Tangled Betrayals (29 page)

“I
’m sorry for all your troubles, Mary, so sorry that someone else has hurt you and hurt you badly. Once you’re done crying, we can talk about this. But know this Mary Ball, not Nettie, the Hawkins family, or I, have ever or will ever lie to you. You can count on that. You can always trust us.”

Mary
nodded and sat on the swing. “I’m sorry I fell apart, Agnes. I never meant to include you, or anyone associated with this plantation, in my ramblings about loyalty and trust. The only people I feel I do trust is those I’ve met in Washington! Thank you for allowing me to speak my mind.

              “I shall see Mr. Hudson first thing in the morning. I know he’ll make sure I don’t fall prey to some deceptive person.”

Chapter
Seventy-One

Mary left to meet with Mr. Hudson on the third day. She needed to find out if Mr. Hudson had completed the task she gave him earlier. Today she hoped to know who Mr. Edward Pierce really was. As Mary entered her lawyer’s office an hour prior to meeting with Mr. Pierce, she found Mr. Hudson eagerly awaiting her.

“Mary, I
’m glad you could come in early for we’ve much to go over.”

“I hope I haven’t been wasting your time, Mr. Hudson. But I
must find out the truth. I’m so tired of people betraying me!”

‘
Mary, Mr. Edward Pierce, is a well respected man in Baltimore and he’s the President of the Baltimore Bank, as he claimed. What he told you, as far as I can tell, is all true. He worked his way to bank president from starting his life out as a ship hand. He did this by sheer determination and dedication to his jobs. He’s a very intelligent man.

“
He’d married a Clara Pope, from Baltimore, shortly after he started at the bank. They had no children. She died a few years ago. He has a considerable amount of wealth and has ties with some of the top families in Baltimore. I’ve not met him personally, but I’ve verified with a colleague of mine, that the man you described, fits the man known as, Edward Pierce.

Mary sat there stunned. In the back of her mind, she felt there was a
remote possibility that Mr. Pierce had been honest, but that wasn’t until after he’d left her home. Now, hearing Mr. Hudson confirm Edward Pierce’s claim was probably true, she didn’t know how to feel or what to say. Thomas did resemble him, but she kept telling herself it was just a coincidence.

“So, when Mr. Pierce
and I met, he had no knowledge that Nettie had left most of her estate to me. I knew Thomas couldn’t have shared that information, for I’ve yet to tell him about my good fortune. I feared, Mr. Pierce, was after my money, Mr. Hudson.”

Mr. Hudson chuckled. “Mary, to be quite frank, I
’m not sure which of you would come out ahead when you compared your wealth to his. No, Mary, Mr. Pierce has no need for your money. He, like you, is well-to-do and very generous. I checked on that, too. He gives to many charities. He’s known to help people at the most unexpected times.”

Mary heard the minute hand of the clock
move one more notch toward their meeting time. She felt like a victim waiting to be executed. How was she going to face this man, her real father, who she clearly claimed she thought might be a fraud? A man she now knows has great wealth and is well known in his community.

The door opened and
Edward walked into the office and shook hands with Mr. Hudson as he introduced himself. He turned to see Mary, and wondered if she was happy to see him. He noticed she was biting her lip. Now, was that a good sign or bad? He wondered.

“
Mary would you like me to speak for you or would you like to talk to Mr. Pierce yourself? If you want, I’ll gladly allow you some time alone.”

“Please stay, Mr. Hudson. I think you need to know everything
that will be said since you’re my attorney.”

“Alright
, Mary, as you wish.”

Edward sat waiting and praying that Mary
had found he was who he claimed. He didn’t know how he would handle her rejection if she found she couldn’t trust him. Mary could easily walk out of his life forever. Then what would he do?

Mary tried to smile
and realized she couldn’t look directly at the man she now knew was her father. “Mr. Pierce, as you well know, I had a difficult time believing your story when you visited me a few days ago. The thought had never occurred to me that Henry Ball might not be my father. I’ve trouble accepting my mother had kept secrets from Thomas and me.

“
However, I find I owe you an apology, because I thought the preposterous story you told me couldn’t be true. As you know, I didn’t trust you. I thought you had an ulterior motive, but Mr. Hudson has convinced me, you are who you claim. That being said, it doesn’t make it any easier for me to accept. I’m angry my mother never thought it was important enough to tell Thomas and me the truth. It hurts to know that Minnie was aware of this also. She, too, failed to tell us.

