Marblestone Mansion, Book 10 Page 6

  “Would you look at that?” Willis whispered when they were able to see the whole mansion. “Lillie Mae wasn’t lying.”

  “I’ve never seen a house as big as that,” Pete muttered. “Is this the right place though?”

  “It’s the right place,” said Earl.

  “How do you know?” Willis asked.

  Earl disgustedly clicked his tongue on the roof of his mouth. “Because it has a statue in front just like Lillie Mae said. That is how I know.”

  “Oh,” Willis mumbled. He crouched even lower when an automobile turned onto the lane, pulled up to the front of the house and parked. “Look how big that man is.”

  “Must be Mr. MacGreagor,” said Earl. “Lillie Mae said he was the biggest man she has ever seen.”

  “He could do some real harm if he caught us,” Willis said.

  Pete sneered, “He does not scare me.”

  Just then, several children ran out the front door to greet the tall man. The would-be thieves watched them all go inside, and shortly after, an elder man and woman arrived. The woman walked right into the house without ringing the bell, and a moment after that, two servants came outside. One went to polish the automobiles, and the other walked around the side of the house and disappeared.

  “Did Lillie Mae say how many people live in there?” Willis asked.

  “I think she said there are four adults in the family with eight children, and twelve servants,” Earl answered.

  Pete softly whistled. “I wouldn’t mind having servants.”

  “Me either,” Willis breathed.

  That didn’t surprise Earl. “Pete, go see what is around back.” He waited until Pete was gone, tapped Willis on the arm and motioned for him to follow. He led the way to the side of the house where they both crouched down again.

  *

  The end of March meant more time for the children to play outside. It was also Leesil’s favorite time to swing them and teach them games. Blair was in the corral petting the colt, and Justin was off helping the men decorate the float. The baby was too young, but five of the MacGreagor children plus those belonging to various servants was just the right age.

  It was quite odd, but just as Leesil finished swinging little Anna, her attention was drawn to the top of the hill that ran along the side of the mansion. There, with the sun’s rays fully on him, stood a magnificent black stallion. Her first thought was that the stallion was the colt’s father, come to see about siring another. But instead of concentrating his attention on the mares in the corral, the stallion appeared to be looking at her. She lifted little Anna out of the swing, set her down, and then took a couple of steps toward the hill.

  When the stallion abruptly looked down and nodded his head, she walked to the side of the house and looked around the corner. She expected to see a mare that had gotten out of the corral. It was the side of the house the children ran around constantly, and the path was well worn, but she saw nothing unusual.

  A little unnerved, she wrinkled her brow and looked up once more. At length, the horse pawed the ground, turned and went out of sight. How odd, she thought as she went back to see about the children. Twice more, she glanced at the top of the hill, but the horse did not come back. Her foreboding was nonsense, she decided, so she shrugged, picked up little Thomas, and playfully nuzzled his neck. “‘Tis your turn on the swing.”

  In the bushes just a few yards away from the side of the house, Willis whispered, “You think she saw us?”

  Earl shook his head. “She was watching something on top of the hill. I tried to see what it was, but there was nothing there. Just in case, we better go back to the front.” When Willis nodded, Earl led the way back through the bushes to a place where trees and bushes offered more cover, and both had a full view of Marblestone’s front door. They quickly knelt down.

  Servants were everywhere, unloading supplies from a wagon, caring for the yard, sweeping, cleaning and laughing as though they were happy to do it. Not once did anyone look their direction. Earl kept an eye on the second and third floor windows too. From there, he feared they could easily be detected, but he saw no movement.

  When they heard rustling in the bushes behind them, Earl and Willis instantly turned, and Earl drew his gun. He hadn’t expected his hand to be shaking, but it was. Even so, he was determined not to get caught, so he kept it pointed at the noise and used his left hand to steady his right. Again the bushes moved. Earl held his breath and then rolled his eyes as Pete pushed his way through the bushes.

