The Mandie Collection (14 page)

Tommy stepped forward and looked at Mandie with admiration. “May I add my own hello?” he asked. “I haven't seen you since last month, and I've never met your parents.”

Mandie smiled at Tommy, still feeling a little self-conscious.

“By the way,” Tommy added, “this is my sister, Josephine.” He motioned to the nearsighted girl beside him.

Josephine looked like she was about the same age as Mandie, perhaps a year older. She was skinny and almost as tall as her brother. Her long, straight dark brown hair fell over her shoulders as she merely nodded at the introduction. Her black eyes seemed magnified by her thick wire-rim glasses, which kept slipping down on her nose.

For some reason, Mandie instantly disliked the girl, and the feeling seemed mutual.

When they all boarded the Pattons' phaeton nearby, Mandie noticed that Josephine walked with a slight limp. Tommy made sure he sat beside Mandie in the open carriage.

As the Pattons' two horses drew the four-wheeled carriage through the city streets, Tommy pointed out landmarks while the adults visited up front. Josephine sat across from Mandie, squinting at her in spite of her thick glasses.

Mandie studied her surroundings carefully. “Everything is so big, and so old, and so close together,” she observed. “And so beautiful,” she added as they passed St. Philip's Church.

“Of course,” Josephine taunted. “This is a big city, not a hicktown like Asheville.”

“Josephine!” Tommy scowled at her. “Asheville isn't a hicktown. It's a good-sized city. Besides, you can't compare the two. Charleston is much older and therefore has had more time to grow and expand.” He turned to Mandie. “Charleston was the capital of South Carolina until Columbia was built in 1789,” he explained.

“That's interesting,” Mandie said, “but when am I going to see the ocean?”

“I think my parents are planning on taking you there as soon as we eat,” Tommy replied.

“Thank goodness I don't have to wait too long,” Mandie said.

“I'm sure you'll be disappointed,” Josephine told her. “It's nothing but a huge body of water moving around like somebody was whipping cake batter.”

“Josephine, will you please stop deflating everything for Mandie?” Tommy pleaded.

“I'm not deflating anything. I'm only stating facts so she isn't disappointed,” his sister replied. “There are two sides to everything. If you're going to build things up, then I have to try to bring them back down into perspective.”

Mandie looked from one to the other. Josephine was ruining everything. Since Mandie was the Pattons' guest, she must behave herself and ignore Josephine's rude remarks. But she wished she could talk to Tommy alone.

CHAPTER FOUR

THE GREAT BIG WONDERFUL OCEAN!

Finally the phaeton stopped in front of a huge three-story brick building behind a high wall. Mandie stared through the gate.

“Home at last,” Tommy said.

Mandie looked at him in disbelief. “Don't tell me this is your house.”

“It's the house we live in when we're in the city,” Tommy explained as everyone began leaving the carriage. “Most of the time we live at the rice plantation. You'll see that, too, before you leave. It's way out on the Ashley River. We also have a small house on the beach, and we'll spend some time there with you, as well.”

“Three houses!” Mandie exclaimed.

Tommy laughed and gathered up the bags.

Josephine leaned close to Mandie. “Yes, three houses,” she whispered, “and they're all haunted!”

“What?” Mandie asked sharply.

But the girl ran ahead, ignoring her.

A uniformed servant came from the house to help with the baggage.

As Mandie entered the mansion, she felt as if she were in a dreamland. She had thought her Uncle John's house was a mansion, but it was nothing compared with this.

The entry hall had a marble floor and a marble staircase rising out of sight to the upper stories. Gold and silver sparkled everywhere she looked. Velvet and silk draped the windows and upholstered the chairs. There was nothing inexpensive. Old portraits lined the wallpapered walls.

Mandie stopped to gaze at the painting of a beautiful young lady with long black hair and blue eyes who was wearing a low-cut, frilly pink gown trimmed with lace. In one hand she held a fan made of pink feathers.

Josephine noticed Mandie's interest and limped up beside her. “That is Melissa Patton,” she whispered. “She was murdered in this very house. When the moon is full, she can be seen pacing the widow's walk. That's where she was pushed to her death.”

