“Well, how is she, Doctor Goddard?” Verbena asked when the doctor reached the bottom step.
“She needs rest for the bump on her head, which is going to require that she stay in bed at least for a couple of days, but the good news is that her nose isn’t broken. The information is not so good about her right arm. It has a deep cut below the elbow. We’ll have to bandage it and you must make sure she doesn’t let it hang down for about a week. It goes without saying, she won’t be able to use it for a few days.”
Verbena lifted and eyebrow. “Will she be able to sew?”
Tobias shook his head. How could Miz Wedington think about Hannah’s sewing when the poor girl was in pain and needed care? He knew it would have to be up to him and Minerva to see that the girl was taken care of.
“Not unless she can sew with her left hand,” the doctor said. “I’m sure her arm is also going to be painful. I’ll leave some laudanum for later. I wouldn’t give it to her until you see she’s coherent. Probably by tomorrow. I know the pain will be hard for her to bear, but you don’t want her to be in such a state that she doesn’t know what’s happening around her.”
“Would it be dangerous to give it to her tonight if she’s in pain she thinks she can’t stand?”
“I don’t think it would kill her, but it would only render her so confused she wouldn’t understand what was going on. As I said, later would be better. I recommend you wait a day before giving it to her. By then, don’t be afraid to keep her sedated for a day or two. Afterward, she should be able to stand the pain without medication.”
“I appreciate that, Doctor Goddard. I’ll see that she is well taken care of.”
“I’m sure you will, Mrs. Wedington.” He smiled at her. “You know you can call me any time you need my services.”
“I do know that.” She walked beside him to the front door as she dropped the laudanum into her skirt pocket. “Thank you so much for coming so quickly.”
“You’re so welcome, dear lady. Let me know if you need me to come back.”
“I will.” She closed the door behind him and moved back to the parlor door. “Did you hear what he said, Hilda?”
“Yes. I’m so sorry this happened.”
“I didn’t mean to kill her,” Calvin said in a flat voice.
“She’s not dead, Calvin. She’ll be fine in a few days.”
“Can she walk then?”
“No. She won’t be able to walk, but she’ll be able to sit in her chair again.”
“Will she show me the yard then?”
“I’m sure she will.” Verbena looked at Hilda. “This could be a blessing. I’m not sure I could make Hannah bend to my wishes if she’s in her right mind, but with this…” She held up the bottle, grinned, and slipped it back into her pocket.
“What do you mean?” Hilda sounded interested.
“Well, I’ll give her a dose of the medicine tonight and then one in the morning. Why don’t you and Calvin come back about three tomorrow afternoon? I’ll get the preacher here before then and convince him that marrying your brother and my niece is for their own good.”
“Do you mean—”
“Why not, Hilda? This is a blessing for us. It’s the best time I know to make sure Hannah does what I wish. Once they’re married, there’s nothing she or anybody else can do about it. I know it’s not the kind of marriage Hannah wishes she could have, but she’ll never have a normal one. Marrying Calvin is better than nothing. After all, Calvin is a nice boy. He’ll have fun if I give him a dog as a wedding present.”
“I want a dog.”
Hilda came out into the entry leading her brother. “You are a genius, Mrs. Wedington.”
“Don’t you think this is the answer for all of us?”
“Yes, I do.” She headed for the door. “Come along, Calvin. We need to go home now.”
“But I want to see the where I’m going to play.”
“You can see the yard tomorrow.” Verbena moved to the door with them.
“Will the crippled girl show me then?”
“I’m not sure she’ll be able to, but somebody will take you out to see it.”
“Then I’m ready to go home, Hilda.”
It was all Tobias could do not to run into the entry and grab the bottle from Verbena, but he knew if he moved, they might hear him and know he was eavesdropping on their conversation. He had to stay quiet until the guests were gone
Verbena closed the front door after they exited and moved to the bottom of the stairs. She paused, took the laudanum out of her pocket and looked at it. A sinister smile crossed her face as she began climbing the stairs.
