by Lynn Wolfe
Edward eyes about popped out of his head as he studied the gold coins in the first chest he opened. “Damn Mary, where in the hell did these chests come from?” He waited a few seconds, but Mary didn’t give him an answer.
Instead, she opened the second chest and smiled. “Have you ever seen so much gold coin and jewelry in one place? Edward, these were found here, in this room, sitting in the middle of the floor. Once we realized what they held, we knew we needed to place them in the closet, out of sight. We had a difficult time scooting them. I don’t believe Nettie ever opened these chests.
“I had never asked Nettie what type of ship Jackson captained, but after finding these chests, I surmise it to be a pirate ship.
“Agnes said after Jackson died, Nettie had everything from his warehouse placed upstairs or in the barn. In my opinion, she couldn’t bear to see what gifts Jackson had planned on giving her. Therefore, she never knew what they held.”
“What do you plan to do with the chests, now you know what they contain, Mary?”
“I’d like you to have the coins counted and exchanged for currency. Then, have that amount deposited into my account at The Bank in Washington. Also, it would please me if you’d be willing to help me sort through the jewelry, and pick out a few of the better pieces for me to keep. It would be a shame not to keep a few pieces, don’t you think? The remainder could be sold and once I know the sum brought from the jewelry, I’ll then decide which charities to give a donation to.”
“Mary, I’d be honored to sort through the jewelry and the chest of coins. I feel giddy with excitement about going through these chests. I have something for you to consider, for there’s more than enough here to put a healthy sum in the bank and also handle the plan I have to help James. Of course, helping James would have to be a secret, Mary. No one must suspect anything.”
Edward told Mary in great detail his plan for helping James and then listened as Mary excitedly told him several ideas on how to pull the caper off, without drawing attention to either of them.
“I don’t think I have to tell you what would happen if James found out we manipulated in his affairs, Mary.”
“No Edward, I’m aware of the risk we’re taking. I feel confident your plan will work. We’ll need to have one other person to complete our mission and I know just the man for the job. However, I feel guilty betraying James. I personally know how hurtful betrayal can be, but in this case, it’s for the good of the children, and of course, James. Besides, once he finds out the truth, it’ll be too late, that is, if this plan works. He can hardly be critical of me, his betrayal was far worse.
“I wish to thank you for including me in your plan, and also thank you for all your help today. I honestly wasn’t sure how to handle what I found in those chests!”
“You’ve done the right thing by keeping your find quiet. I fear all kind of rumors could have been spread about where your coins and jewelry came from and who knows what kind of trouble that could have brought.”
“Edward, I feel we’ve made a lot of headway on beginning our new relationship. For that, I’m very grateful.” Mary said, sincerely. “I’m aware this will take some getting used to, but I’m glad you found Thomas and me.”
Chapter Seventy-Four
Thomas Ball’s Homestead
Thomas wasn’t surprised when he received a letter from Mary regarding her visit with Edward. He was pleased she’d accepted him as their father. He laughed at the part she thought he was a con-artist. Thomas could only imagine how that shocked Edward to have anyone question his honesty. He would learn to stay on his toes around Mary and never take her for granted.
It was the last part of the letter that had surprised and pleased him. Mary was requesting his permission to come visit him and Anna. She stated she needed a break from things in Washington and was wondering if she could stay for three to four weeks. He wondered if her working such long hours at her shop had finally taking its toll.
After talking things over with Anna, Thomas was thrilled she readily agreed to Mary’s visit. They could then inform her that Anna was expecting the early part of next year. He knew how excited Mary would be at having another niece or nephew to spoil. In fact, they’d yet to tell Edward he would soon have another grandchild to cherish and spoil.
Thomas wondered if Mary has any knowledge of what had been happening in James’s life. After a little thought, he realized Edward would have felt it only right to make her aware of the events that had recently happened to James. Secrets and lies had already caused too much suffering to Mary and to others.
Chapter Seventy-Five
“Mary, how was your trip?” Thomas asked as he helped her from the carriage. “From the number of trunks you’ve brought, I think you might be staying for closer to a year than a month!”
Mary hugged her brother long and hard. “Oh Thomas, I wasn’t sure what to pack. I was very pleased when you responded so quickly to my letter. I’ve missed you so much. Where are Anna and Jane?”
“They’re in the house. But first I must tell you some wonderful news; Anna is expecting our second child early next year. You’ll then have two little imps to spoil!”
“I can’t wait!” Mary responded, but before she could mention Edward’s visit with her, Anna and Jane came rushing out of the house.
“Jane how nice to see you!” Mary said, as she hugged her and Anna simultaneously and then watched as little Jane hid herself in her mother’s skirts. “Please come here, Jane, I wish to hug you once more. I also have a gift for you.” Mary said, knowing she was bribing her niece and didn’t care.
With the mention of a gift, Jane stepped out for Mary to hug her once again.
“Is it a doll?” Jane asked. “I’ve been wishing for a new doll for some time now.”
“Jane, you never ask someone what they’re giving you! And you must remember to say thank you. Do you understand?” Anna gently scolded.
“Yes, Mother. I’m sorry, Aunt Mary.”
