Ruffling Society Page 7

  “Thank you, Mother, but I doubt God would recognize my voice. We haven’t spoken in some time.”

  “Nonsense. God has never forgotten the sound of a single voice He created. He already knows your worries, son. Just talk to Him as you would talk to me or your father.”

  “I wish I had your faith, Mother.”

  “Then simply ask for it and hold out your hand.” She smiled, then withdrew into the dimness of the entry hall.

  Sunrise found Lee Logan standing on the porch again. He had slept little, risen before dawn, shaved and dressed for the day in his dark banker’s suit and stiff-collared white shirt. Now he awaited General Gibbes. It was the custom of the elderly man to walk at dawn, and his path invariably passed the Logan house. When Lee saw him in the distance, he moved to the sidewalk and awaited him.

  “Good morning, young Logan.” The general saluted him. “You’re up and about early.”

  “Sir, may I accompany you? There are things I need to discuss.”

  “By all means.” The general beckoned Lee onto the sidewalk with his cane. “I want to talk to you too.”

  “About the bank?” Lee asked as he tried to match his stride to the general’s brisk one.

  “About the position Richard offered you. I hope you intend to take it.” The general’s tone saddened. “Now, more than ever, you are needed at Riverford Bank.”

  “I have no doubt, sir, that you can direct the bank—”

  “This is no time for social niceties, Lee. You and I both know the truth. I am an old man, a man who knows nothing but the military life. I am no banker. Without Richard’s guidance, I fear for the future of the bank, and I need not tell you that if the bank fails, many families in the Riverford area will lose their livelihood.”

  “I assure you, General, there is no reason for Riverford Bank to fail. Richard has shown me the books. The bank is solid.”

  The general stopped in his tracks and faced Lee. “I am determined that it shall remain solid. Richard’s memory will not be marred by any patron’s financial loss as a result of my inadequacies.”

  Lee shook his head. “Sir, you are far from inadequate.”

  “Lee, I shall have to be taught to read the bank records. That’s how little I know about banking. Such learning would take time—time we do not have.” The general placed his hand on Lee’s shoulder. “I need your help.”

  “There is a board of directors in place.”

  “Indeed.” The general dropped his hand and continued walking. “And fine men like Hayden Hodges make up that board, but such men have their own financial problems at the moment. Riverford is not immune to the financial struggles of the nation.”

  “If the price of cotton holds, sir, the farmers and the town will remain secure.”

  “If the price of cotton holds.” He rapped his cane on the sidewalk. “You remind me of how large the shoes are that I must fill. As you know, Richard’s landholdings are immense. Indeed, my own are not small. Regrettably, I was little involved with the management of my holdings. It was far too easy to rely on Richard.”

  “The whole town relied on him, sir. I suspect the next weeks will show us just how many people did.”

  The general stopped in his tracks again and turned his anguished face to Lee. “How is it possible that he is gone? He was not yet fifty-five years old. I cannot begin to describe the horrific battles he survived in the War. Bullets flying, cannons deafening us, thousands of men dying all around us—” The crevices in his face deepened as he pinched his lips together. “No … I must not allow myself to think of the War. The past is gone. It is only the battle of the moment that counts. Securing the future of Christine and her children. This I must do! I am an old man, but I must fight this last battle and win.”

  “You will, sir.”

  The general stood taller and locked eyes with Lee. “Can I count on you, Lee? Will you accept whatever contractual offer Richard made you?”

  “His offer was most generous, sir. I am honored to accept it. I am eager to be part of securing the future of Riverford.”

  General Gibbes held out his hand to Lee. “We are agreed then.”

  “Yes, sir, we are agreed.” Lee firmly shook the elderly general’s hand.

  “Then let the battle commence!” The general clapped Lee on the back. “Our cause is just, and we must not—we will not lose.”

  “Yes, sir!” Lee felt a strange compunction to salute. “Let the battle commence.”

  “Meet me at the bank in an hour,” the general ordered. “It is essential that the doors open on time.”

  “Right, sir. I daresay many of the townspeople will find a pressing reason to visit the bank today.”