Her actions made Tobias realize he had to move fast. He rushed to the kitchen. “Minerva go to Miss Hannah’s room and make sure Miz Wedington don’t give her niece any medicine.”
“What are you talking about?”
“The doctor gave her a bottle of something, but told her not to give it to Miss Hannah for a couple of days. She’s heading up there to give it to her right now.”
“How do you know?”
“I heared her say she was going to give it to her. Now, go on. We ain’t got much time.”
“What can I do to stop her?”
“I don’t know, but you can think of something. Go, before she gives the girl the stuff.”
“But…”
“Don’t argue with me, woman. She could kill Miss Hannah.” He moved to the back door.
“Where are you going?”
“To get Mr. Jarrett!”
“Why?”’
“I don’t have time to tell you everything now. I’ll tells you when I get back. Just make sure Miz Wedington don’t give none of that medicine to Miss Hannah.”
Before she could say anything else, he went out the door. He knew Minerva would head to Miss Hannah’s room wondering what she would say to Miz Wedington. He also knew she realized she had to stop the woman somehow from giving medicine to the girl. He had made that clear, even if he didn’t tell her why. His wife trusted him, and he knew he could count on her to do everything he asked her to do.
♥♥♥
With a feeling of relief and satisfaction, Jarrett threw the papers he was studying down on the desk in his hotel room. It had been right there in front of him all the time, but was masked by the wording in the legal documents. Though it wasn’t obvious, his sharp mind had found the answer he’d been searching for. He’d finally seen what linked all this mess together. He only needed confirmation from an actual party to the agreement, and he knew there was only one person he could get the final answer from. He stood, grabbed his hat and headed out the door.
His first inclination was to go by and ask Lydia to accompany him, but in the same moment, he changed his mind. The woman’s husband had just returned from a long trip and he was sure Lydia wanted to spend her time with her man, not going to her father’s farm with a detective. Besides, though Bradly Patterson had been cordial when they met, Jarrett had a feeling the man wasn’t overly pleased to find his wife with another man when he arrived home.
He could do this alone, anyway. He knew exactly how to do it. There was one thing Burl Hamilton understood and Jarrett had the wherewithal to make it happen. Today, he would finally put an end to all this cloak and dagger business and return to Flagstaff where he belonged. Savannah was a nice city, but he missed the open spaces of the west. It was time to lay his cards on the table and end this job. It was also time for Mrs. Verbena Wedington to get her comeuppance, and for sweet Hannah Hamilton to receive her freedom.
On the horseback ride to the farm, Jarrett’s thoughts drifted to Hannah, and couldn’t help the smile that spread across his mouth. He clearly remembered coming to town thinking she was a small child who needed to be cared for, but she turned out not to be a child at all. She was a lovely young woman, whose beauty almost took his breath away on their first meeting. As if that hadn’t been enough, when he swept her into his arms and carried her to her room, he was shocked at how goo
d it felt to hold her slender body next to his chest. As he’d climbed those stairs, he remembered he wanted her room to be a long way off so he wouldn’t have to put her down.
After that incident, he’d made excuses to be with her every chance he got. And the time they’d spent in the parlor alone had left him feeling things he’d never felt for a woman before.
But he knew he had to quash those feelings for the beautiful girl. Not because she couldn’t walk. He knew if she was allowed to try, she’d be able to get around fine on crutches. A man who loved her wouldn’t mind that.
It wasn’t even because she was so young. Eighteen was a woman in every sense of the word, and according to one of those papers he’d found, she would be eighteen in a few days. Then, nobody could say she wasn’t a grown woman. Though having been closed up in that house for years, she was naïve in many ways, but she was also smart. Smarter than some married women with children that he knew back in Arizona. She certainly was wise enough to know how to adjust to the rules and regulations her aunt imposed, and as far as he could tell, she never seemed to complain about it.
