“Then you’ve definitely decided this is going to be where you’re planning to live and open up your business again?”
“Yes, Addie. I have decided. And I need to talk to you about the store space.”
“And I need to talk to you about what you’re going to charge me to hold the auction?”
He had just sat down at the kitchen table, and Mattie had placed a platter of tidbits, hot rolls, and a glass of cold fruit tea in front of him. He looked at the food with a delightful smile, and said to Addie as he looked up. “The auction will be my pleasure. But our trip to the fourth floor yesterday spurred my trip to the Square today.” He began to eat with relish as he continued to speak. “You have to remove all the stuff up there from the mansion, you said. And I think I have a plan to help you do that, that will benefit both of us.”
Mattie had placed a tray of silver forks and spoons before her to polished. “Can you tell me about it as I work?” she asked Tobias.
“Certainly. First, I’ll tell you what I propose concerning those two trunks of beautiful Victorian gowns that we unearthed. I have connections with people in the theater in New York. I’m sure I can sell those gowns and any other clothing we find from that period. They all seemed to be in good condition, and of the highest quality.”
“That’s great. I wondered what I’d do with such things?”
“And now to the store front with the living quarters overhead,” Tobias said obviously savoring Miss Mattie’s cooking to the fullest. “The shoe store next to it ... if we could get Joe to move his shoe store to one of the other vacant stores, of which there seems to be several, then I could have two adjoining stores fronts. And if a very wide opening could be made in the connecting wall of the two stores, then we’d have two stores that were really one store. The smaller one that I’ve been looking at could be used for what Mattie calls dust catchers, and the shoe store and its second floor would house the furniture and furnishings that you have to move from the fourth floor immediately. I’ve even thought of a name for it.”
Addie had been thinking as Tobias talked. This was so perfect a solution to her present problems, she could hardly believe it. She was so thankful for Tobias. But getting Joe Mann to move his shoe store would be a problem she was sure. He had always been in that spot. And she only owned four of the vacant stores on the Square. That, she had already figured out. She didn’t know who owned the other three, but most likely, it was Rex Sommers and the mayor.
“What do you think of the name ‘Stonegate Treasures’? And, Addie, since you would own just about all of the stock, would you be interested in us forming a partnership?”
Taken by surprise, Addie didn’t know quite how to answer. “I’m sure the name would bring in a lot of local customers, Tobias, and I guess we could talk to Mr. Sully about a partnership.”
“Sounds like a winner to me,” grandpa said. “I think we’ve found a real asset in this little man. Let’s take good care of him.”
Addie wanted to giggle at grandpa calling somebody else little. “You think it’s a good idea – the partnership?” she asked silently.
“Such a store should do well, young Addie. It would bring you in a regular income.”
“Okay then,” she said to grandpa.
“Addie,” Miss Mattie said studiously, “in that box of keys of yours, is it possible that you have a key to Deep Purple?”
“I don’t think so,” she answered slowly, thinking. “I don’t remember a tag that says anything like that. Could it be labeled something else?”
“Is that the store that everything in it seems to be some shade of lavender, or as you say, purple. There’s no sign on the building.” Tobias said.
“They hadn’t gotten around to a sign yet,” Mattie said. “Two middle aged sisters were fixing the store up as a ladies clothing and accessories store when one of them found she had cancer. They have a brother in Texas, a physician. He came and moved them to Texas hoping he could cure the cancer. Miss Willy canceled their lease, and they left the store just as it is. But I know that Joe Mann asked about renting it – moving his shoe store. He just couldn’t pay the rent Ryker wanted for it.”
“Hummm.” Addie said. “I think I’ll go get the shoe box.” And she rushed from the kitchen out to the Lincoln.
