Family Reunion (26 page)

Chapter Six

"Oh Lena, sometimes I wish I hadn't started this." Sandra moaned in abject misery.

"Nonsense, it's only because of this chore you wish it and I take care of it more often than not." Lena returned as they sat in the study going over their monthly bills and profits from the businesses Lena encouraged Sandra to start. She had emphasized over and over, that in order to keep her money growing and flowing, she needed to put it to work for her. She’d suggested that Sandra hire on those who had good business ideas and talents but lacked the funds and means to start on their own. Never had Lena thought the things she had learned from Manny would come in handy now. She had to admit to herself it was indeed a chore keeping up the books, making sure the bills were paid first and supplies ordered but she enjoyed it. When she’d lived at Webster Fields, after finishing her household chores or whatever needed doing in the kitchen, she would go into the study while Manny was busy at book keeping. She would sit quietly on the arm of his chair silently watching him, admiring how good he was at numbers and keeping his ledgers straight.

If she asked a question out of curiosity pertaining to the records, he would patiently answer, explaining carefully each step and process thoroughly. On the other hand, constantly asking him questions and reaching over him had the effect of distracting him from the lesson at hand, when she heard his,
"Madam, be warned that you are treading dangerously."
Grinning she would ignore him, well aware of the effect she had on him and true to the man he was, the lesson was forgotten as more interesting things arose between them.

There was no way to
count the many times that they made love right in the chair where he sat, with Manny lifting her skirts to her waist as he placed her facing him on his lap, holding her hips tightly as he filled her, luxuriating in her lush warmth.

Lena blinked and shook off the memory, wondering how she had ever let herself drift back to that. Reminiscing of him, and the way that he had thoroughly loved her at every opportunity, only served to make her feel empty and alone. Her eyes watered up, she ground her teeth angrily at her foolishness.

"Le-na!" Sandra called for the second time trying to bring her back to their chore of bookkeeping. "I'm sorry, what's wrong now?" Lena swallowed fighting to rid her thoughts of Manny. As far as Sandra was concerned, book keeping and numbers were a nightmare. Which was why Lena did most of it, but she insisted that Sandra sit with her so she could learn it herself. Giving Sandra her full attention, she gazed down at the ledger for Seymour's bakery. "This is giving me a headache, every time I go over the earnings or the profits it looks like we're loosing money instead of making it." Sandra complained.

"Then you must not be doing it the way I showed you. You add up last months cost of renting the store and last months supplies. This is what we spent for that month. Deduct that from the sales totals and you will see we made it back the first week. That will go on this months rent and I do this every month Sandra, making sure to pay our rents in advance and purchase all the necessary supplies for each shop."

"You do this so well, why do I need to learn it?"

"Sandra, they all belong to you. It's your business."

"It's our business Lena…ours…and you do it all so naturally. Let's just keep it that way."

"No. It's yours; you must learn to do it yourself."

"But I like it the way it is, I go and collect all of the receipts and books. You go through them making the necessary payments to everyone. That's fine with me."

With her elbow on the desk, and her cheek resting against the knuckles of her hand, Lena waited for Sandra to stop trying to wriggle out of her responsibility.

"Are you done now?" She asked Sandra, who sat pouting. Blowing out a tired sigh, Sandra nodded her head. "Yes, all done."

"Good, now… as I was saying, once all has been collected, counted and entered into the books at the end of the month.”

“
Make sure you deduct for taxes and then after taxes, you deduct thirty-percent like this…which goes to Basil and Ida. Now, we didn't do so good this week, however…it's still a profit and the two weeks after that were fair. The total you see here is our profit, not bad, we've had better months. If you look over the total figures from the previous months you'll see an actual increase-…"

"Le – naaa, enough." She whimpered.

"You should be proud of what we've accomplished Sandra."

"Oh I am, really I am. We're – successful business women and I'm happy…especially when you take care of all of this." Sandra admitted, grinning.

"You're impossible, do you know that?"

"And you're the best thing that's ever happened to me. Whatever would I do without you? If it weren't for you, I would have probably gone through my money and now be destitute. Thanks to George, we might have lost all."

"Well, you did what you had to do to pull through it…to save this home and pay for his debts. Now if you can do those things, learning to keep up your books is simple."

"Lena…" Sandra shook her head looking down, "Doesn't take a special kind of woman to do what I did…women have been doing it for centuries."

"You should have married him Sandra."

"I'll never marry another man as long as I live…I don't trust them."

Both sat lost in thought until Sandra looked up smiling. "Since we know we have all of this wonderful money, let's say we put this away for now and go shopping?"

Lena laughed out loud, "No Sandra!"

"Oh Lena, I'm positively bored with this, must we finish them all?!"

Before Lena could answer, there was a knock at the door. She rose pointing to a closed ledger. "While I see to the door, you open up the book to Seasons In Fashion, I shall return shortly." Lena left the room as Sandra scowled.

Entering the hall and making her way to the foyer Lena stopped to let Sheldon answer the door, stepping back he allowed Georgia Mason entry. Lena groaned in despair at the sight of her. Haughtily she marched her way into the mansion past Sheldon as she informed him over her shoulder, "You may tell Sandra that Mrs. Mason has come to have a word with her, I'll be waiting in the drawing room but I shall not enjoy waiting long."