  Pete looked at the gun, and sat down beside Earl. “Thinking of shooting me?”

  “Not yet,” said Earl. To hide his shaky hand, he quickly put his gun back in the holster. He was proud of the gun he inherited from his grandfather, and kept the army issued, pearl handled Colt .45 clean and polished. He spent hours learning how to quickly draw it too. Not as many men wore holsters on their hips these days, but Earl felt more like a man wearing his. He heard more populated towns were passing ordinances against it, but what would a robber be without a quick and easy draw?

  “What are we waiting for? Let’s do it now,” Pete said.

  “With all those people inside?” Earl scoffed. “The three of us cannot control them with just one gun, and it only takes one person to call the sheriff.”

  Pete rolled his eyes. “We are two miles from town. It will take the sheriff an hour to get a posse together and get them up here. By then, we will be gone.”

  Earl said, “It will not take that long for the neighbors to get here, and I would rather not shoot anyone unless I have to. I only have a few bullets.”

  “You are right, I guess,” Willis conceded.

  “What is going on in the back?” Earl asked Pete.

  Pete answered, “On the other side of the house, some of the servants are decorating a float.”

  “A float?” Earl asked.

  “And that is not all. They got a nice herd of horses and a fine looking black colt I wouldn’t mind having.” Pete took off his hat, beat the dust out of it on his knee, and then put it back on.

  Willis turned his attention back to the front door. “I say we go in late at night when they’re all asleep.”

  “Lillie Mae was right,” Pete smirked, “the girl petting the colt is a whole lot prettier than Susan.”

  Willis didn’t like the sound of that, and turned to glare at Pete. “Susan is mine.”

  “I know,” said Pete. “She is still the prettiest girl in Peyton, but we are not in Peyton.”

  “I thought you were going to give Susan up,” said Earl.

  Willis slowly nodded and then, as if he needed to convince himself, said, “I am…I am.”

  “You will gladly give Susan up once you get a good look at the one I just saw.”

  “Oh yeah?” said Willis. “You better not be lying.”

  “Come on, I will show you.” Still crouched down, Pete led the way around the mansion to a hiding place in back.

  At long last, Earl was alone with time to think. If he had half a brain, he would leave now, but he was convinced – a man who could afford all those horses, an automobile, and a house to live in as big as Marblestone, could afford to share the wealth. Nevertheless, he still had that sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. There were too many people inside, and if he got caught, he could go to prison for a very long time. Earl couldn’t think of anything worse than being in prison for life, especially with Pete. Somehow, he had to make certain they didn’t get caught. It wasn’t long before Willis and Pete came back and once more sat beside him.

  “He is right,” said Willis. “I’ve never seen a beauty like that one.”

  “Which?” Earl snidely asked. “The horse or the girl?”

  Willis was not put off. “The horse is fine, but the girl is downright beautiful. How old do you think she is?” he asked Pete.

  “Who cares?” Earl said. “We’re here for the money, not the girl. You stay here and watch the place. I’m going to go see what I can find out i
n town.” He got no complaints, so he scurried down the hill to his horse, and then rode toward town.

  *

  Getting everyone ready for Easter Sunday services, a picnic and a parade was quite a to-do at Marblestone. Butler Prescot swore he opened and closed the front door more on the Saturday before Easter than any other day of the year. After Gloria suggested it, Abigail decided to make bows for the float…big ones, small ones and any other size they came out to be. When she couldn’t make enough to cover the float completely, she commandeered the entire sewing circle to help her. That Saturday, Abigail came three times just to see how the decorations were coming along on the float.

  While Prescot received several parcel deliveries, greeted the paperboy and the mailman, footmen were busy cleaning the automobile and carriage seats so the ladies would not muss their new dresses. At the same time, the cooks and two helpers were busy frying enough chicken, and making enough potato salad to feed them all a picnic lunch the next day.