She placed the shoebox on the kitchen table when she returned. “I’ll admit that I’ve not had time to go through them enough to be familiar with all of them,” she said as she began to sort them out in piles. All tags that said farm were put in one pile, another pile for S/C, which she knew belonged to the five stores in the Shopping Center. Into another pile went any tag that contained the word house including the numbered ones that were on the landing. “Now,” she said, “I’ve got S/Q 17, 3, 9, and 14. That leaves this odd key that just says Jo.” She thought for a moment, as Miss Mattie was looking at the keys. “The only Joe I know is the owner of the shoe store. But why would a key to his store be here?”
“Wait!” Miss Mattie exclaimed. “Jo Bruston. The sister who developed cancer. Her name was Josephine Bruston. Everyone called her Jo. The lease must have been in her name.”
“Well, if it is the purple store, and Mr. Mann still wants it, then he has himself a new shoe store. I always wanted to see Deep Purple. Miss Mattie do we have time to go see it?”
“We’ll take time. I always wanted to see it myself. I heard they had truly made it a beautiful place.”
“I can’t imagine a man wanting purple carpet and lavender walls, and all that lavender sheer material that’s draped around the window. I guess Mr. Mann figured the ladies would like it and come to his shoe store just because of it,” Addie said.
Chapter Forty-one
Rain had been predicted for Monday, but the sun was shining when Addie said goodbye to Deena, who had promised to get as many of her lesson assignments for her as she could. Mrs. Mitchell was driving Deena, Wylene, Billie, and Adam to school. The trolleys will be doing that this fall, she thought, but school would be out for the summer before they were on the streets.
She took her seat at the table with Mattie and Tobias in the breakfast room. They had been eating in the kitchen. This was Tobias’ first time in the breakfast room. He was looking around at the tall glass windows on two sides of the room. “This is such a magnificent place. I’m glad I’m getting to see it before you start changing it,” he remarked, and a light went on in Addie’s brain. Mr. Sully had said that he would like to see all of it, and the Mobleys had been so fascinated by it at their first sight. She had to talk to grandpa.
With breakfast over, she excused herself immediately and rushed to her dressing room. At seven-thirty grandpa would be watching the news, and that’s where she found him. “Grandpa, listen to me. I have just had a great idea for bringing in some money.”
“Now that’s my young Addie. Let’s hear it.”
“What about an open house to let the people see the mansion before we start remodeling it?” she asked excitedly.
“Hummm. Do you really think people would pay money to see it?”
“Well, I would have. If I’d had the money. And I think other people in Riverbend, Centertown, Creek Falls, and who knows from where else, would like to see it bad enough to pay to see it.”
“That couple who was here last Sunday would have, but there would have to be hundreds to make it worth you time and effort.”
“Grandpa, I think we’d have hundreds. If you think it’s a good idea, I’ll talk to Miss Mattie – see what she says.”
“It’s your mansion. How about bringing a trolley or two? Let the people see what their public transportation is going to be.”
“That’s a great idea, grandpa. If you have anymore, let me know. And I want you around while the auction is going on. Okay?”
“I’m not going any place, young Addie,” he chuckled.
As soon as Addie went through the kitchen’s swinging door, Mattie said, “I’m sure the men will want coffee also. Will you keep the coffee goin
g?”
“I’d be glad to, but I’d better make a list of all my duties, so I won’t forget anything. And, Miss Mattie, can we talk about something else while we work.”
“If it’s not too distracting. Tobias is in the library numbering pieces of paper. He seems to know what he’s doing, but he did say that some of the buyers might object to a silent auction, but that they all knew Paul DeJarnette, the auctioneer, and he hoped they would understand the circumstances. And since they will all have come a long way, he figures they’ll stay.”
“I sure hope so,” Addie said. “This certainly isn’t any of our doings. We’re just trying to make the best of a surprising turn-of-events, as mama would say. But I want to tell you about an idea I have and see what you think.” She paused, wondering if she was asking too much of Miss Mattie. “What would you think of us holding an open house next Sunday to let people see Stonegate before we change anything?”
At first Mattie just looked at her. “And I could serve refreshments as an advertisement for my dinner club,” she said thoughtfully.