“
And I’m appalled to realize you never went to verify what Henry told you that day, if it had been true or not. We’re talking about things that happened many years ago. Where we go from here, I’m not sure.”

“Mary, I understand how much I
’ve hurt you and Thomas. As I said the other day, if I could go back and change the past, I would gladly do so. I loved your mother. I know I’ve no right to ask you to include me in your life now, but if you could find it in your heart to give me some time to prove myself to you and your brother, I promise I’ll try to never disappoint you again.”

“Mr. Pierce, Edward, if you don’t mind
me calling you that, I feel I need to explain why I treated you so poorly. I thought you’d heard about my good fortune. I now realize you couldn’t possibly have known what has happened to me, since my arrival in America.

“
When I first opened my shop, I sewed and befriended a woman named, Nettie Powell. She was a very wealthy widow. As time passed, we became good friends. I also became a good friend with her housekeeper, Agnes, whom you met the other day. Mary watched as Edward nodded as she told him the entire story of how she inherited the Powell Plantation and what that entails.

“Mary, I assure you, I had no knowledge of your good fortune. I
swear I’ve no need of your money. In fact, I’d been planning today to offer you a position at the bank, if you’d be willing to move to Baltimore.

“
I had assumed you were a housekeeper or maybe a cook. I now know how silly this must sound. I had no idea you were actually the owner of the plantation. I certainly can see why you questioned my visit.”

Mr. Hudson
couldn’t help but smile. “I’d have loved to have been in the room when you two were talking the other day.” Mr. Hudson wiped his brow with his hanky. He was relieved this was going well. “Mary is one sharp woman. I think you may have surmised that by now, Mr. Pierce. She’d make any father proud.”

Edward nodded.
“Mary, I’m going to be in Washington for a few more days. I’d like to see you again. If you are uncomfortable with me coming to the plantation, maybe you would be willing to meet me at the hotel, or somewhere else of your choosing.”

“Actually, I
’ve no problem with you coming to the plantation now that I have confirmation you’re my father. Having Mr. Hudson vouching for your character is enough for me. I’ve many questions for you. But the one I need to have answered at the present, is how is Minnie faring? I miss her terribly.”

Edward grinned and felt relieved. He let out a huge sigh.
“She was quite well, I believe. She’s a very lovely woman. I tried to talk her into coming to America to visit in the future. But she declined. I believe she thinks she’s too old to start her life over.”

“Minnie is young at heart, she
’d love America, but she told me the same thing before I left England. She’s been like a mother to me and Thomas. I’m glad she’s well.”

“Since we
now have some things cleared up, there’s other news I bring that needs to be discussed. It won’t be pleasant, but you need to know what’s happened, Mary.”

“Tell me then,
I wish to have everything in the open.”

“First
, Susannah Parker passed away a few weeks ago, from consumption.”

Mary gasped.
“I hadn’t heard. Poor James! How are he and the children faring?” She was taken aback by this news since she hadn’t been aware Susannah Parker had been ill.

“They
were doing rather well, until the fire.”

“Fire, what fire?” Mary
questioned and was wondering why Thomas hadn’t contacted her.

Edward spent the next hour telling Mary and Mr. Hudson everything that had happened from the fire to the auction
that James must have to cover his debts.

“
Mr. Pierce, I know James is a very proud man. This must be very difficult for him. But I don’t understand the need for taking the colt and pony away from his children. Certainly they’ve suffered enough, with losing their mother. Now to lose the colt and the pony, well, it isn’t right! The children need something to hold on to.

“
I should know, I remember how I felt when I lost my mother.”

Edward’s eyes filled with tears.
It pained him knowing he was the cause for so much of her grief for failing in his duty as a father. Mary is soft-hearted and kind, like her mother. Edward had gotten lost in his thoughts and then realized Mary was still talking.

“
James is wrong to do this! Can’t anyone talk some sense into him?”

“No, Mary, believe me, James
has adamantly refused everyone’s help and trust me, many have offered. But I have an idea that might work, but it would take your co-operation. If you’re willing to listen, I think you’ll see the merit in my thinking.”

“Edward, why don’t you come tomorrow for lunch? I
’ve so many questions I’d like to ask about my mother. Once those are answered, we could make time to discuss your plan about James. Would eleven work for you?” Mary asked.