  “And the question is, will they accept me as an adequate bank president for the time being?”

  “They will, sir. Your integrity is unquestioned.”

  “Your presence by my side will ease the situation mightily. How many days can you give me before you return to work out your notice in Fort Worth?”

  “As you know, I work for my uncle. He is aware of the offer Richard made me, and given Richard’s—Richard’s—”

  “Death. Say the word, Lee. Euphemisms do not change the challenge we face.”

  “Given Richard’s death, I think Uncle Edward will expect me to move quickly. He has several good men he can promote. The transition should be simple.”

  “Thank God for that. Would that all our immediate problems could be solved so easily.”

  “Yes, sir.” They walked half a block in silence. “How is Mrs. Boyd?” Lee asked.

  General Gibbes’ eyes filled. “She is her blessed mother’s daughter. Graceful, poised, gentle, kind to a fault. No woman in this town can match her.”

  “No, sir. She is fine indeed.”

  “Fine? She is heroic! She is a true daughter of Charleston. With her husband lying in his coffin, she has already done battle with the mighty forces of hate.”

  “Sir?”

  General Gibbes shook his head angrily. “I am afraid I started the trouble last evening. Being aware of the large number of people who would surely attend Richard’s wake, I suggested that we break with precedent and hold the wake at the Baptist church instead of at the house.”

  “A good idea, General.”

  “So I thought! Reverend Wright and I had persuaded Christine, but unfortunately Mrs. Bellows and her coterie chose that very moment to pay a visit. When Mrs. Bellows heard of the plan, she expressed her displeasure at the idea that the so-called ‘undesirables’ of the community would be able to come to the church.”

  “Undesirables, sir?”

  “Sharecroppers! Even coloreds. Mrs. Bellows insisted that a guard be posted so the church would not be polluted.” General Gibbes raised his voice. “That is the very word she used—‘polluted!’ Can you imagine the look on Christine’s face when she heard that word?”

  Lee exhaled loudly before replying. “Yes, sir, I can. What did Reverend Wright say?”

  “He argued vigorously in favor of my idea, pointing out that such an arrangement would relieve some of the strain from Christine’s shoulders, but there was no way to keep Mrs. Bellows quiet. She took it on as her personal crusade ... seemed a bit unhinged, in my opinion.”

  Lee nodded. “I have often wondered if—well, never mind that now. What happened?”

  “Christine settled the matter without even raising her voice. She announced that the wake would be held at home and that everyone would be welcome and that the discussion was over.”

  “Good for her, except now she will be mobbed all day.”

  “Worse still. She will be mobbed by people who don’t want to be in the same room together, and she has had no rest—none at all.” The general paused and pointed toward Hodges House. “Turn in here with me, Lee. Since I must be at the bank this morning, I must impose on Victoria and Sarah by asking them to spend the day helping Christine.”

  Lee opened the low iron gate. “I’m sure they’ll welcome the chan
ce to help.”

  The two men strode quickly up the walk as Hayden stepped out of the shadows of the verandah, a cup in his hand.

  “Some coffee, gentlemen? I’ll send for—”

  “No need, no need.” General Gibbes brushed the suggestion aside. “I apologize for the early call, Hayden, but I need help.”

  “Anything. Just ask.”

  “I’m afraid it is Victoria I need. And Sarah, too, most likely.”

  “Victoria is still asleep; she was not well last night. But I will certainly pass along any information as soon as—”

  “I can help,” Sarah said as she stepped out the front door, her expression eager. “I will do anything to help Christine. Anything!”

  Lee’s heart swelled with love and pride at the sight of her.

  General Gibbes bowed to her. “Thank you, my dear. In brief, the problem is that the wake is now to be held at the house, and Christine will need help with the crowds.”

  “I thought the decision had been made to move the wake to the Baptist church,” Hayden said. “Didn’t we agree that I should come at eight o’clock to help with the removal of Richard’s … the move?”

  “We did, but after you left last evening, Mrs. Bellows and several of her friends paid us an ill-timed visit. They insisted that a guard be posted to limit who was allowed to come into the church.”