  Prescot was exhausted by the time Abigail left for the last time, but when he turned to close the door, he thought he saw movement in the bushes at the edge of the spacious front yard. He watched for a moment more, decided it was just an animal, and then ignored it.

  Not once did he suspect the place was being watched.

  *

  Horrified that the butler had seen them, Pete and Willis scooted back another ten feet. They promised not to do anything without Earl, but even with everything going on outside of the house, they had been thoroughly bored. So far, the pretty girl had not come out so they could get another look at her. Just then, the front door opened and a dog darted out.

  Pete’s eyebrows instantly shot up. “It’s coming this way.”

  Equally alarmed, Willis whispered, “If it starts barking, we will have to make a run for it.”

  Pete furiously waved his hand at Willis. “Move back.”

  Willis was already scooting back, but not fast enough to avoid the dog. To their amazement, Traitor pushed his way through the bushes, licked Willis’ face, and then lay down and rolled over, hoping to get his belly rubbed. Willis chuckled. “Some watchdog you are.”

  Pete remembered to breathe. “We had a dog like that once. Pa said the mutt never knew a stranger.” He suddenly wrinkled his brow. “A dog, Willis, what are we supposed to do about a dog come nightfall? It might like us out here, but it will bark if we try to get in.”

  Willis gave the dog a good belly rub. “We could bring a bone. That should work.”

  “Good idea. I wonder what is keeping Earl.”

  *

  Earl’s plan did not include a dog or breaking into the house at night. He was more interested in finding out if the float beside Marblestone meant the MacGreagors would be participating in the Easter Parade the next day. Careful to make sure his jacket covered his gun and holster, he bought a drink and then sat down at a small table in the soda shop in the drug store. He hoped it wouldn’t happen, but he could feel a sudden headache coming on, so he dug in his pocket for his small bottle of aspirin powder, put some in his mouth and washed it down with soda. Before long, two women came in, bought sodas at the counter, and then made themselves comfortable at the table next to his. Yet, it wasn’t until a third woman came in that the conversation got more interesting.

  “I am so excited,” Matilda Meriwether said as she took a seat at the table.

  “Why?” Pearl Hughes asked. Her new hairstyle made Pearl’s face look less oval, and her brown eyes were filled with hope at the thought that the druggist might finally take an interest in her. Pearl came to the soda shop daily, and on most days, Loretta Collins Swinton joined her.

  “I have just this day received an invitation to join Mrs. Whitfield’s sewing circle. I have never been and cannot wait to see the inside of her home. Come to think of it, I have never been inside Marblestone.”

  Loretta smiled. “Then you are in for a real treat. Marblestone has sixty-seven rooms and three stories. Every room has something made of marble in it, be it as simple as a candy dish or as elaborate as a tabletop. It is really quite remarkable.”

  “I cannot wait to see it. They say the foyer is made completely of marble too.”

  “It is,” Loretta said, “and it takes a good deal of work to keep the place clean. I do not envy the housekeepers.”

  “Yet, the MacGreagors pay well, I have heard,” said Matilda.

  “I have heard that too. I am happy you are joining us. We could use a new face at the sewing circle,” Pearl said.

  Matilda looked a little worried. “I do hope it will not interfere with my piano lessons. I must pay the bills the same as anyone, you know.”

  “How well I know,” said Pearl. “There are times when I fear my monthly allotment will simply not be enough.”

  “I shall gladly help either of you, if the need arises,” said Loretta. “Having the good…or perhaps the bad fortune, depending on how you look at it, of marrying Slippery Jack and inheriting all he owned, I have more than enough to tide me over until I marry again.”

  Earl Flood lowered his eyes. He’d been so busy listening he’d forgotten all about his soda, and decided he best take another sip before the druggist got suspicious. The cherry soda was not half bad, so he drank most of it down.

  “Are you attending the Easter Parade this year?” Pearl asked Matilda. “Loretta and I go every year and have such fun. This year, the men have built a float for the sewing circle.”