Mandie's blue eyes grew round as she listened, holding Snowball tightly.

Tommy saw the two girls talking and stepped forward. “Josephine, you're not telling Mandie any stories, are you?” he asked.

“I'm only telling the truth,” Josephine replied.

“The truth is that no one knows what actually happened to Melissa,” Tommy said.

Josephine turned and limped quickly up the staircase.

“Josephine, wait!” Mrs. Patton called, stifling a sneeze. “I want you to show Amanda to her room.”

Josephine paused on the stairs. “Yes, Mama,” she said in a sarcastic tone. “And I know, help her feel at home.”

Mrs. Patton looked at her daughter sharply, then smiled at Mandie reassuringly. “She will show you upstairs, dear. After you have refreshed yourself, come back down and we'll have a bite to eat.” Taking a lacy handkerchief from her pocket, she dabbed her watering eyes. “Then I think we'll get the ferryboat and take you to see the ocean.” Her nose began to twitch, and she sneezed daintily into her handkerchief.

“God bless you,” Mandie said. Then her face broke into a big smile. “We really get to go to the ocean soon? Oh, thank you, ma'am. Thank
you. I'll hurry!” She put Snowball down and hurried after Josephine with Snowball at her heels.

Josephine led the way along the second floor hallway. “You are to stay in the blue room, which is next door to mine,” she said. “We'll be far away from the other rooms.” Josephine stopped to push open a door at the end of the hallway.

Mandie looked inside. It was truly a blue room. All the furnishings were in various shades of blue. Even the wallpaper had a blue tint. She clasped her hands in delight and just stood there, admiring the beautiful room.

“Well, are you going in or not?” Josephine asked, squinting through her glasses. “I see Rouster has already put your things in here.”

“Thank you, Josephine,” Mandie said uncertainly. For some reason, she didn't trust Tommy's sister. “I think I can find the way back by myself. I'll see you downstairs in a few minutes.” Mandie stepped inside and shut the door.

Snowball immediately jumped onto the bed. Mandie took off her bonnet and started to look for her hairbrush in her bag.

Suddenly the door opened. Mandie jumped.

“I forgot to tell you where the bathroom is,” Josephine said with a laugh. “It's through that door over there across the hall. We share it,” she said, quickly shutting the door again.

Mandie was worn out from her trip, but she was also jumpy because of Josephine's remark about their houses being haunted. She didn't want to be left alone in this isolated part of the big house. Hurrying into the bathroom, she washed her face and hands.

Leaving her purse in her room, she called to Snowball, and he followed her down the long hallway to the staircase. At the foot of the stairs Mandie encountered a very small Negro girl in a maid's uniform. The girl didn't look old enough to be a maid.

“Hello,” Mandie said.

“They all be in de drawing room. Last door on de right,” the girl told her. “Let me take dat kitty and feed him.” The girl picked up Snowball, and he didn't protest.

“Thank you.” Mandie continued down the first-floor hallway toward the huge ornate door the girl had pointed to. Just inside the doorway, Mandie stood and stared. The drawing room looked as though
it belonged in a palace. Mandie had never seen such finery. The furniture was upholstered in peach-and-gray silk brocade. The draperies were a darker shade of gray with golden tassels. The carpet, which covered much of the parqueted floor, was so thick her little heels sank in deeply.

Everyone was sitting around a gray stone fireplace that covered almost an entire wall. Mandie was drawn to the portrait hanging over the fireplace. She felt sure it was a duplicate of the one of Melissa Patton in the hallway. At closer inspection, she could see it wasn't the same girl, but there was a strong resemblance. This girl was also dressed in pink, but she was definitely older, and her eyes were brown.

Tommy came to her side. “That's Melissa Patton, too, only this Melissa is the other one's mother,” he told her. “This one was my father's grandmother.”

“It's nice to have your ancestors' portraits hanging around where you can see them,” Mandie said, smiling. “Where I come from, we're lucky to have an old tintype.”

Uncle John heard the remark and looked up. “You know, Amanda, we do have some tintypes of your father that could possibly be made into a portrait by a good artist,” he said.