Mary r
ealized she was exhausted. She hadn’t slept well the night before worrying about today. Now, finding out how wrong she’d been, and the situation James was in, she thought her mind couldn’t handle one more bit of information.

“I
’d love to come for lunch. Thank you for giving me a chance, Mary. Having an opportunity to prove myself is all I can hope for.”

Mary smiled and watched as Edward Pierce, her biological father, l
eft the room. She turned to see Mr. Hudson watching her with twinkling eyes. “Oh drat, I hate it when I have to admit how wrong I’d been about---about--- Edward Pierce. And to think we were never told the truth, even after Thomas and I were old enough to hear it.

“
What a fool Edward must think I am for the way I acted. Yet, I wasn’t ready to acknowledge him as my father. In fact, as you already know, I thought he might have been a con-artist. I need time to adjust to this news. I can’t believe my life has been so muddled.”

“
Mr. Pierce is a good man, Mary. My advice is to seek his knowledge in handling your money, once you’re comfortable trusting him. Since he’s established in the banking business, he can recommend some very sound investments. I think you can trust him completely. I know I would.”

“Thank you
, Mr. Hudson, your opinion means everything. You have been a tremendous help!”

“You
’re more than welcome, Mary. It’s always a pleasure doing business with you. How are Agnes, Taylor and Lizzie doing? Do you think all the arrangements are working out the way Nettie had hoped?”

“I think I
’d have to say, probably better. We all get along quite well, you know. You’re most welcome to visit, anytime. We would love the company. In fact, you should come and see how different the plantation house looks. We’ve put up new curtains and planted more flowers. There’s a lovely garden at the side of the house that Lizzie and the children are tending to. Nettie has given me a chance to find happiness. Yet, I still miss her.”

“Nettie and I talked about every aspect of her will. She loved you and wanted you to have a home and a family
. It was her hope you’d open the house like it had been intended to be. She trusted you enough to leave you in charge. She knew your heart was kind and good.” Mr. Hudson paused; he noticed speaking of Nettie was too much for Mary. “I’m sorry, Mary, I didn’t mean to make you cry.”

“I think I
’m just over-whelmed with all the news today and then you speaking of Nettie and how she felt, well, I think I just must have needed a good cry.” Mary got up to leave. “Thank you again, I need to go home and make a list of the questions I have for Edward.”

Chapter
Seventy-Two

The Plan

Henry and Chester had
scouted around Thomas’s home for the past couple of nights. Henry was certain he’d ruined Parker, and now, he’d ruin Thomas.

“Henry, I found
out where they moved the small herd of cattle. They’re about two miles north of Thomas’s house, in a ravine. They’ve two to three fellows watching over them. There’s a small shack close by where the men take turns eating and sleeping. I figure they thought if you tried something at the main house, they’d at least have some stock kept hidden away. I don’t think Thomas figured on us finding out what he was up to.

“They
’ve been keeping a pretty close watch on things. They check their property boundaries fairly often but mix up the times they make their checks. I don’t think it will be as easy to fool them as it was to fool Parker. They’re now not only expecting us, they’re aware how clever we are.”

“Then
, Chester, we’ll have to wait a few weeks longer. I want them to think that the danger has passed and we’ve left the area once and for all. Once they feel safe again, we’ll strike quickly and destroy Thomas and his family. But not before Thomas reveals to me where Mary’s living. He’ll be pleading for his life before I’m through with him.

“As for Mary, she may suffer the most.”

“Henry, you said at one time that I might have some time with Mary before you kill her. If she’s as pretty as you say, I’d like very much to have my way with her.”

“
Yes, you shall. In fact, I plan on watching as she pleads and begs for you to stop. Once you are through with her, Mary won’t care what or how I end her life. I’ll take great pleasure in telling her how I hurt Parker and finished off that worthless brother of hers and his family. Mary will be so distraught; she’ll pray and beg that I put her out of her misery.”

en
Henry and Chester rode back to the run-down cottage they now called home. No one had bothered them since they started living there months ago. Henry knew he’d have to bide his time before attempting to finish what he’d started. Soon his revenge will be complete.

Then, maybe he and Chester will head out West. No one would know anything about them and they could start a new life as respectable gentleman. That is, as long as Henry could keep Chester in line. Henry knew the time may come when Chester would no longer be needed. But for now, if he was to succeed with his plans, Chester had to help him.