Addie couldn’t help laughing. “Food is always the first thing that comes to your mind.”
“Absolutely,” Mattie said with a smile.
“And Mrs. Mitchell and Ruby could be on the first floor telling everybody about the child- care center, and Jo Ann could tell people about the nursing home. Miss Mattie, you’re a genius. Our open house will serve two purposes. It will bring in some money, and advertise our new businesses.” Then she had to check herself real quick when she almost added ‘I can’t wait to tell grandpa’. Then she became suspicious. Had grandpa put the idea in her mind?” She was certainly going to ask.
“I’m not capable of that,” grandpa said. “The idea was all your own. And I’m proud of you. The more I think of it, the better I like it.”
“I’ll take your word for it,” Addie said as she straightened the white apron on the gray maid’s uniform that Miss Mattie had found for her.
“Well, I should think so.”
“How do I look?”
“Not like any maid I ever saw.”
“Sir, today I am a maid. At least until these people leave.” And she headed back to the kitchen.
“Is it about time they start coming?” she asked Miss Mattie.
“If they don’t start showing up soon, I’m going to get worried. Very little of this food is something that will freeze. Oh, and Judy called. Said she’d be back late this afternoon. Said she wasn’t in the mood for shopping, and was anxious to get back to Stonegate. I think she needs something to keep her busy – keep her mind off Hank for awhile. Time heals, but being busy helps it.”
“Then, tonight, after everyone is gone, and we’ve cleaned up everything, maybe we could sit down and sort of make up a newspaper ad for the open house.”
“If we’re not so tired that all we want to do is fall into bed.”
Addie kept noticing Tobias walking from the living room windows to the foyer and library, as she carried things into the dining room. It was nine fifteen according to the big grandfather clock in the foyer which she could see through the pushed back pocket doors of the living room. “The people will probably start coming about nine thirty,” she said to him.
At nine forty-five no one had arrived. “Can’t have an auction without buyers,” he remarked. Then one of Riverbend’s decrepit taxi cabs could be seen slowly moving up the rise of the drive. Somebody at last, she thought as she peeped out the living room window. The taxi stopped in front of the marble stairs up to the porch. After a couple of minutes, a man got out of the passenger side of the front seat and opened the back door. Two women got out.
Women? She hadn’t read any women’s names on the acceptance cards. Maybe they weren’t for the auction. But the taxi drove off. They had to be for the auction.
Tobias had been watching from the glass side panel of the front door. He waited until they dropped the knocker a few times before he opened the door, and Addie hurried back to the kitchen. It wouldn’t do for the maid to be seen looking out the window in the living room. “Grandpa,” she called silently, after they were seated, and he appeared hovering above her. “Who are they?”
“One woman is D. D. Marrowbone. The other is Chris Armstead. The man is Jaques Thorn. Tobias seems to be acquainted with the man, who also seems very nervous.”
“Thanks, Grandpa. Go back and watch and listen for me, please.”
At nine fifty-five, Mattie was nervous. She had food prepared, to be eaten at ten. Tobias had seated those three in chairs for the auction in the big foyer. He now appeared in the kitchen. “Those three have spent the night in the hotel,” he said to Mattie and Addie, “but where the others are, I don’t know. What do you suggest we do?”
“I feel sure that all they’ve had is coffee,” Mattie said. “They are here and on time. I say we invite them in to a champagne brunch.”
Addie sighed heavily wondering what they would do if no one else showed up? “They are our guests,” she said, “and the food is ready, and it’s ten o’clock. Let’s invite them in.”
The three were seated with their filled plates from the sideboard, and Addie was pouring their choice of drinks when they heard the distant sound of a vehicle zooming up the driveway.
Tobias grinned broadly, and headed for the front door as fast as his short legs would allow without breaking into a run. Mattie continued to pour champagne, and grandpa appeared moments later hovering over Addie.
“A big, long, black car. I counted nine men and the driver getting out. Twelve out of thirteen acceptances is not bad.”