  “A guard? Limit?” Hayden raised his voice as his eyebrows shot up. “What for?”

  “Sharecroppers,” Sarah murmured as she dropped her gaze to the wide floorboards of the verandah. “Sharecroppers and coloreds. Some of the townspeople, people like Mrs. Bellows, would not want to be in the same room with them.”

  “Preposterous!” Hayden exclaimed. “Those people loved Richard more than anyone.”

  “Exactly,” General Gibbes agreed. “In fact, a delegation of coloreds gathered in the backyard after dark and spent the night there.”

  “Yes,” Sarah murmured, “they would do that. They would come to keep Christine company.”

  “More than that,” General Gibbes insisted. “They came to serve Christine. I just wish Mrs. Bellows and her crowd could have seen them. I would have her—and this entire community—know that those men took turns standing at attention by the back door all night.”

  Sarah lowered her head into her hands and cried out, “While I slept!”

  “Now, my dear,” General Gibbes began, “we all serve in different ways. You must not—”

  Sarah lifted her tear-stained face. “Christine is holding the wake at the house and plans to welcome everyone, doesn’t she?”

  “You know her well, my dear.”

  “I know she champions the underdog; she certainly championed me. If only I—never mind, I can’t undo last night, but I can go now.”

  “It’s still very early, Sarah,” Hayden said. “Have some breakfast.”

  Sarah shook her head. “You don’t know Mrs. Bellows. She’ll come early and stay all day.”

  “That is my fear,” General Gibbes conceded. “Right now, Christine is alone in the drawing room, holding vigil by the side of Richard’s coffin, and the girls are asleep, but soon the house will be besieged.”

  “And the sharecroppers will come early,” Sarah said. “I’ll get my things and go straight over there. Will you be there, Lee?”

  Lee thought he heard hope in her voice. “No, I am afraid I can’t.” He glanced at General Gibbes.

  “Lee will be down at the bank making me appear to be competent,” the general said.

  Sarah cocked her head.

  “Before he died,” the general explained, “Richard offered Lee a position in the bank, and I am happy to say that Lee has accepted it.”

  Sarah turned widened eyes on Lee. “You didn’t say anything—”

  “I was waiting until I had decided whether to accept.”

  “And now you have decided?”

  Lee met her eyes. “Yes. I have determined what I shall do in several areas of my life.”

  Sarah blushed as she murmured, “I must get my things,” and turned back to the doorway. She disappeared into the dusky hall.

  General Gibbes placed his hand on Lee’s shoulder. “We meet at the bank in an hour.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Congratulations, Lee.” Hayden held out his hand. “Riverford is fortunate to have you.”

  “And so is the Boyd family,” General Gibbes added.

  Lee left the older men and hurried back to his mother’s home. So that is settled. I am now an officer at Riverford Bank and a permanent resident of Riverford. I only hope the situation with Sarah will go so easily. I am determined to marry her!

  CHAPTER 9

  When Sarah entered the front garden of the Boyd house, the somber black mourning crepe framing the arch over the porch steps diverted her attention from the soft beauty of the yard’s pastel flowers. Tears began to burn her already reddened eyes. Oh God, please help Christine! This is unbearable. Slowly she approached the house, wiping her eyes and quietly scolding herself. “You are here to help, Sarah. Take control of yourself. You are needed—”

  She fell silent when she saw the wide front door. It did not bear the traditional black crepe wreath. Instead, it held a cross made of white roses. Fresh tears sprang to Sarah’s eyes as she sank into a wicker chair and contemplated the living cross.

  The front door opened, and Nancy cautiously popped her head out. “The Lawd be praised. It be Miz Sarah,” she whispered to someone behind her, and in seconds, Josie raced around her and threw herself on her knees in front of Sarah.

  “Oh, Miz Sarah, you gotta do somethin’. Miz Christine won’t let me cover the mirrors. We’s gonna have evil spirits swarmin’ in the house!”

  “What you talkin’ ’bout?” Nancy demanded. “Ain’t no evil spirits comin’ in this here house. Why, they wouldn’t dare go nowhere near Miz Christine.”