The reason he knew he couldn’t allow those feelings to get inside him had nothing to do with Hannah. It had everything to do with the beautiful lady he was having an affair with back in Flagstaff. Was she that important to him, or was she just a woman he enjoyed sleeping with?
Jarrett let a frown cross his forehead. In his heart, he knew Felicia Newell wasn’t the type of woman most men would want as a wife. She was the type they liked until the right woman came along. Though at times Felicia seemed to care lot about him, she’d never led him to believe he was the only man she could fall in love with. There had even been times when she seemed to prefer his twin brother. Jarrett was well aware of the fact that when he returned home, he could find that Felicia had become Everett’s mistress instead of his.
At that moment, he felt an unusual sensation, and it shocked him. It was in that moment he realized he didn’t much care if the beautiful Miss Newell had chosen his brother or some other man to fill her bed. Why this didn’t bother him, he wasn’t sure.
Before he could figure it out, the farm house came into his line of vision. He took a deep breath and shoved all thoughts of women from his mind. It was time to concentrate on what lay ahead of him, and the best way to pull it off.
As he reined up in the front yard, the same two old hound dogs that he’d seen before came out from under the front and barked at him. In a matter of seconds, Burl Hamilton shoved the front door open and came onto the front door with his shotgun in his hand.
He moved to the edge of the porch and spit tobacco toward the horse. Giving Jarrett a frown, his voice came out in a growl. “What the hell are you doing back here?”
“I need to talk to you, Mr. Hamilton.”
He raised the gun and pointed it at Jarrett’s chest. “I told you last time, I ain’t got nothing to say to you.”
“I think you might change your mind this time.”
“Ain’t no way. Turn that horse around and git out of here.”
“As I said, when you see how much money is involved, you might change your mind.”
Burl frowned. “Did you say money?”
“I did.” Jarrett dismounted. “Would you like to discuss it now?”
“How much money?”
“Enough.”
Burl hesitated for a minute, then turned toward the door. “Come on in. We’ll talk in the house.”
Jarrett would have preferred talking on the porch, but he didn’t have a choice, now. He had the man interested, and he didn’t want to jeopardize his chance of getting the final answer here. He followed Burl into the house, and as it was the first time he’d been inside this house, he was surprised to see the combined kitchen and living area neat and clean. He figured this was because of the woman coming in the back door with a basket of wild berries on her arm.
“What’s going on?” She glanced at Jarrett.
“We got some business to discuss,” Burl said. “Git us a cup of coffee.”
Lulu nodded, sat the basket down and moved to the stove.
“Set down there and we’ll have that talk.” Burl commanded, and propped his gun against the wall by the door.
Jarrett nodded a hello to Lulu and pulled out a caned-back chair.
“I don’t remember your name.” Burl took the chair across the table.
“It’s Jarrett MacMichael.”
“All right, MacMichael, tell me about this money you’re talking about.”
“First, let me tell you who I am.” When Burl said nothing, Jarrett went on. “I’m a detective from Arizona. Your son-in-law hired me to come here to check on your daughter, Hannah.”
Burl looked puzzled. “What son-in-law?”
“Drina’s husband.”
“The cowboy she run off to marry?”
“That’s him.”
“Why would he hire you?”
“Because his wife was concerned about her sister.”
“Don’t see why. She’s fine. Has been since she started living in that fancy house with Verbena.”
Lulu interrupted by setting two mugs of coffee on the table. One in front of each man.
“Thank you, Lulu. Why don’t you get yourself a cup and join us?”
She grinned. “Why, Mr. MacMichael, I’d be happy to do that.”
Burl frowned. “She ain’t got no business setting down.”
“I’d like to have a witness to what I’m about to say to you, Mr. Hamilton.”
“Then quit messing around and set down, woman, so he can tell me about the money.”
Lulu poured herself a cup of coffee and sat.
