Chapter 10- Uncle Ned's Visit and Etta Shaw Arrives
Alex stood in the kitchen with a brown plaid shawl over her nightgown as she drank her milk. Milk always helped her sleep at night, but tonight she was just too keyed up to sleep.
Alex looked up as Mandie came into the kitchen, a blanket from her bed wrapped around her. "Couldn't sleep either, huh?" Alex asked.
"No. I was going to go outside. Do you want to come?" Mandie asked, taking a glass of milk Alex poured for her.
"Why not? I'm not going to sleep anytime soon," Alex said as Mandie opened the back door leading to the porch. Alex nearly started as an Indian came out from behind a column. The Indian looked at her with sharp eyes the same color as hers.
"You John Shaw daughter," the Indian said in broken English.
"You are Mandie's friend who brought her here. The one called Ned. I'm Alexandra," Alex said as they all sat down.
"I know. I there when Papoose born. I cry with Father when Mother go to Happy Hunting Ground," Ned said. Alex's eyes misted over.
"You knew my mother and father?" Alex asked.
"Yes. Much joy and sorrow when Papoose born. Father love you and Mother with much love. I hear Uncle John dead. Am sorry, Papooses," Ned said changing the subject. Mandie handed him the piece of wampum she had picked up in the Cherokee room.
"How come Daddy never told me Talitha Pindar was his mother?" Mandie asked her voice full of tears.
"Protect Papoose. Uncle John even hid it from Papoose cousin. He not want tell until Papoose cousin old enough," Ned said.
"What was Uncle Jim protecting her from?" Alex asked.
"Broke heart. Many people no like Indians," Ned said as Mandie wrapped her blanket around her tighter.
"She's really our grandmother?" Mandie asked.
"Why think I call you and cousin Papoose and give necklace?" Ned asked.
"He has a point there. He wouldn't call us that or give you your necklace if we weren't Indian," Alex said, running her thumb over the smooth bone of her own antler necklace that was in her hand.
"You never told me?" Mandie asked with a look of betrayal on her face.
"Promise Jim, no tell," Ned said.
"All this time, nobody ever told me! At least Alex had a good reason. She thought Daddy told me so she didn't bring it up," Mandie said, the tears finally falling.
"To protect Papoose heart," Ned said.
"Y'all failed. It broke. Would have been a lot easier to find out when I first asked Daddy for the truth. Can you stay close by until we find the will?" Mandie asked.
"I keep Papoose and Papoose cousin safe. Always. Promise Jim and John long ago. Promise Papooses now," Alex heard a soft rumble of thunder in the distance.
For some reason she believed Ned. He would keep them safe. She made a mental note to ask him later when did her father make him promise to keep her safe.
The next morning the thunder and lighting rumbled all day. The four children decided to look for the will in shifts. Mandie and Polly looked first and would be joined by Alex and Joe later.
Alex looked up from her book as the doorbell rang. The pained look on Liza's face made Alex feel sorry for her. "Liza, you can finish your dusting. I'll get the door," Alex said, standing up. The maid gave her a grateful look.
Alex walked into the foyer as Mr. Bond did. "Miss Alexandra, I thought you were upstairs," Mr. Bond said in surprise.
"No. I told Liza I'd get the door. Alex said as Mr. Bond opened the door. Alex felt the muscles in her face tighten and her stomach roll with nausea. Mr. Hughes was standing there with a sour-faced woman, whom Alex could only assume was Mandie's mother.
Mr. Bond walked to the edge of the porch. "I'm taking my daughter home," the woman said in a bossy tone. Apparently she didn't know that Mr. Bond couldn't be bossed like that.
"Who are you, Madam?" Mr. Bond asked, deciding to play dumb.
"Don't you sass me. Where's my girl?" The woman demanded with more gall than Alex had ever seen in anyone. Alex felt her hackles rise. If Alex had been older she would have booted this terrible woman off her porch and told her not to come back until she could keep a civil tongue in her head.
"Madam, I have never seen you before in my life. How would I know who your little girl is?" Mr. Bond asked, putting his hand on Alex's shoulder as he walked away with her.
"You know full well who I am. I'm Etta Shaw," Etta said. Mr. Bond and Alex turned back to face her.
"Well, well this is surprising. You're both smelling very appropriate today," Mr. Bond said with mock civility. Alex covered her mouth and coughed to cover a laugh.
"Don't you and the redhead play games with me. You're gonna take me to my Amanda this minute," Etta demanded.
"I'm sorry, but we really don't know where Mandie is. She could be anywhere," Alex chimed in.
"I said this minute," Etta said in a queen-of-the-manor voice.
"Or I'll go get the sheriff this minute," Mr. Hughes threatened, apparently wanting to get a word in over Etta's big mouth. If Mr. Hughes married Etta it wasn't hard to see who'd be wearing the pants in the family.
"You're threats don't work here, Mr. Hughes. Now you two will keep a civil and clean tongue in my father's house or I'll throw you both off," Alex said with a threat of her own.
"Now, Miss Alexandra, we have to be polite. Miss Alexandra is right though. I'm afraid at this minute, Miss Amanda's whereabouts are not known," Mr. Bond said.
"If you've gone and lost my little girl-"Etta started a new rampage.
