The House (36 page)

“I don’t know what it could be.” Bryce shook his head as if in doubt of Anna’s intuition. Everyone I spoke with described Inman as personable, trustworthy, eager to serve, all the things you never hear about in
our
line of work.” Anna smiled in response to Bryce’s use of the word
our.
That he had included her, underscored his commitment to working with her, even if it were rooted in his relation ship with Edward. “They also said he was no pushover.”

“And that’s what bothers me.” Inman knew the ins and outs of what constituted a financially solid company and what kind of person was needed to keep it that way. But his acumen at assessing whether a person possessed the qualities befitting a loyal and loving mate needed honing. Anna had her doubts about Inman’s wife, Marilyn. Having been at the receiving end of betrayal, Anna had concluded Marilyn to have been hewn out of the stock from which people like Edward emerged. Those like Edward, Thelonius, and the class of people to which Anna had concluded Millicent be longed. Despite the certainty of her judgments, circumstances of the last three days had caused Anna to reassess her ability—or lack thereof—in sizing people up.

Anna had grown confused. Still facts remained. Inman’s wife had abandoned him and their daughter, Dancia, to be with another man. Yet when learning of her death, he had felt even more sorrowful. With that, Anna identified only too painfully.

She said to Bryce, “Find me every scrap of information you may have missed about Inman Hayes. There’s more here than meets the eye.”

Bryce screwed his face, appeared truly bewildered.

“Call it mother wit, or the intuition of a betrayed wife. I’m not comfortable.” It would be foolish to pretend that Bryce had no knowledge of what kind of man Edward had been. Not if Bryce’s relationship with Anna was to grow into full maturity. “I need to know everything about Inman Hayes.
Everything.
”

“I’m on it,” Bryce appeared energized by Anna’s honest skepticism.

She reached out and touched his hand. As if proud of having pleased her, he smiled. Anna then realized why Edward had placed so much trust, or rather how Bryce had earned such deep respect, from Edward—no small feat. Perhaps Serine might come to see that, too.?

Chapter 51

Anna drove home, her mind meandering back to the afternoon of Theo and Millicent’s wedding in Chicago. Edward, as best man for Theo, had trekked back and forth between a room off the church narthex where Millicent, her family, and bridesmaids had gathered. Anna had been sitting on the right front pew when Ed ward, returning from one of his trips, had slumped onto the seat and said, “Millicent’s a wreck.”

“What’s changed from last night? You said she was all smiles and beaming.” Feigning jet lag, Anna had not attended the rehearsal dinner.

Edward sighed. “That was before she found out her godfather isn’t going to make it.”

“Her godfather?” Anna was mortified. The look on Edward’s face had said Millicent wasn’t far from calling off the ceremony. Millicent wanted to marry Theo. He was a good catch, everything Thelonius Regarde was not, and never could be.

“I’m going to see if I can help.” Edward left again.

Edward could have a calming effect on Millicent, another thing that frustrated Anna about Millicent’s entrance into their lives. The daughter-in-law Anna least cared for served as a walking mirror reflecting all that lay unclaimed, lost, and hidden not only in Anna and Edward’s marriage, but also in Anna. Anna had closed her eyes and prayed that the wedding would take place. She also asked for protection over Theo, and that despite becoming the husband of Millicent Regarde, divine powers would prevent her from transforming him into some variation of her father, or Edward.

On Edward’s last return, he was smiling, something he rarely did. With one hand grasping the pew in front of them and the other to the one in back, he bent down and whispered, “It’s happening.” His smile brightened. He left one last time to serve as best man in their younger son’s wedding. Anna never asked Edward what words, if any, he had spoken to Millicent. Nor had she asked Millicent what her father-in-law had said and how or if his words had transformed her mood. Questions lingered. During the ensuing five years of Theo and Millicent’s marriage, the closeness between father-in-law and daughter-in-law evidenced something having taken place.

