Southern Treasures

by Coleman, Lynn A.

  Apparently that hadn’t always been the case, Matt mused.

  “She does have a fine store,” William said out loud. “I know my wife will be sad to see it close.”

  “I hope she’ll be able to relocate further in town.”

  “Hmm.” William rolled his mustache between his thumb and forefinger. “You know, there might just be the perfect place for her on Duval Street. A block east of the church. It’s small but can’t be smaller than the size of the place she has now.”

  “Really? Tell me more.”

  William scribbled a name and address on a piece of paper. “Here. See John Dixon, that’s his address. I believe he owns the place.” William handed the torn sheet of paper to Matt.

  “Thank you. I hate to have her relocate, but it was the only property that would meet my needs.”

  “Does appear that way. Let me get on these orders. There’s a ship heading to Cuba with the evening tide. I’ll get your order out on that ship.”

  “Wonderful. Thank you again, William.” Matthew extended his hand.

  William grasped it firmly. “Pleasure’s all mine. I hope your business will help our community. It appears like it might be able to.”

  Matt grinned. In Savannah, his business was like so many others. Here in Key West it would be one of a kind. Yes, God was with him, and he could make this work.

  ❧

  Peg grasped the side of the counter. Of all the days… She broke her train of thought. Wallowing in self-pity wouldn’t help matters. She’d seen the inevitable. There wasn’t another piece of property on Key West that would suit Matthew Bower’s needs apart from the one she rented.

  But today of all days! Why today, Lord? Why?

  Peg let out a pent-up breath and decided to close the shop early. She’d need to find a new place to rent, and she had no spare time unless she closed the shop.

  The island, with its large wooden structures around the harbor, seemingly would have lots of available space. But the fact of the matter was that many of the spaces had been owned and operated for years by the same businessmen. Hotels seemed to take up a large section of Greene and Front Streets.

  Maybe she should just close up shop and do piecework for folks. They certainly knew where she lived, and she wouldn’t have to pay rent for a shop that way. After all, the house was bought and paid for, and it wasn’t that far up Duval.

  Peg grabbed the accounting books. In order to decide, she would need to look the books over. She’d need to figure her profit, then decide what she truly had available for additional rent.

  Lots of math, lots of homework. Numbers had never given her a problem, but to be working such detailed work the eve of her son’s birth and death… Peg closed her eyes and fought back the painful memories.

  November twenty-eighth was the one day she allowed herself to grieve. A solemn day. A day to reflect on the past, the present and the future. Apparently not this year, though. Future, huh? You’ve kept yourself from any future, Peg old girl, admit it. And now you’re standing two years shy of forty, and you’re wondering why.

  Peg lifted the ledgers and turned the sign that said to all the world, “Closed.”

  Her hand trembled. One day that might be forever. Her heart tightened in her chest. She fought the bile in her stomach toward one Matthew Bower. “Why did he have to come to Key West, Lord? Isn’t there another place he could set up his business?”

  Eight

  Carmen greeted Peg with a curious stare. “What’s the matter?”

  “Matt Bower bought the property.”

  “Oh dear.” Carmen put down the broom. Her wonderfully tanned complexion and dark black hair glistened in the tropical heat. “What are you going to do?”

  “I don’t know. I brought home the books and thought I’d see if I should even bother with a new storefront, or try and do piecemeal work from my apartment. I’ve certainly established a clientele.”

  “True.” Carmen brightened. “That’s a wonderful idea.”

  Peg continued toward her private entrance into the house. Her sister-in-law followed. “Peg, Daniel told me about tomorrow.”

  “What?”

  “Shh, I love you. I wouldn’t say a word to anyone.”

  But why would he tell her?

  Because she’s his wife, Peg reasoned. Not that it made her comfortable with the notion that one more person knew her past. In a matter of two weeks, two additional people knew. Peg hung her head in shame and closed her eyes, fighting back the raw emotions.