Mandie's heart beat faster. “Pictures of my father? Honest? Please let me see them when we go home.”

“Of course, Amanda. We'll go through all the old pictures we have packed away,” her uncle promised.

Mandie again studied the portrait of Melissa Patton over the fireplace. “Her face reminds me a little bit of Hilda,” she said, hardly realizing she had spoken the words aloud.

“Who's Hilda?” Tommy asked.

Just then Josephine came into the room followed by one of the maids. The maid cleared her throat. “Everything be ready,” she announced.

“Thank you, Tizzy,” said Mrs. Patton. Then gracefully rising from her chair, she turned to the others in the room. “Shall we eat?” she asked, leading the way into the dining room.

“I'll tell you about Hilda later,” Mandie whispered to Tommy.

Inside the elegant dining room, again Mandie could only stare. She felt as though she had stepped into another world. Having been born and raised for most of her young life in a log cabin in the western
North Carolina mountains, she still couldn't get used to such finery. She felt uncomfortable trying to act like a young lady all the time. Even Tommy seemed more reserved. When he had visited her at school, he had always seemed a happy-go-lucky boy who enjoyed breaking staid customs.

At the long table that would have easily seated thirty people, Mandie found herself next to Tommy, across from Josephine. Snowball rubbed around Mandie's ankles under the table.

After Mr. Patton asked the blessing and everyone began eating, Tommy asked Mandie about Hilda.

“It's really a long story, but to make it short, Hilda is a girl about my age whom Celia and I found—” Mandie interrupted herself. “You remember Celia from school, don't you?”

Tommy nodded.

“Well,” Mandie continued, “Celia and I found this girl, Hilda, hiding in the school attic.”

“Really?” Tommy exclaimed. “What was she doing there?”

Suddenly everyone at the table was listening as Mandie related the story about hearing clinking noises in the attic at night. “I must admit that at one point we thought it was a ghost,” Mandie said with a laugh. “But I don't think I believe in ghosts anymore.” She stared directly at Josephine.

Josephine looked away and continued eating in silence.

“What was making the noise?” Mrs. Patton asked from the other end of the table. “I didn't hear.”

“This poor, scared girl named Hilda,” Mandie replied. “She had run away from home and hid in the school attic. By the time we found her, she was sick, she was
very
hungry, and she was unable to talk. It turns out that her parents thought she was insane and had kept her locked up at home.”

“Oh, the poor dear,” Mrs. Patton's face clouded with concern. Mr. Patton sat forward with interest. “What happened to her?” he asked.

Mandie smiled. “Our friend Dr. Woodard got her into the sanatorium and she's doing much better. He told me she's even talking a little bit now, and they might let her leave soon if they can find a good family to take care of her.”

Lucille Patton's eyes twinkled. She turned to her husband. “Did you hear that, George?”

“Sounds interesting, doesn't it?” her husband replied.

Josephine pushed her glasses up on her nose and squirmed around in her seat.

Suddenly, Mrs. Patton began sneezing repeatedly.

“Mother, are you catching cold?” Josephine asked.

“Oh, excuse me,” she apologized, getting up to leave. “Sometimes I just get these sneezing spells . . .”

Just then, Snowball ran out from under the table and finding Mandie, hopped up on her lap.

“Especially around cats.” Mrs. Patton covered her nose with her handkerchief and hurried out of the room, sneezing over and over.

Elizabeth looked at her daughter. “Amanda, I wondered about bringing Snowball.”

“Nonsense,” Mr. Patton said. “We love having Snowball here. Lucille will just have to avoid getting too close. That kitten is important to Amanda, so he is certainly welcome.”

The rest of the meal didn't last long because everyone was in a hurry to get to the ferryboat.

The boat ride across the Cooper River was refreshing and exciting to Mandie. She was glad she had left Snowball back at the house so she didn't have to keep track of him.

As the boat moved slowly forward, she and Tommy stood at the rail, staring at the swirling water below. The adults sat talking nearby, and Josephine squinted through her thick glasses and limped about, curiously taking in all the sights on the crowded ferry.

After they docked at the river side of the Isle of Palms, Mr. Patton excused himself to find a rig that would take them over to the ocean side.