“That’s quite alright, Jane. Here, let me retrieve your gift so you don’t have to wait any longer to open your present.”
Jane squealed in delight as she opened the package that contained a beautiful brown-haired doll with a lovely pink dress with matching hat and slippers. “Oh, Aunt Mary, I love her. I do!”
“I’m very happy you like the doll. I’ve brought one for Matilda, also. Only hers has blond hair with a green dress and matching hat and slippers.”
“What about Andrew? He doesn’t like playing with dolls. You didn’t get him a doll, did you?”
Everyone laughed. “No silly, I didn’t get Andrew a doll. I got Andrew a compass. I thought he might like to know which direction he was heading when he went out for his adventures.”
“I bet he’ll be happy to get a compass. I’m really happy you didn’t buy him a doll!” Jane added, holding her doll tightly.
“Mary, please come in and sit while Thomas gets your trunks. I was so excited to hear you would be coming to stay with us.”
“Anna, I hadn’t known you were with child again or I’d have never asked to come. Please, allow me to make arrangements to stay in Baltimore.”
“I won’t hear of such a suggestion, Mary. I’m not helpless. Well, not yet. You may not realize this, but you’ll be helping a great deal by allowing your niece to spend some time with you. She asks a thousand questions a day and I swear all she ever does is dream up another thousand questions to ask.”
“Thank you for making me feel welcome in your home.”
“If I’m not interrupting anything special, I’d love to join in on your conversation,” Thomas said, as he winked at Mary. “Gee Mary; it’s good to see you!”
After taking a tour of the house and stables, the rest of the afternoon was spent discussing the news that Edward Pierce was Mary and Thomas’s father. They all acknowledged how surprised they were at how quickly they’d adjusted to that fact.
“Thomas, I’m glad Edward’s our father. He’s said over and ove
r again he’d have never left mother had he known the truth at that time. This all makes sense, now, as to why Henry treated us so differently after mother passed. And Edward Pierce is so handsome and smart! But most of all, he’s kind. I could tell he had loved mother very much. Couldn’t you, Thomas?”
“Yes, after I got over the shock of hearing the truth, I must say I was also very happy to know we’ve a father that’s a decent man. The fact I’d known him a little over a year is amazing I didn’t see a connection. I was lucky to have him as a friend first. I think that made it easier for him to tell about mother.
“I can just picture the shock on Edward’s face when you told him you doubted his story upon first meeting him, Mary.”
“Oh, Thomas, I was adamant about him being a con-artist. I’m surprised he could forgive me. Even my attorney found humor in how I treated Edward. I have trouble calling him father, though, so I call him Edward, and he doesn’t seem to mind.”
“I do the same, Mary. Maybe, in time, things will be different. I believe Edward is just happy to be included in our lives.”
The remainder of the afternoon was spent on catching up with everything else that had happened in the last few months.
But when Thomas asked about the funeral she had attended while he and Anna were in Washington, Mary only said she inherited a home which gave her a nice place to stay. Mary gave them no further details about her good fortune and they didn’t ask any further questions. So she didn’t really lie to them, she just omitted a few things.
Anna made it clear she wanted Mary to go with them to the Parker plantation on Friday. She assured Mary that James wouldn’t mind if they brought an additional guest. In fact, she told Mary she was sure James would be pleased to see her after all these years.
But Mary wasn’t so sure. Yet, she had to see the plantation so she could get a feel for what was going on with the auction. She needed to see what was there in order for the plan she made with Edward to work. Mary held no expectations at this time for herself with James, but if she could help James in any way with his predicament, she would. Whether he liked it or not!
Chapter Seventy-Six
Parker Plantation
When Thomas pulled the carriage close to the Parker Plantation house that Friday, he was surprised to see some of the men already cleaning out the barn for the auction. He observed not all the men were present who should be as he noted there were a few items from the house scattered on the veranda. He realized James wasn’t wasting any time.
“Thomas, I see you have come to help, I’ll––Mary, what a surprise to see you.” James said, not very earnestly. He realized how stupid he must have sounded. Why couldn’t Thomas have given him notice that Mary was visiting. Mary looked more beautiful than James thought possible. Something about her seemed different, more mature and elegant.
Andrew and Matilda raced out of the house and stopped abruptly at the sight of this beautiful woman in front of them.
“Hello, my name is Mary. I’m a sister to your Uncle Thomas. I brought some gifts that I thought you might like.”
“Thank you,” Andrew and Matilda said in unison as they each excitedly opened their present.
“Golly, it’s a compass! Thank you. I can’t wait to use it!” Andrew exclaimed with glee. He decided he really liked this lady who came visiting bearing gifts.
“A new doll!” Matilda screamed and admired the doll with blond hair and a green dress. “Thank you, but it isn’t my birthday,” Matilda said with a slight frown.
Mary giggled. “Sometimes, people give presents just because they wish to, especially for two lovely and delightful children.”
“Look, I have a doll just like yours except she has brown hair and a pretty pink dress,” Jane said excitedly.
“Jane, come see how big Lightning and Star have gotten! You won’t believe it!” Andrew called out as he went racing to the barn with the two girls running after him.
Mary laughed. “They are delightful.”