  “If it’s any consolation, I nagged him for the answer. Once he finally told me, I was ashamed that I had pushed him. I’m sorry, Peg. I promise no one will know from my lips.”

  Peg simply nodded her head. What could she say? Her nostrils flared; her breathing deepened. When she saw Daniel she would give him a piece of her mind. Not that it mattered any. He’d held her secret for twenty years. She supposed a good marriage was based on openness and honesty. But why did it have to be openness about her life?

  Carmen placed her hand upon Peg’s shoulder. “For what it’s worth, I understand your pain. I lost a child at birth,” she whispered.

  Peg opened her eyes and looked into the dark brown eyes of her sister-in-law. She saw the sorrow, the understanding, the pain. Without another word, the two women embraced.

  Carmen pulled back and wiped the tears from her eyes with a delicate handkerchief Peg had embroidered for her as a birthday gift. “You’re welcome to spend the day with me tomorrow.”

  “Thanks, but I generally spend the day alone.”

  “Sí. I understand.”

  “Thank you.”

  Carmen left the apartment shortly after, and Peg changed into her casual clothing. She had the ledgers spread across the table, along with other scraps of paper, ready to work the figures. The question was should she take some time and walk the streets looking for vacant storefronts, then work on the books. A gentle knock on her door gave her a momentary reprieve from making the decision.

  Daniel stood outside the door. His sandy brown hair shadowed his eyes. “Danny.” Peg couldn’t keep her hurt and anger from her voice.

  “I’m sorry, Peg.” Daniel hung his head.

  “I can’t believe you said anything. Why?” Peg placed her hands on her hips, blocking the entrance to her rooms.

  “I don’t know. May I come in? Please,” he pleaded.

  Peg stepped back and relaxed her hands at her sides.

  “Thank you. I truly am sorry. I know I probably should never have said a word to Carmen. It’s just so hard not telling her everything about me. I love her, Peg. She’s such a part of me. I can’t bear the thought of keeping things between us. And November twenty-eighth had come between us. I hope you don’t hate me.”

  “No, I don’t hate you. I’m disappointed, but I don’t hate. How could I hate you, Daniel? Without you, I never would have made it those first couple of years.”

  Daniel cocked a half a grin up the right side of his face. “And you’ve been an equal blessing to me. I don’t think staying in Savannah I would have grown as much. I would have followed in Father’s footsteps and never been allowed to be myself, to follow my dreams, not his, you know?”

  Peg grinned. “Yes, I know. It’s hard to believe they are gone.”

  “I know. When I went home to settle their accounts, it was hard selling everything Father had worked so hard for. And yet, there was nothing there for you or me. I just wished we could have convinced them to move to Key West.” Daniel sat down on the sofa.

  “Me too.” Her father had been a hard man. A man of the sea, who’d lived through more storms than he could count. To have him and their mother die from an accident on shore seemed so strange. They had managed to visit Key West a couple of times over the years, but their visits were far too few and far too short. On the other hand, Peg realized she could have gone home and visited also. But she could never face the folks back home. Her mother swore no one knew, but she didn’t trust Billy and what
he might have said before he left town.

  “Peg, Carmen won’t say anything.”

  “I know. It’s a hard year, Daniel. I don’t know why, but it is. Last year seemed so serene. I thought I was getting used to it. But this year…”

  “What do you think is different?” Daniel folded his arms across is chest.

  “Mother and Father being gone, I suppose.”

  “Hmm, I suppose that’s possible. Oh, is it true that Matthew Bower bought your place?”

  “Yup. Right out from under me.”

  “I’m sure he didn’t buy it intentionally to hurt you.”

  Peg nibbled her lower lip. “Maybe not, but it sure feels that way. I brought the books home to go over them.”

  “Carmen said you might work from the house. Personally, I think that’s a great idea. You don’t have any extra financial needs. We’ve done well over the years. You could even retire, and you’d still be taken care of.”

  “We don’t have that much money, Danny.”

  “Okay, I’d still have to work. But we’ve invested well. My biggest mistake was not buying Jefferson’s property years ago. Then you wouldn’t be in the place you’re in right now.”

