my mind.�
��

  “Wait. That might not be a good idea.”

  “Why not? I gave her fifty dollars a couple of weeks ago. Now, she says Hannah has cost her more and she needs extra money. I’m…”

  “Let me explain, Lydia.” Jarrett leaned on the saddle horn and looked down at her.

  “Please,” Tobias interrupted. “I need to get back before Mrs. Wedington wonders why I’ve been gone so long.”

  “He’s right. It’s only a couple of blocks from here. Why don’t you go on ahead, Tobias? Lydia and I need to discuss something before we go to the house.”

  Tobias nodded, jumped from the buggy and hurried down the street.

  Lydia glared at him. “I don’t think there’s anything we need to discuss.”

  “I disagree. Why don’t you pull over to that park on the right and hitch your buggy? I’ll follow. I have something interesting to tell you.”

  She looked as if she was going to argue, but must have changed her mind. She parked her buggy and got out. Jarrett followed her.

  They settled on a marble bench under a large oak tree with moss hanging from its branches. After telling Lydia what he learned at the bank, she sat in silence for a minute. When finally she spoke, she said, “I guess you’re right. I need to play my cards a little closer to the vest. We need to find out what Phillips and my aunt have planned concerning Hannah. If I go in there angry and making demands on her, Aunt Verbena will just take it out on my sister.”

  “I think you’re right. If we keep checking into things, I’m sure we’ll get to the bottom of all this soon. In the meantime, I don’t think we should tip Mrs. Wedington off. Also, I think we should keep Hannah in the dark about why I’m here a little longer.”

  “Why?”

  “She’s a sweet, gentle soul who tries to keep your aunt placated about things and I’m afraid she might tip her off without meaning to.”

  Lydia sighed. “You’re right. I’m glad you stopped me, Jarrett. I would have gone in there and messed up everything.”

  He grinned. “I still think you should go. If your aunt wants some money, give her a little, and I’ll do my best to find out why she needs anything from you. Though he never said right out, Reginald Phillips indicated she had a nice account at the bank.”

  “Something doesn’t add up.”

  “Not yet, it doesn’t, but it will.” Jarrett stood. “Why don’t you go on to your aunt’s and I’ll come a few minutes behind you? Be careful, though. We can’t afford to let her know we’ve ever met.”

  “You’re right. She’d get suspicious. I’ll make sure she never suspects when she introduces us.”

  “Good. Now, I’ll walk you back to your buggy and I’ll see you at the Wedington house shortly.”

  ♥♥♥

  “Hello, Aunt Verbena,” Lydia said when Minerva showed her into the informal parlor.

  Verbena looked shocked as she glanced up from the book she was reading. “Lydia, I’m surprised to see you.”

  “Your note sounded urgent. I thought I’d better come by to see if everything was all right.”

  “Oh, it wasn’t urgent, dear.” She seemed a little nervous. “I just had some unexpected expenses this month and thought you could help me out a little.”

  Lydia ignored her statement. “Where’s Hannah? I’m surprised she’s not in here with you.”

  “She’s in her room…”

  “She’s not being punished, is she?” Lydia interrupted her.

  “No. Of course not. It was her decision to stay in her room. She’s finishing up a new dress for herself.”

  “I see.” Lydia took a seat on one of the pull up chairs without being invited. “Then, tell me. Why are you running short on money this month? I gave you some not long ago.”

  Verbena frowned. “I had to buy some extra things for your sister, dear.”

  “Like what?”

  The aunt hesitated. “Well, the material and supplies to make her a new dress for one thing.”

  “I see. What else?”

  Before she could answer, there was the sound of the brass knocker on the front door.

  Verbena frowned. “Oh, my. Who could that be?”

  Tobias came in from the back and rushed to the door. “I’ll get it, ma’am.”

  Verbena looked even more perplexed when Jarrett MacMichael walked in. “Dear Mrs. Wedington, I had no idea you had company. I shouldn’t have barged in.”

  “No. No. It’s perfectly all right.” She glanced at Lydia as if she was wondering what to do. Finally, she added, “This is Lydia Patterson. Jarrett MacMichael, Lydia.”

  Jarett took Lydia’s hand. “I’m delighted to meet you, Miss Patterson.”

  “It’s Mrs. Patterson, sir. And I’m glad to meet you, too.”

  He turned back to Verbena. “And where is that delightful niece of yours?”

  “She’s upstairs. I’ll have Tobias bring her down, if you like.” Verbena started out of the room, but paused at the door and called her butler.

  “So, you’ve met my sister, Hannah, Mr. MacMichael?” Lydia cocked an eye at him, hoping she was fooling her aunt.