“No. I guess not, Grandpa, and thanks. Keep me posted on everything when the auction starts. We’ll be cleaning up and getting food ready for an afternoon meal. I’m just glad they came finally,” she said silently.
A tall, slim, blond haired man in a black, silk suit, with a white turtle-neck shirt came in leading the others. “We’re sorry to be late,” he apologized. “We had engine trouble, and had to wait for another limo to be sent to us. We had left early. It’s a good thing we did, but our driver hasn’t eaten. Would you be kind enough to prepare him a meal also?”
“We have a vacancy at the table. We’d be please to offer it to him,” Tobias said. He looked at Addie. She nodded her head slightly in approval.
By the time the meal was over, Addie was sure she had gone through that swinging door at least fifty times, but she found she liked what she was doing. She thought of the day when Miss Mattie would be serving people in her dinner club, and the thought of being trained as a server played in her mind. She was sixteen now. She could work, but when would she have the time?
When all twelve buyers had taken their seats in the foyer there was a lot of talking at first, but then things became very quiet. After a period of time, Addie became so curious that she sneaked into the living room just far enough to see into the big room. But all she could see were men with their heads bowed over white pieces of paper. They each seemed deep in thought. A little later she summoned grandpa. He didn’t come. Now what? She wondered.
Miss Mattie was busy keeping the champagne flutes filled as Tobias had requested. She was filling silver trays with tiny sandwiches and delicate bite size morsels of food, as Miss Mattie had instructed her. Finally, the woman had a few moments in the kitchen, and Addie asked, “What are they doing?”
Mattie answered as she busied herself, “Well, Tobias brings out a painting, props it up on the table against the big urn, if it’s small enough, or against the table if it’s too big. Then everybody examines it, some more carefully than others, then they write on the white sheets of paper, and Tobias collects them. He then takes that painting down and brings out another one. Occasionally, someone will ask questions, or for time out, so they can make a phone call. There seems to always be two or three of them on their cell phones in the corners or a few steps down the hall.”
She wondered if Tobias was pleased with how the auction was going, and the amount of money the
paintings were bringing. She finally summoned grandpa again. It was a while before he appeared.
“Young Addie, I’m very busy right now,” he said.
“Doing what?”
“Keeping an eye on that man, Thorne, who came with the two women. Every time Tobias props a painting on the table against that big, ugly urn, he nearly has a stroke.”
“Why?”
“That’s what I’m trying to determine. Now leave me be, so I can.”
Tobias called for a break a little after two o’clock. Most of them came strolling into the dining room where Mattie had placed the trays of food on the sideboard. Some were still in the foyer and hallway on their cell phones. Several requested coffee as they strolled about murmuring among themselves. Addie wanted them to get back in the foyer and get the auction over with.
At three – ten, she sat at the small kitchen table nibbling a bit of food when suddenly, there was a great shout of voices. Addie looked at Miss Mattie, who exclaimed, “What on earth?”
The voices didn’t die down. All of them seemed to be talking, very excitedly, at one time. Addie wanted to see what it was all about, but she knew it wouldn’t look right. Today she was a kitchen maid. Miss Mattie said, “I guess we’ll find out when it’s over with. Surely, it can’t be much longer.”
And shortly after four-thirty there was the sound of the scraping of chairs on the bare floor and the opening and closing of the front door. Then Tobias came into the kitchen where Addie and Mattie were seated at the kitchen table.
“Addie, do you wish to sell the urn?” he asked quickly.
Then grandpa showed up. “It’s the man I told you about. He doesn’t seem to want to leave without that urn.”
The urn? That ugly thing. Who would want it? “Why, I, uh, hadn’t thought about it.”
“Sell it,” grandpa said. “You can’t keep it.”
“Do you know how much it’s worth?” she asked Tobias.
“No. But if you want to sell it, I’ll get as much for as I can.”
The Daughters of Julian Dane Page 65