Guided on the arm of her father, Thelonius Vincente Regarde, Millicent proceeded down the center aisle of Trueblood African Baptist Church of Chicago and toward the altar where Theo waited with joyous expectation brightening his face. Edward stood behind him. His hand lay upon Theo’s shoulder. It had been a momentous image, one reflecting the joy and ecstasy upon Millicent’s face despite the absence of her godfather, what Anna had wished to experience with Edward.

Anna turned the corner and drove onto the street where she lived in the house that Edward had built. Now in the wake of his death last week Anna once again pondered why five years earlier Inman had not attended the wedding. Millicent clearly loved him. Despite her misgivings of Inman concerning his role as representative for Helena McGrath, Anna also recognized that Inman cared deeply for his goddaughter. This became Anna’s obsession. She wanted to understand Inman’s connection to Millicent. She also needed to piece together why he had so easily relinquished his role of representing his aunt on the board of Manning Ventures.

Could he have been telling the truth when stating why he had taken the role in the first place?
I had no idea when she asked me
. Amid ample opportunities to benefit himself, and others, Inman had done nothing to hurt the company. His love for Millicent, clear and evident, pulsated to the same depth as Edward at the wedding five years earlier when trying to calm Millicent’s disappointment and hurt in the face of her godfather’s absence.

In light of his affection for Millicent, Anna found it particularly odd that Inman had not made it a priority to attend Millicent’s wedding. It seemed so strange now as Anna considered how close she and Inman had come to meeting each other. Had she possessed the ability to foresee future events, Anna would have sworn Inman had avoided the wedding to prevent her from learning of his connection to Millicent whom Anna did not like.

Anna entered the kitchen and found Theo preparing tea. He poured two cups, and with Anna following, walked to the table and settled down for what she knew would be a discussion of Millicent and Inman.

“It’s like they’ve rediscovered each other,” Theo said.

Relieved that Millicent and the baby were holding their own, Anna gave thanks and tried listening without judgment. She prayed that the recent scare of miscarriage was hopefully on its way to becoming a disposed memory. Theo would be crushed should the worst happen.

“I can’t believe she never told me how much he meant to her,” Theo said. “Yet again, her parents always get nervous and hush-hush when she mentions the word
godfather
.”

“I suppose that’s why she never told you Inman’s name,” Anna said mulling over her tea.

“Yeah, but I’m her husband. And we don’t live with her parents.” None of the recent events seemed to explain the reunification of Millicent’s relationship with her father. Rather, they stood in stark contrast to what Theo had described. The connection binding the affairs of Theo and Millicent’s wedding to the surprises that arose from their recent dilemmas bore an exceptional oddity. “I don’t understand it,” Theo said.

Anna’s mind flipped back to the reception following Millicent and Theo’s wedding. Unaware of Anna’s identity, certain guests had spoken of how the wedding had come close to not taking place.
Millicent insisted the godfather give her away,
one had said. Another had whispered that Thelonius had
been obscenely offended by Millicent’s behavior
. So much so that
he,
not Millicent
, had threatened to call off the wedding, and not pay the vendors,
who, in Anna’s mind, had lacked the good sense to require payment up front.

Theo sipped his tea and said, “I like Inman. He’s good for Millicent, better than Thelonius could ever be.”

Like Edward, who had written the letters that Father Richard and Linda read at the gravesite, Thelonius Regarde wanted to be at the center of events even when those not celebrating the milestones of his life nor feting him, or his achievements. For them it mattered little or none that some of those occasions commemorated the joy and happiness for others, even their children.

Feigning her acquaintance and intimate knowledge of Inman, Anna said, “I wonder where Inman has been all this time?

“Right here in Oakland with you.” Theo looked to her. “He told Millicent and me that the two of you have been dating.” Anna slowly sat her cup upon the table. She had hoped not to have her life further exposed, rather to gain more information about Inman from Theo as yielded by Millicent. “Why didn’t you tell us?” Theo said.