  “Is Hannah your sister?” Jarrett had a surprised look on his face.

  Lydia smiled and wondered how he accomplished the look. This man was a good actor. “Yes, she is my youngest sister.”

  “I have met her. She’s a delightful young lady.”

  “I can’t disagree with that. Hannah has always been a special person.”

  Tobias appeared at the door and Verbena whispered something to him. Lydia couldn’t hear what, but in an instant, he turned and headed back to the kitchen.

  “Maybe I should explain why I came by, Mrs. Wedington. I went to the bank you recommended and had a long, interesting talk with Reginald Phillips. He thinks very highly of you.”

  Verbena smiled. “Mr. Phillips is a nice man. I’m glad you got on so well.”

  “I’m sure I’ll enjoy doing business with him.”

  Tobias appeared again and headed up the stairs. Minerva was following him.

  Lydia frowned. She couldn’t help wondering what that was all about.

  Jarrett and her aunt continued to discuss Reginald Phillips and the merits of his bank and Lydia watched the stairs. In a matter of minutes, Tobias appeared with Hannah. Minerva followed with the wheelchair, but that wasn’t what caught her attention. It was the dress Hannah was wearing. It was made of the material Lydia remembered bringing to her several months ago. Actually, she’d left it with her aunt to give to Hannah. She had forgotten the whole thing until she saw it again. Now, she wondered if this was the new dress her sister designed. If so, what right did Aunt Verbena have to say she had to buy cloth for Hannah?

  Though Lydia wanted to lambast her aunt in front of everyone, she decided the best thing to do at the moment was to keep quiet. She’d reckon with the old lady later.

  As the three from upstairs entered the room, Jarrett stood and smiled at Hannah. “Hello, there. It’s wonderful to see you again.”

  “Thank you.” She spied Lydia. “Hello to you, too, sister.”

  Minerva pushed the wheelchair beside Lydia and Tobias sat her in it. Hannah reached out and took Lydia’s hand. “What’s going on? Did you arrive with Mr. MacMichael?”

  “No, honey. I only met him a few minutes ago when Aunt Verbena introduced us.” Lydia squeezed her hand. “You look awfully pretty. Is that the new dress you were sewing?”

  Hannah grinned. “Yes. Do you like it?”

  “Very much so. The color is perfect for you.” She wanted to add that she bought it because it was the same blue as Hannah’s eyes, but she didn’t.

  “I thought it would look good on her.” Verbena seemed to force a smile.

  After a few minutes of small talk, Lydia excused herself and said she had to get back to work. She left, hoping Jarrett could find out something about what her aunt was up to. She now knew the woman was stealing from Hannah. At least, I know she’s pilfered the dress material I brought for m
y sister. If she’ll take something so insignificant as a length of cloth, what else is she capable of stealing?

  Chapter 10

  Lulu looked up when the back door slammed. “Well, well, look who’s a ’come dragging in.”

  He ignored her remark. “I’m hungry. Where’s dinner.”

  She frowned at him and continued peeling the apple she was holding. “I ain’t cooked no dinner. You weren’t here for supper last night or fer breakfast this morning. I had to give your food to the dogs.”

  “Well, get up off your lazy butt and cook something for me.”

  “Why should I?”

  He walked over to where she sat at the table and slapped the apple out of her hand. “I said I was hungry.”

  “Alright, alright.” She stood. “I’ll warm up the taters.”

  “I want something ’sides taters.”

  “I’ll fry some of that deer you killed sometime back. I found a little bit that had been left in the cellar when I was down there yesterday. You need to kill another one so we can have a little meat now and again.”

  “Stop your complaining and start cooking whatever you got. I’m hungry.”

  “So you said.” She put an iron frying pan on the old cook stove. “Where you been, Burl?”

  “Ain’t none of your business.”

  “If ’n I have to do your cooking I needs to know when you’re not gonna be here.”

  “I’m here when I’m here.” He plopped down in the chair she vacated. “Give me a cup of coffee while I wait.”

  She sat a chipped mug full of re-heated strong coffee in front of him. “Here. And I don’t want to hear nothing about it not being fit to drink.”

  “Anybody been around here while I was gone?”

  “If you mean your daughter and that good-looking man who come with her, no, they ain’t been back.”

  “I don’t mean them. Was they somebody else that come?”

  “Old man Jones come by to see if you had extra brew for sale. I told him to come back. He said he would, and I hopes he does. We’s need some money.”

  “That old drunk’ll come back in a day or two. He won’t go long without his whiskey. Anybody else?”