I woke the next morning just in time to hear the big grandfather clock in
the hall strike seven. After quickly preparing for the day, I dashed out
the front door just in time to get to the law office by eight.
Mr. Murphy welcomed me into the office, unfolding a few papers as he sat down. "We will make this as fast as we can, Miss Spencer. Your parent's wishes are quite simple. As their only heir, you are to inherit the entire estate, which includes all property and nearly $500,000 in savings, investments and other assets."
My jaw dropped and I was at a total loss for words.
"There is one additional stipulation," Mr. Sanders added from his seat beside his partner. "Following the fire at the Thatcher's home in 1894, your parents were named executors of their estate, until the time of Gabriel Thatcher's return."
Still unable to form words, I simply nodded, signed a few papers and hade my way out onto the street.
Suddenly, tears welled up in my eyes. Taking a deep breath, I leaned back against the building. Suddenly, I lost all control and the tears streamed down my cheeks.
"Belinda? What's the matter?"
I looked up to see a blurry group of newsies standing in front of me. I shook my head, in no mood to explain the situation.
Specs put his arm protectively around my shoulders. "It's alright, beautiful; you don't have to say anything."
They lead me to Tibby's and Specs offered me a chair beside him, ordering us both some food. While my tears silently continued to roll down my cheeks, he silently took my hand under the table.
When my tears finally subsided, Specs leaned over and whispered in my ear. "Do you want me to walk you home?"
I turned to the windows and looked out. "Thank you, but no. I need a little time to myself."
He nodded and loosened his grip on my hand as I stood.
"Thank you for lunch," I said with a smile before heading out the door.
"What's goin on Belinda?"
I spun around on the empty street to find myself face to face with Dutchy. I managed a weak smile. "It's nothing, really."
"I don't buy it," he said quickly, crossing his arms.
My smile faded and I turned away from him. "I don't want to talk about it."
"Let's go for a little walk," he suggested, offering me his elbow.
I gave him a skeptical look.
"Oh, come on. I ain't gonna hurt you. We need to talk."
We were almost to the battery before I finally broke the silence. "So what do you want to know?"
"Let's start with why you were cryin."
"I just came from the lawyer's office," I murmured.
"What were you doin visitin a lawyer?" he asked, stopping to lean on the ledge overlooking the harbor.
My eyes began to blur once more. "Settling my parent's will."
For a long time, he said nothing, staring at me. I had begun to doubt that I had said the words aloud when he finally spoke. "What happened?"
I took a deep breath as he led me to a nearby bench. "I used to attend school in London. My parents were coming to visit me when their ship collided with another." The tears began to flood over my cheeks, like a dam broke loose.
Before I knew what was happening, he pulled me to his chest, wrapping his arms tightly around my shoulders. "I'm so sorry."
I sat in Dutchy's arms for a long time, feeling safe and comfortable for the first time in months.
Eventually, I sat up and wiped my eyes. "I should probably be headed home. I have some business to settle."
"I'll walk you," he said, jumping up quickly.
"You don't have to, really."
"I know." He once again offered me his elbow. "I want to." He flashed a genuine smile as we headed uptown.
"Well, here you are; home safe," he said lightly as we slowly walked up the front stoop.
"Thank you for the escort, Dutchy."
"No problem." He turned to go, but abruptly turned back around again. "What are you doing tomorrow, Belinda?"
I shrugged. "Nothing that I know of."
"Come spend the afternoon with us. We'll be done sellin around ten or so."
I considered his offer for a moment. "That sounds like fun."
"Well, I've got to get back," he said with a smile. "We'll pick you up here at ten."
"Thank you again, Dutchy."
His smile widened. "You're welcome. Goodnight, Belinda."
Mrs. Paige and Edgar had the night off, so I sat in the empty kitchen, staring at the wall. Eventually, the events of the day made me weary, so I trudged up the stairs. Once I was safely in bed, thoughts of the past and the future began swimming around in my head. It took all the energy that I had to clear the thoughts from my hind so that I could get to sleep before midnight.
The next thing that I knew, Mrs. Paige was standing over me. "It's nine o'clock, dear. Time to get up."
Surprisingly rested, I sat up, stretching my arms. "Good morning."
"What did the lawyers say, dear? If it is alright that I ask."
"Of course it is alright," I replied. "Don't worry, there's plenty of money to get by."
"Oh what a relief!" She clasped her hand to her heart. When she had calmed down once more, she continued, "What do you have planned for today, dear?"
I smiled. "Spending the day with some newsies that I met."
"Have you found Gabe yet?" she asked with a sideways glance.
"How did you-"
She tapped her temple and winked. "I have my ways."
Once she left the room, I crossed to my closet and got dressed. Rather than pulling my honey-brown hair into a bun, I let it hang in loose curls around my shoulders.