  Peg grinned. “At the time, Jefferson wanted far more than it was worth. I imagine he’s come down a few dollars.”

  “Oh, I imagine so. Word is, Matthew Bower is quite a businessman. He’s fair, honest, and he can barter with the best of ’em.” Daniel grinned.

  “He’s a smooth talker, that’s for sure.” Peg rubbed the ever-growing stiffness in the back of her neck.

  “And tell me, is the word on the street correct that you and he are engaged?”

  “What?”

  “Just fooling with ya. Nothing’s been said for a week now. I think folks were hoping for a romance, but they’ve seen you’re just not interested.” Daniel eased himself deeper into the sofa.

  “I’ve spouted off more Scripture verses from Paul talking about the nobleness of remaining single in the past couple of weeks. Folks ought to be getting the idea.” Peg finally sat down on the overstuffed chair in her sitting room.

  “What are your plans for tomorrow?” he asked.

  “The same. I’ll find a nice quiet beach and pour out my soul to God. I have a feeling I’ll be doing a lot more pouring this year.”

  Daniel reached over and placed his hand around hers. “When are you going to forgive yourself?”

  “I’m working on it. It’s hard. I still can’t shake the thought that if I hadn’t sinned, my baby would have been alive.”

  “If you hadn’t sinned there wouldn’t have been a child and I doubt there ever would have been one with Billy. I don’t think the man ever would have married you, and I don’t think he would have made you a good husband if he had.”

  “Daniel, please. It wasn’t just Billy’s fault.”

  “I know that. But,” he hesitated. “Peg, I heard some things about Billy when I returned home. He was hung for murder, Peg. He—”

  “Murder?” Peg’s breath caught in her throat.

  “I double-checked. Apparently, he returned to Savannah back in 1850, just about two years after we left. Anyway, seems he got into a drunken brawl with someone. Before the dust cleared, Billy was standing over the man with a smoking pistol in his hand. He didn’t deny killing the man. Word is, he never said he was sorry for it. He stood proud of himself and his actions in front of the hangman’s noose.”

  “Don’t you think if he and I had…waited, his life would have been different?” Peg felt tears sting her lids.

  “I don’t think so, Peg. There were other things I heard about Billy when you and he were engaged. Remember, we talked about those before.”

  And she did remember. But she never wanted to see how bad Billy really was. He’d always been sweet to her. Of course, his being sweet had caused her to sin. It was one of the things that kept her leery of smooth talkers. Smooth talkers like Matthew Bower.

  No wonder she was fearful of the man. She realized she had kept Matt at a safe distance because he was like Billy, not in looks, but in his manner with women.

  “Peg, it’s been twenty years. You need to forgive yourself,” Daniel whispered, breaking her thoughts.

  “I know. I’m trying.”

  “Are you? Why take the day off? Why allow even one day to have a foothold over you?”

  “I have to. It helps. It truly does allow me to be at peace the rest of the year. This year is just different.”

  “All right, Sis, I won’t push you. I’ll support you in any decision you make.”

  “Thanks. Now go home to your wife and children. I’ve got work to do.”

  “Yes, Ma’am.” Daniel saluted.

  “Hey, just remember, I’m the older sibling.”

  “Oh, like I could forget it, with you holding rank over me all these years,” Daniel teased back.

  She couldn’t ask for a better brother. He’d supported her when no one else did, even her parents. Peg closed down the old images of anguish and pain her parents had levied against her all those many years ago. Tonight she had more important things to do. One of which included a quick walk through town to see what was and wasn’t available for possible rent.

  She left the house in her sandals, a light cotton skirt and blouse. She held her hair back with a leather barrette and a small stick. It was easier to manage this way and didn’t take a lot of time to fashion.

