The Mandie Collection (22 page)

“Where do you ship it?”

“Lots of places. A great deal of it is sold in the United States, but a lot of it also goes to Europe.”

“It sounds easy,” Mandie commented as she watched the workers.

“It takes a great deal of work just getting it this far,” Tommy told her. “The fields have to be drained, and you hope a hurricane won't come and destroy the crop before you can bring it in. Some years the whole crop is damaged and you lose money. Then again, good years like this one bring in a lot of money.”

“What do these rice plants grow from? Where do you get them?”

“From seed. Some of this crop will be saved for seed to plant next year. The seed rice is beat out of the sheaves by hand so it won't be damaged. That's called flailing.”

“Is that how you get it out to cook and eat, too?” Mandie asked. Tommy laughed. “No, that's another stage. The rice kernels are covered with husks. These have to be removed by pounding. Then after you get all the husks off, the rice is ready to cook and eat.”

“Are we going to eat some of your rice while we're here?”

“We sure are,” Tommy replied. “We have rice every night—with other things, of course. It's like eating bread. Rice goes with everything.”

“At home, we eat potatoes like that,” Mandie said.

“Talking about eating, I imagine we have tea waiting for us at the house by now,” Tommy said, turning to go.

“Come to think of it, I'm starving,” Mandie laughed.

As they walked back through the woods to the house, they suddenly came face-to-face with Josephine.

She was obviously out of breath from running. “Mother sent me to—”

“I know, tea is ready,” Tommy interrupted her. “We're on our way back.”

“Then you'd better hurry. Mrs. Shaw . . . has asked me three times . . . if I knew where Mandie was,” Josephine said, still out of breath. “Of course I didn't tell her.”

“Why not?” Mandie asked.

“Mandie, I don't know about where you come from, but in this part of the country a young girl doesn't go off into the woods with a boy unchaperoned,” Josephine told her.

“But we just went for a walk,” Mandie protested.

“The adults think they can't trust us,” Josephine said.

“Fortunately, that old custom is rapidly becoming obsolete,” Tommy added. “But I do hope your mother isn't angry with me for taking you off to the rice fields.”

“I don't think she will be,” Mandie replied. “She trusts me.”

When the three arrived at the manor house, everyone was in the parlor having tea and cakes.

Elizabeth immediately stood up. “Amanda!” Her face showed relief. “You must let me know where you are going. This place is too big. You might get lost.”

Uncle John, who was usually more lenient with Mandie, nodded in agreement. “Yes, Amanda, you should keep us better informed.”

“I'm sorry,” Mandie apologized. She walked over to her mother. “I promise I'll ask permission next time, but I just had to see the rice fields.”

Tommy looked a little embarrassed. “I'm afraid it was all my fault, Mrs. Shaw,” he said. “The rice is being reaped, and I was so eager to show it to Mandie that I didn't stop to think. I'm sorry.”

“I appreciate your showing Amanda around, Thomas, but I'm afraid I find it difficult to keep up with her whereabouts sometimes,” Elizabeth said with a little laugh. She turned back to Mandie. “I'm not requiring you to ask permission for every move, Amanda, but I would like to know where you are.”

Mrs. Patton sat forward. “You're absolutely right, Elizabeth. This is a huge place, and Amanda could very well become lost,” she said.
“Thomas, you and Josephine must make sure one of you accompanies her around outside so she won't get lost.”

“You might include the inside of the house as well, Lucille,” Mr. Patton added. “This old house is so big and built in such a jumble it would be easy to wander around lost in it for hours.”

“I've already been showing her around the house,” Josephine spoke up. “It was Tommy's idea to go to the rice fields,” she tattled.

Mrs. Patton frowned at her daughter. “He already told us that,” she said, obviously displeased.

Uncle John tried to smooth over the situation. “And what did you think of the rice fields, Amanda?” he asked.

“Oh, they're beautiful!” Mandie exclaimed. “Just think, the rice we eat comes out of those great, golden fields. I had never even thought about where rice came from before.”

Elizabeth patted her daughter's hand. “This trip has been quite educational for you, hasn't it, Amanda?”

Mandie nodded.

“I'm glad you are enjoying yourself, dear. Now please sit down and have some tea,” her mother instructed.

As Mandie started to sit down, she looked around the room, frowning. “Where is Uncle Ned, Mother?” she asked.

“He took one of the horses and went riding to get a little fresh air,” her mother replied.

Pleased that Uncle Ned felt at home, Mandie sat down across the room near Josephine and Tommy. Tizzy was waiting to serve her.

“Thank you, Tizzy,” she said to the maid, accepting a cup of tea and a dainty chocolate cake.

“You see, your mother doesn't trust you,” Josephine whispered so the adults would not hear.

“Yes, she does,” Mandie disagreed. “We love each other a lot. And she wants to be sure nothing happens to me, that's all.”

“Now what could happen to you here?” Josephine asked.

Tommy nudged Mandie lightly. “Let's take our tea and sit on the veranda,” he suggested.

Mandie stood up and looked across the room to her mother. “Tommy and I are going to sit on the veranda,” she said.

“All right, dear,” Elizabeth answered.

On the huge porch, there were several dark green wooden rocking chairs. Tommy led the way to the far corner where they sat down.

“This is the best place to sit. From here you can see all the flowers around the corner. You can also see where everyone is going because the servants' entrance is around there,” he said, pointing to the side of the house.

“Is that the servants' entrance that goes up to the third floor?” Mandie asked, sipping her tea.

“Well, yes, but how did you know?” Tommy asked.

“Because Josephine took me up there. That's where we had been when we ran into you this afternoon.”

“Why in the world did she take you up there?”