"Of course I haven't lost your little girl. That would be irresponsible. Wouldn't that be irresponsible? Of course it would. Yes. She could be down at the creek, she could be riding a horse, she could be in any number of trees," Mr. Bond said really fast so Etta couldn't get a word in.
"Uh-huh. Why isn't she helping around the house?" Etta asked suspiciously. Alex remembered what Mandie said about Etta trying to hire her out. With that question it made what Mandie said true.
"Well, I think she and her cousin need a little variety in there lives, wouldn't you say?" Mr. Bond asked.
"We'll stay for supper," Etta said, sounding unsure for the first time since setting foot on the property.
"Ah," Mr. Bond said.
"Surely she'll be back by then?" Etta asked.
"Surely, Madam," Mr. Bond said as he and Alex both went into the house.
"Isn't there any way we could have gotten rid of them?" Alex whispered violently.
"I'm afraid not, Miss Alexandra. We can just try to stall them as long as possible. Your father would have been proud of you just now. You talked to them like he would have," Jason said.
"I don't like that woman, Mr. Jason. If she takes Mandie, I'll pull her hair out by the roots," Alex said as Mr. Bond opened the door to John Shaw's office. Mandie, Joe, and Polly stood.
"Sshhhhhhh! Mrs. Etta Shaw has arrived," Mr. Bond said.
A look of terror filled Mandie's eyes. "No!" Mandie exclaimed, backing away.
"It's okay," Joe consoled.
"Don't panic, don't panic. We'll go downstairs, we'll have some early supper. We'll come back up here and we'll search all night if necessary," Mr. Bond said. Mandie nodded. She had one arm around Joe and the other around Alex. "Agreed?"
"Agreed," Mandie said with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.
Mandie was dragging her feet and her palms were sweaty as she walked into the dining room, holding Alex's hand. Her cousin was frightened out of her wits over Etta; that much was obvious.
"There she is! Do you know how worried I was? You know what you put me through? I had search parties out for three days. How could you not send word? I missed you so much," Etta said, hugging Mandie.
It was all Alex could do not to kick the woman out of the house for her two-faced attitude. In this moment of motherly concern Alex saw something fake and so did Mandie.
"Would you have missed me when you hired me out for work?" Mandie asked. Alex felt like cheering as an uncomfortable look crossed Etta's face.
"Mandie! I don't- I don't hire my family out. I love my family. Thank you for taking such good care of her," Etta said to Jason. He nodded. "And look at this pretty new dress! I always wished I could afford to make her one," Etta said with false modesty.
"Yeah. You just had no problems giving them to your daughter, Irene," Alex muttered as she sat in her seat.
"Alex, I don't want to go," Mandie whispered.
"I know. I'm not letting that happen. I'll pull her hair out if she takes you," Alex said, squeezing her cousin's hand.
"I wish I had a family like that," Gaynelle said. Alex glared at her, causing the woman to shrink in her seat.
"Your Injun friend put a right ugly hole in my saddle," Mr. Hughes said in a low, angry voice.
"Hush, Mr. Hughes. That's been forgiven," Etta said with a smile.
"Who improperly set my place? I have nothing with which to eat my dinner," Gaynelle complained, changing the subject.
"Miss Snow, I'm sure you can find a way to get them green beans down your gullet with a salad fork," Liza said with animosity that Alex hadn't seen out of the maid since she had arrived. The four children smiled at each other as they ate their vegetables.
"We'll be leaving right after dinner so as not to cause you any more trouble. I know Amanda's homesick," Etta said as Aunt Lou left the room. Alex and Mandie looked at each other in dismay.
"No!" Mandie mouthed to Mr. Bond.
"Well, ah, you're certainly welcome to spend the night. I mean we have plenty of rooms," Mr. Bond said to Liza's dismay. Over in the corner Liza was rolling her eyes.
"Well, we've already left Irene way too long. But thank you for your hospitality," Etta said quickly; a little too quickly for Alex. Alex was willing to bet that Irene was just fine and one more night wouldn't have killed her.
"Oh pity," Bayne said sarcastically. Alex felt like strangling the man with her bare hands. She shot daggers at him, hoping he'd get the hint and shut up. Apparently he didn't. "This house will feel so empty and quiet without you kids," Bayne said with a sneer which Polly and Joe shot back to him.
"Mr. Locke, my cousin, Polly and Joe might leave, but I'm not. This is still my father's house and I'm not leaving," Alex said shortly, fighting the urge to bash the man in the shin for his comments.
Samuel then came into the room followed by Aunt Lou and out of breath. "Mr. Hughes, your wheel clean fell off of your wagon," Samuel said. "But don't worry. I can have it fixed by midnight."
Alex and Mandie grinned at each other. "Liza, would you prepare two more rooms?" Mr. Bond asked.
"Yes Sir," Liza said with a strained smile.
"Liza, I'm sure me and Mandie will come help you. After all no one should accuse the Shaw cousins of being impolite to people who stay overnight," Alex said with a sugary sweet voice and angelic smile as she glared at Gaynelle, Bayne, Etta, and Mr. Hughes.
"No, they shouldn't. We'll be glad to help you, Liza," Mandie said, copying Alex's tone.