After church on Sunday, Anna and Robin pulled up to the Shaw's house in a wagon. Robin reined the horse to a stop with a hearty "Whoa, Whoa, WHOAH!" that brought Tommy, Joe, and all the Shaw outside. Carol and Carl started to hoot like owls for unforeseen reasons while John Shaw went to the head of the horse and held the bridle. Elizabeth caught both twins by the hand before they could dart ahead. Robin jumped down from the wagon, grinning ear to ear and tipping an imaginary hat. "Howdy, everyone."
"Here's Maid Marion, Little John." He helped his sister down next to Mandie, then made faces at the twins, which made them let off hooting to try to mimic his expressions.
"Please come on in," Elizabeth invited. "For some cookies and milk."
Robin and the twins didn't have to be asked again as they stampeded to the door.
"Wait a moment, Mandie," Anna said. "Is Mr. Woodard here too?"
"I'm right here."
"So am I!" Tommy piped in.
"I remember, Mandie, you saying how one of my paintings reminded you of your father, so I want you to have it. It's here in the back of the wagon, if you gentleman don't mind getting it."
Tommy and Joe let down the tail of the wagon and throwing back a blanket, revealed Anna's painting of the farm with the man facing his house and farm in the foreground. How much like Jim Shaw it looked—Elizabeth would think so too when she saw it, the same casual but confident posture and the same red hair.
Tears gathered in Mandie's eyes, a few slipping down as she tried to blink them away. "Oh, Anna, are you sure?"
Anna smiled wide. "Positive."
"Thank you." Mandie hugged her. "It's one of the nicest presents I've ever received."
After Tommy and Joe picked up each end of the picture and started to carry it to the house, Uncle John led the horse and wagon toward the carriage house.
Mandie threaded her arm through Anna's.
"He'd be proud of you, Mandie." Anna's black hair was swept into a French bun that gave her a queenly air, further accented by her soft smile on her upturned face.
"Who?" Mandie asked.
"Your father. Since Hebrews talks about a great cloud of witnesses, maybe our loved ones in heaven see our eternal victories here. I like to think so anyway. And if that's true, your father must be proud at your kind, persistent, and generous heart."
Too full to speak, Mandie hugged Anna's arm a little tighter as they entered the house.
Once everyone was settled with milk or coffee and cookies, Anna said. "We have one more surprise, don't we, Robin?"
"You bet." Robin rubbed cookie crumbs off his shirt before pulling out paper from his pant pocket. "We got Father's letter back!"
Anna clapped her hands together. "Mr. Woodard suggested Mr. and Mrs. Stevens contact the thief in hopes he'd do the right thing—and he did!"
Mandie looked at Joe sitting next to her. "I didn't know you told them that."
"Since they are fresh out of a personal lawyer, they asked me to fill in." Joe grinned. "They asked my advice after you and Anna went to find Robin, and I said if we could also get Mr. Barnes, whenever he shows up again, to drop the break-in charges, the thief might testify against Mr. Haskins."
Robin slid the letter toward Mandie. "Here's the letter. We wanted you to read it because you believed Father was innocent like me. Read it out loud, if everyone's all right with that."
Mandie accepted the letter and looked to Uncle John and Elizabeth, who nodded for her go ahead.
"Dear Anna,
I have told you about your grandparents and how they disapproved my marriage to your mother, but I only told you in part.
It is not your quarrel so I have been hesitant to talk to you or Robin about them at all. But if when you are older and circumstances bring you more details of our falling out, I want you to have the whole truth from my side. When my parents forbid me marry your mother, I told them they had no right to do so. They said they'd disinherit me and I left. I took nothing with me but my clothes, a watch that had been a birthday present, and pocket change that I had earned. I wrote a note to that effect and laid it on my bed where they could find it. The night of my flight, the lawyer spied me leaving with my suitcase and guessed my intention, but he let me go without calling my parents. Them, I never said goodbye to, and that is one part of my actions I regret.
Weeks later, a letter from their lawyer found me, demanding I return money I had supposedly stolen or suffer the consequences. I replied that I had done no such thing. The next letter came from my parents, pleading I return $500,000, even if I thought myself entitled to it. Nothing I'd said to the contrary had convinced them, so I wrote that they should prosecute me. I almost wish they had, for perhaps then the truth would have come out.
Though they had no trust in me, they loved me too much to convict me. Of all the things to remember about your grandparents, I hope you realize as I do, their mercy, however misplaced.
Your mother disagrees with what she calls my stubbornness and pride at not reaching out to them. But they have been sorely deceived somewhere, and until they discover its root, any interaction between us will just wound us more. With all their riches and connections, there may come a day you wish I had tried to curry their favor, but the greatest inheritance to give is a family built on love, trust, and faith, which is yours now.
As of yet it is painful for me to talk about my parents but perhaps someday all might be made right. They will realize what a treasure your mother is, that I'm not such a fool as they believed, and that they have two precious grandchildren worth cherishing. Until then, please respect my silence on this subject and harbor no ill feelings in your heart for them. I dare say they suffer more than me.
Lovingly, Father."
Mandie put the letter back in the envelope and handed it back to Robin. So that was the letter Mr. Barnes had kept from Anna. If only he'd given it to her as instructed, how much trouble might have been avoided. Being afraid of the truth had only brought harm.
Anna put her hands over her heart. "I can never repay any of you for your help and friendship. Y'all reminded me not to lose hope. Mr. and Mrs. Stevens want us to visit them in South Carolina and see a surgeon they know. I'm going to."
"That's wonderful Anna!" Mandie sought Joe's gaze and they shared a smile, which seemed to contain all the joy Mandie felt.
"If you're going to be anywhere near Charleston while in South Carolina, you'll have to come visit me—us." Tommy blushed. "My family."
Anna nodded. "I'd like that."
All this talk of leaving made Mandie realize that Joe would leave soon now too. She twisted her napkin under the table. He'd visit his parents and probably discuss his next steps with them—what would he decide, where would he go? She didn't know why or how but she knew wherever he went, whether New Orleans, Swain County, or elsewhere, she would miss him more than she'd ever before. And a tense knot formed in her stomach at the realization.