As soon as I finished dressing, Edgar called up the stairs. "Miss Belinda, your friends are here."
"I will be right down!"
Mr. Murphy welcomed me into the office, unfolding a few papers as he sat down. "We will make this as fast as we can, Miss Spencer. Your parent's wishes are quite simple. As their only heir, you are to inherit the entire estate, which includes all property and nearly $500,000 in savings, investments and other assets."
My jaw dropped and I was at a total loss for words.
"There is one additional stipulation," Mr. Sanders added from his seat beside his partner. "Following the fire at the Thatcher's home in 1894, your parents were named executors of their estate, until the time of Gabriel Thatcher's return."
Still unable to form words, I simply nodded, signed a few papers and hade my way out onto the street.
Suddenly, tears welled up in my eyes. Taking a deep breath, I leaned back against the building. Suddenly, I lost all control and the tears streamed down my cheeks.
"Belinda? What's the matter?"
I looked up to see a blurry group of newsies standing in front of me. I shook my head, in no mood to explain the situation.
Specs put his arm protectively around my shoulders. "It's alright, beautiful; you don't have to say anything."
They lead me to Tibby's and Specs offered me a chair beside him, ordering us both some food. While my tears silently continued to roll down my cheeks, he silently took my hand under the table.
When my tears finally subsided, Specs leaned over and whispered in my ear. "Do you want me to walk you home?"
I turned to the windows and looked out. "Thank you, but no. I need a little time to myself."
He nodded and loosened his grip on my hand as I stood.
"Thank you for lunch," I said with a smile before heading out the door.
"What's goin on Belinda?"
I spun around on the empty street to find myself face to face with Dutchy. I managed a weak smile. "It's nothing, really."
"I don't buy it," he said quickly, crossing his arms.
My smile faded and I turned away from him. "I don't want to talk about it."
"Let's go for a little walk," he suggested, offering me his elbow.
I gave him a skeptical look.
"Oh, come on. I ain't gonna hurt you. We need to talk."
We were almost to the battery before I finally broke the silence. "So what do you want to know?"
"Let's start with why you were cryin."
"I just came from the lawyer's office," I murmured.
"What were you doin visitin a lawyer?" he asked, stopping to lean on the ledge overlooking the harbor.
My eyes began to blur once more. "Settling my parent's will."
For a long time, he said nothing, staring at me. I had begun to doubt that I had said the words aloud when he finally spoke. "What happened?"
I took a deep breath as he led me to a nearby bench. "I used to attend school in London. My parents were coming to visit me when their ship collided with another." The tears began to flood over my cheeks, like a dam broke loose.
Before I knew what was happening, he pulled me to his chest, wrapping his arms tightly around my shoulders. "I'm so sorry."
I sat in Dutchy's arms for a long time, feeling safe and comfortable for the first time in months.
Eventually, I sat up and wiped my eyes. "I should probably be headed home. I have some business to settle."
"I'll walk you," he said, jumping up quickly.
"You don't have to, really."
"I know." He once again offered me his elbow. "I want to." He flashed a genuine smile as we headed uptown.
"Well, here you are; home safe," he said lightly as we slowly walked up the front stoop.
"Thank you for the escort, Dutchy."
"No problem." He turned to go, but abruptly turned back around again. "What are you doing tomorrow, Belinda?"
I shrugged. "Nothing that I know of."
"Come spend the afternoon with us. We'll be done sellin around ten or so."
I considered his offer for a moment. "That sounds like fun."
"Well, I've got to get back," he said with a smile. "We'll pick you up here at ten."
"Thank you again, Dutchy."
His smile widened. "You're welcome. Goodnight, Belinda."
Mrs. Paige and Edgar had the night off, so I sat in the empty kitchen, staring at the wall. Eventually, the events of the day made me weary, so I trudged up the stairs. Once I was safely in bed, thoughts of the past and the future began swimming around in my head. It took all the energy that I had to clear the thoughts from my hind so that I could get to sleep before midnight.
The next thing that I knew, Mrs. Paige was standing over me. "It's nine o'clock, dear. Time to get up."
Surprisingly rested, I sat up, stretching my arms. "Good morning."
"What did the lawyers say, dear? If it is alright that I ask."
"Of course it is alright," I replied. "Don't worry, there's plenty of money to get by."
"Oh what a relief!" She clasped her hand to her heart. When she had calmed down once more, she continued, "What do you have planned for today, dear?"
I smiled. "Spending the day with some newsies that I met."
"Have you found Gabe yet?" she asked with a sideways glance.
"How did you-"
She tapped her temple and winked. "I have my ways."
Once she left the room, I crossed to my closet and got dressed. Rather than pulling my honey-brown hair into a bun, I let it hang in loose curls around my shoulders.
As soon as I finished dressing, Edgar called up the stairs. "Miss Belinda, your friends are here."
"I will be right down!"