  The three-story buildings that lined Front Street were large, wooden clapboard structures scattered between homes and offices that belonged to lawyers and other businessmen. When had the island changed so? Peg wondered. Oh, she knew new businesses and buildings had gone up, but had she sheltered herself so much she’d become unaware of the changes on the island? Granted, all her free time was spent working or at church, and at work she stayed inside the store. Her chest heaved with the awareness that life was indeed passing her by.

  “Peg? Peg Martin?”

  Peg turned to the unfamiliar voice.

  ❧

  “Mr. Bower, a pleasure to meet you. The island’s been buzzing about this new business you’re planning on starting here. Can’t say I blame them. New industry is what we need here.”

  Matt had to grin at the older gentleman with white hair and a roughly shaved face. In the man’s wrinkles, longer nubs remained from a less than close shave.

  “Afraid I don’t have any waterfront property for you,” John Dixon grinned.

  Matt smiled. “Not here for that. I bought Jefferson Scott’s place this morning.”

  “You don’t say. What will become of Peg Martin?”

  Twist the knife deeper. “Well, Sir, that’s why I’m here. William Horton mentioned you might have a place in your room facing Duval Street.”

  John scratched his scruffy chin. “Hmm, I suppose I do. What do you have in mind?”

  “I was wondering if you might be willing to rent the place to Miss Martin. Seems a shame such a sweet little business like hers would need to go under just because I’m bringing in another.”

  “You don’t sound like no sharp-nosed businessman I ever heard about.” John gave him a sideways glance.

  “That may be so, but I don’t like the idea of making folks angry with me for no real reason. I had some time on my hands, and William did mention your place.” There, he’d let the old gent gnaw on that for a bit.

  “Makes sense. Well, I ain’t been planning on renting the room, but iffin you wanna see it, I don’t mind showing you.”

  Matt waited as John rose slowly from his chair. For an old man, he seemed pretty agile in spite of the gnarled hands and bent spine. Matt guessed the man to be close to eighty.

  “These old bones slow down iffin I don’t keep ’em moving.” John led the way to a side room of his house. It had a private entrance and large bay windows on either side of the door. The room, a large rectangle, perhaps twenty feet wide and about fourteen feet deep, lay before him. It had a nice hardwood floor and plenty of ro
om for Peg to put her shelves.

  “What would you want to rent it for?”

  “Can’t say that I know. I don’t need much, but I don’t believe in giving something for nothing either. Do you know what she was paying Jefferson for his place?”

  “Can’t say that I do. Would you be willing to give her the same price?”

  “Iffin Jefferson will verify that’s the price he charged her, I don’t see why not. I’ve just been using it for storage. The kids don’t visit too much. Don’t need a lot of space.”

  “How many children do you have?” Pleasant conversation wouldn’t hurt, Matt thought.

  “Five. I have seventeen grandchildren and half a dozen great-grandchildren, at last count. Most have moved to the mainland. My youngest daughter, she’s in her fifties, she lives here on the island with her husband. Other than a handful here, the rest are spread out. I live for the letters. They all write me.”

  “That’s wonderful. I have a son, and this is the first time I’ve spent any real time away from him. He attends the university, but he comes home on weekends and such.”

  “I remember my wife when the first ones moved away. She flopped around like a flounder.”

  “Micah didn’t go to the university until after his mother passed away. We couldn’t see giving her more pain.”

  “Sorry to hear you lost your wife. Hard to lose someone so close to you. Worst part was losing a child, though. Ain’t natural, you know?”

  “Right.” Matt scanned the room again. “May I invite Miss Martin to come and pay you a visit?”

  “She’s welcome. Might be fun having folks coming and going all the time.” John grinned. He hiked up his suspenders and led them back to the main part of his house.

  Matt exchanged a firm handshake and headed back toward Peg Martin’s home. He grinned, seeing how short of a distance she would have to walk each morning to go to work. Two and a half blocks.

  He rapped on the door. Paused. No answer.

  He knocked again. Paused. Again no answer. He turned down the pathway leading away from the house.

  “Who are you?”

  Nine

  Peg turned. How did she know this person? Or better yet, how did this person know her?