There was Joe, sitting talking to Tommy. He stopped talking abruptly when he spotted Mandie. The sitting room went silent and time seemed to stand still. Celia caught the stunned look in Joe's eyes.
"Breath Mandie." She told herself. Joe stood up and Mandie was suddenly able to breath again. Mandie realized that Joe had once again grown taller, his shoulders also seemed broader and more muscular, and he was certainly much more handsome than she'd remembered. He was still the same tall, gangly Joe with the unruly brown hair that she'd grown up with, but he seemed more… what was the word she wanted… more manly she said to herself. "Mandie Shaw get a grip on yourself." She said to herself.
"Hello Mandie." A deeper voice than the one Mandie had remember brought her out of her thoughts. Joe was halfway across the sitting room already, grinning from one ear to another.
Excitedly she made her way quickly to him. "Hello Joe." Mandie said, blushing shyly as they made their way into a tight embrace. Mandie could feel his now muscular arms tighten around her.
"Oh, Mandie I sure am glad to see you. You have no idea how much I've missed you." Joe whispered in her ear.
"I've missed you too Joe, a year is too long a wait for good friends to see each other." Mandie whispered back.
"I thought we were best friends." Said Joe. Mandie wanted to sink into the ground, she thought she should die of both happiness and embarrassment right then and there.
"Yes, we are." Mandie replied. The two broke apart from their embrace, Mandie looked to see Jonathan grinning at her. Mandie went to sit beside Celia who was smirking at Mandie but who thankfully didn't say anything.
"Jonathan." Joe said, taking his hand to shake and saying with a smile. "Haven't gotten into any mischief lately, have you?"
"Can't say I've gotten into any real mischief since last Christmas when we accidently set the Christmas tree on fire." Jonathan reported, laughing and causing everyone who'd been at Mandie's last Christmas to burst into laughter at the memory.
"Missy Manda, can I speaks with you for a moment?" Liza said, entering the sitting room.
Mandie left the sitting room the see what Liza wanted to say. She followed Liza down the hall, and she beckoned Mandie to come closer.
"Miss Pretty Thangs cook told me Miss Pretty Thang is coming over soon, do you wants me to distract her from the doctuhs son?" Liza said.
"Liza." Mandie said exasperated. "Polly will be fine coming over; it doesn't matter to me if she tries to flirt with Joe or not." Mandie said, knowing in her heart that what she said wasn't true. Mandie's eyes suddenly hazed over as she thought of the interaction she'd just had with Joe. The thought of being in love scared Mandie though.
"You shore you'se feelin' alright Missy 'Manda?" Liza asked, giving Mandie a sly look.
"Yes Liza, I really couldn't be any better." Mandie said glowing. "Shouldn't you be in the kitchen with Aunt Lou?"
"Lawsy Missy, I should." Liza said as she hurried away.
Mandie went back to the sitting room, where Jonathan asked. "What did Liza want Mandie?"
"Oh, she just wanted to tell me that Polly's coming over." Mandie replied, rolling her eyes.
Jonathan grimaced at what Mandie had just said. "How would Liza know that?"
"Liza is friends with Polly's cook." Mandie replied.
And sure, enough at that moment Polly walked into the room followed by a not very impressed Liza.
"Tommy, Jonathan, Robert, George, Joe, how are you all?" Polly said in a sweet voice.
"Awful, now that you're here." Jonathan mumbled; Joe elbowed him.
"What was that you said Jonathan?"
"Wonderful, I'm absolutely wonderful." Jonathan replied with a fake smile. Alice nudged him and whispered something in his ear.
Introductions were quickly shared and eventually Mandie decided to ask. "Would y'all like to go visit the secret tunnel? George, Mary Lou, and Alice haven't seen it." Mandie said.
"Not that dreadful place." Polly said, rolling her eyes.
"Well, if you don't want to come you could go home Polly." Jonathan suggested, grinning. Joe nudged Jonathan again. "Oww!" He exclaimed but Polly ignored him. Alice shook her head but not before Mandie could notice a twinkle of mischief in her eyes.
In the end Polly and the rest of the young people agreed to go to the secret tunnel.
"I'll have to go find Mr. Jason to get the key." Mandie told them.
Everyone got bundled up in their coats and scarves and followed Mandie out to the barn in search of Jason Bond. They found him feeding the horses.
"Mr. Jason, may I borrow the key to the secret tunnel?" Mandie asked politely.
"Of course, you can Miss Mandie, but don't be too long a blizzard warning just came in from Bryson City." Mr. Bond told her.
"Oh, dear I hope Uncle Ned, Sallie, and Dimar don't get caught in the blizzard." Mandie said, taking the key from him.
"I'm sure they'll be fine, they are Cherokee's." Mr. Bond said.
The young people went inside up to Uncle John's office. On their way they got a lantern and matches they saw that the women were back with their arms full of parcels.
"We're going show Mary Lou, George, and Alice the secret tunnel." Mandie told her mother.
"Don't be gone long dear. Everyone in town is talking about a storm in Bryson City that is blowing our direction." Elizabeth told her.
The young people went up to Uncle John's office, where Mandie unlocked the door and they all went into the office. Jonathan had the matches stowed in his trouser pocket and Tommy volunteered to carry the lantern once it had been lit.
Mandie unlocked the door of the tunnel. With Tommy leading the way, Mandie saw that the tunnel looked just the way she'd remembered it.
"What was this tunnel used for?" Alice asked Mandie.
"During the Cherokee movement my grandfather saved his Cherokee friends by feeding and keeping them safe in this tunnel even though it was against the law. He met a beautiful Cherokee girl here named Talitha Pindar who he married. I am one quarter Cherokee." Mandie stated proudly.
"Wow, that was very brave of him. You don't look Cherokee though." Alice said.
"You should have seen Mandie's father, Alice. He was white with red hair, blue eyes, and he was half Cherokee." Joe exclaimed.
"Where is your father Mandie? Is he here for Christmas?" Alice asked Mandie, who had tears slowly falling down her face.
Joe made a move towards her but Celia was the one that put her arms around Mandie. Jonathan put an arm on Alice's shoulders and whispered. "Mandie's father died several years ago, before I met her."
"Oh, I'm so sorry Mandie. I didn't know." Alice said sadly. "I lost my mother when I was young."
"I'm so sorry." Mandie said.
The group walked on in silence and were about a quarter way through the tunnel when Polly tripped, screamed, and fell onto Tommy, who she had been walking behind. Tommy fell with Polly on top of him. The lamp broke and was extinguished. They were in complete darkness.