  Sarah patted the frightened Josie on the shoulder before she stood and pointed to the rose-covered cross. “I would say they’re not going anywhere near that and what it symbolizes.”

  Nancy jerked Josie up as she turned her concerned face to Sarah. “I’s more worried ’bout the proper things, Miz Sarah. Miz Christine won’t let us cover the windows with the velvet drapes, and they ain’t no pretty flowers next to Mr. Richard’s coffin. They’s just empty vases. A fine man like Mr. Boyd gotta have fine flowers. We ain’t got nothing but empty vases.”

  “What did Miss Christine say about the flowers?” Sarah asked.

  “She say the vases gonna be full soon enough. The people gonna bring the flowers.”

  “But they just gonna bring any old thing,” Josie wailed. “Ain’t gonna be proper.”

  “And we’s gonna create a scandal if we don’t put up them velvet drapes,” Nancy added.

  Sarah held up both hands to calm them. “I will go talk to Miss Christine. Is she upstairs resting?”

  “Lawd, no,” Nancy exclaimed. “She ain’t rested all night. She be in the parlor with Mr. Richard.”

  A young colored boy scooted around the side porch and landed in Nancy’s ample skirts. “Pappy say to tell you they’s poor white folk in the backyard.”

  “Well, they ain’t comin’ in the house.” Nancy folded her arms across her chest. “I ain’t lettin’ white trash in my house. You go tell your pappy to tell them folks to go away.”

  “He can’t do that!” Josie’s shrill voice matched the shock on her face. “What you thinkin’? Pappy can’t be tellin’ white folk what to do.”

  “Well, I ain’t lettin’ nobody bother Miz Christine!”

  “Shhh.” Sarah quieted them. “These are not your decisions to make.” She looked down at the boy. “Go tell your pappy to ask the white folk to wait a few minutes. Tell them that Miss Christine is with Mr. Boyd right now. They’ll wait.”

  The boy raced off, and Sarah turned to Nancy and Josie and addressed them with a firm voice. “Miss Christine is to have everything just as she wants it.”

&n
bsp; “But they’s traditions—” Nancy objected.

  Sarah shook her head. “You have things backwards, Nancy. Miss Christine sets tradition; she does not follow it.”

  “But that Miz Bellows and them ladies gonna be over here later, and they’s gonna—”

  “Mrs. Hodges will be over here soon, and I am here now. Send anyone with any complaints or criticisms to me. Your job is to see that cool refreshments are always available to the mourners.”

  “The dining room be all ready; it look real elegant,” Josie bragged. “We got a big bowl of white roses on the table and everything.”

  “Don’t look like no wake, though,” Nancy grumbled. “We ain’t got no dark, velvet curtains, and that big mirror be just shinin’ away over the buffet, and the pictures ain’t covered.”

  “We’s gonna have evil spirits in there for sure,” Josie groaned. “Maybe if we go and arrange the silverware in crosses on the table—”

  “That will do!” Sarah cut her off. “Not another word. If you’re afraid of evil spirits, go into the dining room and pray. That’s all you need to do. Pray to God and ask Jesus to dwell in this house. No,” she corrected herself. “He already dwells in this house. You need to ask Him to dwell in your minds.”

  Josie looked at Nancy and whispered, “I ain’t ever heard Miz Sarah talk like that. Is she all right in the head?”

  “Yes, I am.” Sarah softened her tone. “Now, I’m going to see Miss Christine. You get about your business. We’ll be having viewers streaming through this house all day.”

  “Even them poor white folk in the backyard?” Nancy grimaced as she asked.

  “I’m sure that Miss Christine expects us to welcome everyone who comes.”

  Josie’s eyes widened in shock. “Everyone? Even the coloreds?”

  Before Sarah could answer, Nancy slapped Josie on top of the head. “What you be thinkin’? Ain’t no coloreds comin’ in this here house!”

  “I’s just askin’.”

  “Don’t you be wastin’ Miz Sarah’s time askin’ dumb questions. She’s an important lady now.”

  Sarah’s patience was exhausted. “Go to work. I’ll ask Miss Christine what she wants to do about the coloreds.”