  “A float? How wonderful,” said Matilda.

  Loretta giggled. “If Abigail asked you to join the sewing circle, she has an ulterior motive.”

  Matilda wrinkled her brow. “What sort of ulterior motive?”

  Loretta shrugged. “I do not know, but I suspect it has to do with your particular talents.”

  “Wait,” said Pearl, “are the men loading a piano on the float?”

  Pearl laughed. “So that is what she is up to? We should have guessed. She wants Matilda to play.”

  Matilda’s wrinkled brow turned to a frown. “She might have just asked. I would not have turned her down.”

  “Pay no attention to Pearl,” said Loretta. “We know not what Abigail is up to. We never do. Besides, we can always use more help making quilts for the orphans. You will come to the meeting on Tuesday, will you not?”

  Matilda’s frown finally turned to a smile. “I shall be there.”

  Pearl nodded. “Good, and would you like to join us to watch the parade tomorrow? Everyone will be there. Everyone always is, you know. The MacGreagors and the Whitfields know practically everyone. Perhaps you might make a few new acquaintances and gain a new student or two.”

  Pearl leaned a little closer and whispered to Loretta, “Do you think our dear druggist will go this year?”

  Loretta rolled her eyes. “What, and miss selling something to the only one left to buy it? Never!” Abruptly, she pointed out the window. “There he is again.”

  “Who?” Matilda asked.

  Pearl watched as the tall, thin man wearing all black clothes and a tall black hat walked by. “He is the man Abigail talks about constantly. She finds him most suspicious. I must admit, he does look like the pictures I have seen of Abe Lincoln.”

  “I think so too. Do we know who he is yet?” Loretta asked.

  “Not yet. Do you know who he is, Matilda?” Pearl asked.

  The piano teacher shook her head. “I am afraid I am of no help. I have never seen him before.”

  “Well, Loretta and I have vowed not to let on that we have seen him. We are attempting to convince Abigail he is a ghost.”

  “Oh how fun,” said Matilda. “She does not believe you, I suspect.”

  “Not at all, but she is wondering why no one else sees him. We think,” Pearl continued, “she needs the entertainment now that she complains of having too little to do. It is harmless fun, do you not agree?”

  “I do agree,” said Matilda. “I shan’t say a word.”

  “Yet, there is something odd
about him,” Loretta admitted. “I saw him watching Abigail while she shopped yesterday. He never took his eyes off her. I wonder what he is up to.”

  Earl finished his soda, stood up, tipped his hat to a lady walking in, and left the shop. Convinced the MacGreagors would be gone most of the day, tomorrow couldn’t come fast enough to suit him.

  *

  By the time Earl joined them, Pete and Willis had managed to get rid of the dog. “It is about time you got back,” said Pete. “What did you find out?”

  “They will be leaving in the morning for church and will be gone most of the day.”

  Pete’s eyes lit up. “All of them?”

  “That is what I heard.”

  “Wait,” said Willis, “if no one is home, how do we find the money?”

  Earl shrugged. “We will have to search for it, I guess. At least we will have plenty of time to find it.”

  Pete was not pleased. “Where are we supposed to sleep tonight? I cannot afford a hotel.”

  “None of us can,” Earl whispered. “I brought a bedroll. What did you bring?”

  Pete narrowed his eyes. “I thought we would just do it fast and pay for a hotel with the money we got.”

  “Guess you are not as smart as you think you are. Let’s go, I’m hungry.” Earl glanced up at the windows, checked for people in the front of the house that might spot them, and then led the way back to their horses.

  *

  Brookton was concerned about Lillie Mae’s lack of emotion too, although he wasn’t sure what he would do if she suddenly broke down. Seated beside her on the train, he thought to distract her. “You have not yet answered my question,” he said as the train began to pick up speed. Out the window to their left, new trees were growing at the edge of the Black Forest where old ones had burned several years ago.