Lena stood beside the door to the drawing
room where Georgia passed her refusing to take notice of her presence. Georgia failed to see the need in housing such a Negro, especially one like Lena who had nothing better to do than stand around with the audacity of a highborn. She could not understand Sandra allowing her to dress in such exquisite attire, her gowns and adornments which would be worn of someone of high class. Her place was in the kitchen or on the upper floors scrubbing and cleaning; instead she was walking around, running the household like some prestigious mistress in charge of the servants. Sending them for refreshments when visitors came to call, behaving in a manner as if to say she was the hostess of this home, obviously Sandra was too incompetent to handle being a proper host in her own home.
'Obviously the Negro has been allowed to serve in this capacity for far too long, carrying herself with gestures reminiscent of bluebloods. Silly chit, you are nothing but a Negro, one in need of learning your place. What you need is a trip down South where those of your kind are put to their full use. Oh well, tis not my concern.'
She finished in thought.

"Sandra." Lena returned to the study. Sandra looked up questioningly. "Georgia Mason is here. She's come to have a word with you. Whatever you do, be calm and don't let her upset you." Before she finished Sandra's head dropped to the desk with a moan as she hid it in her folded arms. "Oh when will this end?" She raised distraught eyes to Lena. "What do you think she wants with me this time?"

"I don't know, but whatever it is, you must stay calm. Come on and don't keep her waiting, the sooner you see the reason for her visit, the sooner she can leave." Sandra took a steadying breath and followed Lena from the study down the hall to the drawing room. They both entered with Sandra immediately greeting her sister-in-law.

"Georgia, what a surprise…I didn't know you would be calling." Sandra started with her insides shaking; she took several deeps breaths to calm her nervousness.

"Of course you didn't and please, let us not start these visits with pleasantries we both know don't exist between us."

"Would you like some tea Mrs. Mason? I can have Betsy serve you."

Lena asked cordially. Georgia carried on as if she hadn't spoken, going straight to the matter of her visit. "I want to know why you lied to me about my brother's death."

"What? What are you talking about?"

"You know what I'm talking about… my brother was killed by one of your servants. He was stabbed to death!" Lena and Sandra both gasped in shock, thrown by her knowledge of his death.

"You didn't think I would find out did you?! Well I did, I
have the court records right here!" She waved it before a stunned Sandra as proof. Sandra swallowed and looked at Lena who was frozen in place.

"Georgia, I was trying to spare you the horrible truth about his death, my servant was try-…"

"Lies! All of it! Every stinking word of it
lies
! How dare you sit there and say such a thing about him! If he had done such things as you say, it is because you drove him to it! I warned him against marrying you! That you were no good for him but he wouldn't listen! Now he's dead, because of you!"

"Georgia please, you don't know, you weren't here. George had changed, he wasn't the same man I married-…"

"For - his -
money
!" Georgia charged, cutting her off and finishing the sentence for her.

"That's not true, I - I had money before I married. I had no need to marry for money!" Sandra defended, feeling her stomach tighten with dread.

"What kind of a fool do you take me for? I know all about your father. He was useless when it came to business. Everything he did fell through! He was so deep in debt the only way out was to offer you to George, who just so happened to be his biggest debtor. So don't you dare give me that about having money before! You had nothing, because after George took you, your father had to sell everything else he had, and he still didn't have enough to break even, so he took his own life!"

"How can you be so cruel? You know nothing of the suffering and misery my father lived through! You know nothing of the misery I went through with-…" Sandra cried, but was cut off again.

"I could care less how your father suffered, he was simple of mind as well as common! Lost at everything he did. And whatever misery you might have suffered, you brought upon yourself! Oh please! Save the tears for someone who might be fooled by the delicate display, like the courts! That servant may have hanged for the murder of my brother but you still have yet to meet your justice! This you see - is the reason for my visit. I'm here to let you know that it’s not over yet, not hardly! Sit while you will and enjoy my brother's fortune that you gained through his death! You enjoy it as long as you can, time is running out. Tomorrow, I'll be seeking a solicitor. I plan to reopen this case and prove what a scheming, conniving fortune hunter you are! I plan to prove you committed perjury and that you are nothing more than a murderous harlot! As I said..." She stood then before a silent and vacant Sandra, who seemed to stare past her into nothing.

"...enjoy all of this while you still can, because when I get through
with you, you'll be lucky if you have a roof over your head and shoes on your feet! I will be insisting upon full retribution!" With that she pushed by Lena, made her way to the door and slammed it on her way out.

Both women stood unable to move or say a word for a few moments. Sandra was the first to break the silence, "I suppose my never ending hell is just in my case ... for letting you go-..."

"Stop it Sandra!" Lena snapped, cutting her off.

"...-through what you did. But at least - this time you won't be a part of the hell, I thank God for that." She finished still staring off as if Lena hadn't spoken. The memory of that horrible night threatened to infiltrate her mind. She had worked for so many years to forget, yet… the event kept re-occurring. Lena went to Sandra, sat down and grabbed her hands.