“Thank you, Mary. You needn’t have brought them presents. I wonder if you’ll think they’re delightful after they nag you at supper with more questions than you’ll find time to answer.” James responded, still aloof.
He knew his parents had come out of the house to greet Thomas and Anna. He took a deep sigh knowing he’d have to make introductions. They’d never met Mary, but they certainly did know about her.
“Mother, Father, this is Miss Mary Ball.” James couldn’t help but wonder what his parents were thinking as they exchanged pleasantries.
“I’ve heard so much about you, Mary. I’m happy to finally meet you,” Annabelle said, never missing a beat. She tried to be nonchalant as she looked upon Mary. So this was the woman James had first lost his heart to.
“I, too, am glad to meet you, Mary,” Clayton stated kindly. “Your brother has spoken often of you. We’re happy you’re able to join us. I’m looking forward to hearing about your voyage to America and I understand you’ve opened a dress shop in Washington.”
“I’m pleased to meet both of you.” Mary said, as she looked at James’s parents wondering what they must be thinking and hoping she could avoid discussing her shop, if possible, since she hadn’t told Thomas and Anna she’d sold it.
Mary wondered what James was thinking. Was he angry she came unannounced? Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea to surprise him in this way. Mary could tell James was embarrassed at his present circumstances by the way he avoided eye contact with her. She only hoped he couldn’t see the disappointment she felt for never getting the chance to belong to this loving family. Her heart ached as she admired the parents that could have been her in-laws. She couldn’t help but notice Andrew looked just like James, and Matilda was the spitting image of Susannah, just in a smaller size.
“Mary, Anna, please come join me inside while the men talk business. I’ve some freshly made coffee, or tea, if you prefer, Mary.”
“A glass of water would be fine with me,” Mary said, as she again noticed how lovely and elegant Mrs. Parker was. Mary sighed and bit her lip, maybe she should have stayed home. How would she ever last through dinner thinking about everything that could have been hers. The plantation was exactly as she’d pictured it, maybe even prettier.
“Here is your water, Mary. Are you alright, you look a little peaked.”
“I’m fine, thank you, Mrs. Parker. I think I’m just a little tired.” She prayed Mrs. Parker couldn’t tell what was actually going through her mind.
“And you should be after helping me all week long with my cleaning, cooking and laundry. Honestly, Annabelle, this woman worked circles around me.”
Mary couldn’t help but laugh, “Only because you’re with child. Gosh Anna, I should be working circles around you, silly!”
*****
The women were laughing so loud that the men all looked at one another and smiled as they shrugged their shoulders and resumed talking on the Veranda.
“Thomas, how long has Mary been staying with you?” James asked, a little too curtly.
“She arrived last Sunday. She’d written a letter requesting a visit, and I couldn’t turn her down. I think after she found out Edward was her father; she wanted to discuss, in person, how I felt about what had happened in the past.
“I must tell you, she basically told Edward, when she first met him, she thought he might be some type of con-artist.”
Clayton Parker doubled over in laughter while James stood grinning and shaking his head. Thomas thought this might be the first time James found something that held some humor, since the fire.
“Of course, I feel Jane was also a big part of the reason for the visit. Mary had only gotten to spend a short time with Jane when we were in Washington. The way Mary loves children, I was fairly certain she’d be wishing to see Jane again. Then, when she arrived, we announced the news that Anna is again expecting this spring. Needless to say, Mary was very pleased.”
Clayton, wanting to keep the conversation light chi
med in. “Your sister’s very lovely, Thomas. I’m glad to finally meet her. Time seems to have been good to her. But I have to say, she doesn’t appear to be the type of woman, to call someone a fake. I can’t wait to see Edward again. He won’t live that down for many years to come, if I’ve any say in the matter,”
Thomas, not picking up on Clayton’s idea of keeping the conversation light, decided to get to the question that bothered him since he’d arrived. “James, I couldn’t help but notice there are only a few hands working the place, where is everyone?”
“Many left when they realized I wouldn’t be able to afford to pay them much longer. The few that have stayed have done so out of loyalty. I can’t even pay full wages, yet they’ve stayed on anyway, out of loyalty and respect, they tell me. They deserve so much more than I’m able to give.
“That’s one thing I wanted to speak with you about, Thomas. Is there any way you could take on one or two of my hands? I know they’d be as loyal to you as they’ve been to me. But only take them if you truly need them and can afford to pay them. I know I’m asking a lot, and I don’t want to put you in a tight spot.”
“Your timing couldn’t be better, James. I’m in need of a couple more hands. I’m running short of men trying to cover the checks we’re making on the property, thanks to that bastard Henry. Please send two of your men over in the morning and I’ll gladly sign them on.”
“Thanks, Thomas, I hate to let any of them go, but soon they’ll be out of a job, anyway. Some are planning to head for Ohio, and the others will check with plantations around the area. I’m sure they’ll be able to find work. I plan to give each of them a fine recommendation.”
Thomas couldn’t help but hear the sadness in James’ voice and his face showed how pained he was. “James, I beg you, let me purchase Lightning and Star. Andrew and Matilda need them. Certainly, you can see that.”