“I didn’t think it was the correct time, particularly with your father—”

“Daddy’s dead. And you need to get on with your life.” Having momentarily abandoned his concerns, Theo aimed his attention upon Anna, and her happiness.

“I have the company, Manning Ventures.” Anna held her breath wondering what else Inman had told Millicent, such as his now-defunct position on the board. In Anna’s worry, Helena McGrath’s words came to mind.
I’m Inman’s only living relative besides Dancia. After us there’s no one.
Anna wondered what, if anything, Helena knew of Millicent.

“Mama?” Theo reclaimed Anna’s attention. “You have my per mission to fall in love again, or perhaps for the first time, and with the right man.” Anna’s heart sank at the seriousness with which her second-born spoke. The solemnity upon his face touched her heart and soul. Unlike David when a seven-years-old, Theo, one year younger had, upon finding her lying on the bed and crying, consoled Anna with words bolstering her inner strength. Theo had not promised to care for Anna when became a man. “It’ll be better one day, Mommy,” he had said. He had instead patted Anna’s hand then kissed her cheek. “One day you’ll learn to smile. I’ll teach you.” The little boy had then wiped her face and smiled as only a child, naive of life’s torture and pain, could.

Presently, Theo touched her hand. Mustering all her energies Anna held back tears.?

Chapter 52

Anna was shaken from having been upended and exposed. She pulled her hand from Theo’s grip and trudged upstairs. At the top of the landing, she walked to what had been her and Edward’s bedroom. David and Heather had slept in there for two days following the funeral. In the aftermath of Millicent’s near miscarriage, they gave it to Millicent and Theo. Inman and Millicent were presently inside. The door was closed. Anna imagined them expanding on and illuminating the events of their lives briefly touched upon in e-mails, and short phone calls during the last five years.

She went to Theo’s room and closed the door. From the window, she saw Theo sitting by the pool. The cell phone to his ear, he was most likely giving Dr. Hilliard the daily report on Millicent as he had promised the obstetrician.

Encumbered to the milieu of questions pounding within her head, Anna lay down on Theo’s bed. Who was the real Inman Hayes? Why had he not visited Millicent since her marriage to Theo? And why had he missed Millicent’s wedding? Why had Thelonius been so angry that Millicent had wanted Inman to give her away, so much so that he had threatened to call off the wedding? Why all the secrecy around Inman’s relationship with Millicent?

According to Theo, both Millicent and her parents, Thelonius and Henrietta, had committed themselves to silence on the matter. In spite of that loyalty, Millicent now in Oakland, appeared quite comfortable in being and talking with Inman.

Anna’s thoughts doubled back to her conversation with Theo. I
want you to have some fun. And from what I can see, Inman is willing and eager to provide it
. What had Theo seen? Clearly not what David nor Serine had perceived. Perhaps if Anna were to become more like David ... She pushed away the thought. A loud voice resounded from the hallway outside.

“I want you out of here!”

What the hell? Anna sat up and rushed to the door. She joined Linda out on the landing.

“You need to leave. This is not your home,” David said. “I’m not about to let you come in here and set up shop.” He held up his fist as he yelled at Inman.

“I mean you no harm. I’m only here to see to Millicent,” Inman said calmly.

“And at our invitation,” Theo interceded. He sided with Inman. Millicent slid between the two men.

“Calm down. Let it go,” Heather urged David. She pulled at his shoulder.

“Let what go?” Anna said as she walked toward David.

“This is my father’s house,” David said. “It always will be despite your trying to sell it.”

“No one’s selling anything,” Anna said.

“You certainly tried. And with him here there’s no telling—” David pointed his finger at Inman. “He put it in your head to go to France.”

Anna shot Inman a questioning look.

“He was telling me how much he loved you,” Millicent said. Her mocha face was penitent and fearful. “David overheard us speaking.”