“Mr. Hamilton, I’ve done a lot of digging in the records at the newspaper office and at the courthouse and I’ve found some interesting facts. I’ve discovered that there was a document drawn up between you, your wife, and her sister, Verbena, after Hannah was born.”
“Why’d you drag that up?”
“Because it’s important that I see a copy of that agreement.”
“Ain’t no way you’re gonna do that.”
Jarrett changed the subject. “I understand Verbena Wedington pays the taxes on this farm for you.”
“So, what if she does?”
“I also understand if they’re not paid, you’ll lose the place.”
“Ain’t no danger of that. She ain’t gonna fail to pay ’em. I had to go see her about it the other day. ”
Jarrett didn’t indicate he knew about that transaction. “There’s always a chance of something happening, Mr. Hamilton.”
“Why’d you say that?”
“You know how life is. You can be well and fine one day and the next day they’re building your coffin.” He saw Burl was listening intently. “Verbena Wedington seems to be in good health, but you never know. She’s not a young woman.”
“Is she sick or something?”
“Not that I know of, but I’m a man who looks at all angles. I can’t help wondering what would happen to you if she was no longer here to pay your taxes and your bails when you get arrested.”
He frowned and took a big drink of coffee. “I ain’t never thought of it like that.”
“Of course, you and Lulu might have some money put back that I don’t know about.”
Lulu laughed. “We ain’t got no money put nowhere, Mr. MacMichael. All the money we got is what Burl gets from selling some of his brew. That don’t hardly buy what we eat.”
Burl looked at her. “If ’n I lose this place, I won’t have nowhere to go and you won’t neither, old woman.”
Jarrett kept his voice calm. “I may have the answer for you, Mr. Hamilton.”
Burl gave him a suspicious look. “What can you do about it?”
“I can see that you get enough money so you never have to depend on Verbena Wedington again.”
“Why would you do that?”
“Oh, I don’t plan on handing you the money for nothing, but I think you hav
e something I’m willing to pay for.” Jarrett sat back, took a drink of coffee to give Burl time to think about what it was the detective could want.
Hamilton tuned his head to the side and seemed to think a minute. Finally, he said, “You ain’t talking about buying my brew, are you?”
“No, I’m not.”
Lulu broke into the conversation. “You know he don’t want none of your nasty ole brew, Burl.”
“Shut-up, Lulu. This is man talk.” She didn’t say anything else and Burl turned back to Jarrett. “How do I know you got the money?”
“I guess you just have to trust me.”
“Don’t know if I can do that.”
“Then, I guess you don’t want the money.”
“I didn’t say that.” Burl frowned. “How much money are we talking about?”
Jarrett raised an eyebrow. “More than this place looks like it’s worth.”
Burl still had his frown. “Are you saying you want to buy my place?”
Jarrett shook his head. “I have no need of this farm. As far as I’m concerned you can stay here for the rest of your life, because I’ll be heading back to Arizona soon.”
“How soon?”
“If I get the information I want from you, I’ll be gone in a few days.”
“Give him the paper, Burl.”
His eyes narrowed. “How’d you know there was a paper?”
“I done told Mr. MacMichael you talk in your sleep. He’s a good man. You can trust him to give you the money.”
“I don’t talk in my sleep.”
“Yes, you does.” Lulu gave him a knowing look. “You done told me you had a paper and it’s somewhere in the barn. I was gonna tell Mr. MacMichael about it. I figured he’d want to know.”
“You’re right, Lulu. I do want to know, and I appreciate the fact that you were going to tell me about it.” Jarrett smiled at her. “I’ll even give you a little money for telling me this.”
“You’s don’t have to do that.”
“But I want to. I like to help people who help me.”
She gave him a wide grin, but Burl frowned.
“If ’n I sell this paper to you, how do I know old sour-puss Verbena won’t come looking for me for breaking my word?”
Hannah's Wishes Page 17