“To show me the watch tower and tell me about Ophelia.” “Ophelia?”

“You know, Ophelia, the woman who was married to Nathaniel Patton until he murdered her,” Mandie answered.

“She told you about that?” Tommy asked, surprised.

“Yes, why? Is it a family secret?” Mandie asked.

“Oh, no, nothing like that,” Tommy said quickly. “It's just that no one actually knows the whole story.”

“But Josephine seemed to know everything,” Mandie said, relating Josephine's story.

“I don't know what we're going to do with my sister. She embroiders the truth about everything, and sometimes I think she lives in a fantasy world,” Tommy said. “No one knows what actually happened to Ophelia. It's all rumor.”

“Is that really her portrait up there in the window seat?” Mandie asked.

Tommy shrugged. “It might be, but no one knows for sure.”

“And I suppose that beautiful room with the wardrobe full of green and white dresses was not really hers either, was it?”

“The corner room was Ophelia's,” Tommy replied, “but I have no idea what's in it. I didn't even know it was kept clean. Maybe I should ask Mother about it.”

“Please don't, Tommy,” Mandie pleaded. “Let's keep this talk a secret between the two of us, like our secret about the phantom at the beach.”

“I'm sure there is some explanation for that thing, too,” he said. “We'll find out what it is when we go back.”

“I've heard so much about ghosts, I'm beginning to believe in them.” Mandie laughed, but she kept wondering if Tommy was passing lightly over all the ghost business so that she wouldn't be scared.

“Oh, don't start believing in ghosts now,” Tommy chided, “because when we find out the truth, your belief is going to be badly shaken.”

“I'm sure we'll be able to solve the mystery at the beach with Uncle Ned's help,” Mandie agreed. “Let's go find him so we can talk a while.”

Tommy stood up. “All right. I'll saddle two horses. Come on.”

After checking with her mother, Mandie followed Tommy to the stables. She looked forward to seeing Uncle Ned. In these strange surroundings, she found herself secretly wishing away the time until she would be on her way home. But in the meantime, maybe Uncle Ned could help her solve all these mysteries.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

THE DESERTED CABINS

In the stables, Tommy introduced Mandie to the Negro stable boy. “Is that really your name? Udunit?” Mandie asked.

“Sho is 'cause I done done it,” the boy replied, laughing.

“You've done what?” she asked.

“I done done ebrything—dat's whut my ma say,” Udunit told her.

Tommy smiled. “Well, let's see what you can do to find Mandie a horse that isn't too fast, Udunit,” he said, walking among the stalls. Then looking at Mandie, he asked, “Are you sure you want a horse to ride? We have a pony here.”

“I am twelve years old,” Mandie reminded him. “It's time to leave the ponies behind. Just don't pick out one that's too big.”

Tommy laughed and opened the door of one of the stalls to reveal a young horse, not quite grown. “How about Slowpoke here?”

“Is that the horse's name?” Mandie asked.

“Not exactly, but he's so slow somebody gave him that nickname,” Tommy explained.

“All right, as long as I can keep up with you,” Mandie said. Tommy and the stable boy saddled Slowpoke and then brought out a light brown horse with a beautiful chestnut mane.

“Oh! Is that horse yours?” Mandie squealed, reaching out to touch the silky mane.

“Yes, he's mine. His name is Cyclone,” Tommy said.

“Why Cyclone?”

“He rides through anything and smashes everything in his way. I'll let you ride him sometime.”

“I think I'll have to work up to that,” Mandie laughed. Holding Slowpoke's reins, she started talking to him and patting his nose.

The horse immediately rubbed his head against her arm, thoroughly delighting her.

“Oh, Slowpoke, you're a sweet doll. You behave for me, and I'll get you some sugar when we get back.”

Slowpoke snorted and rubbed her arm again.

“Ready?” Tommy asked, leading his horse outside.

“Ready.” Mandie brought her horse alongside his.

With a little help from Udunit and Tommy, Mandie mounted Slowpoke from the stepping block. She grasped the reins and held her breath. This was a great experience for her, her first time on a real horse. Everything on the ground seemed so far away.

“Please be careful,” Tommy cautioned her as he mounted Cyclone. “I'll lead the way, but I won't go fast.”

“Thanks,” Mandie said with a smile. “Let's go.”

Slowpoke
was
a slowpoke. Tommy had to keep reining in his horse for Mandie to keep up with him. Following a different path from the one they had taken to the rice fields, Tommy led the way along the edge of the woods. Rounding a bend in the path, they came upon a settlement of cabins in the woods. Here and there Negro children played in the yards.

“These must be the field hands' homes,” Mandie called to Tommy.

Tommy reined in his horse and waited for her to come alongside of him. “They used to be slaves' cabins, but now they are part of the pay the hands receive. They're not all occupied. That whole row down there is vacant,” he said, pointing down by the creek.

Mandie turned to look at the tumbled-down shacks. The deserted houses somehow looked mysterious and intriguing. “Let's go closer,” Mandie said, starting toward the abandoned cabins.

At that moment, one of the Negro men on horseback called to Tommy and rode quickly toward him. Tommy waited for the man he greeted as Uncle Luke, and the two talked for a while.

All of a sudden, as Mandie reached one of the cabins, Slowpoke bolted and ran off with her. Mandie screamed. In panic she held the reins tightly and yelled for the horse to slow down. But he wouldn't. “Help!” she hollered.

“Hang on, Mandie!” Tommy called to her. “I'm coming!”

Mandie's fingers hurt so badly that she could hardly hang on anymore. If she were thrown, she could be seriously injured or even killed. “Dear God, help me!” she cried.

In seconds, Mandie caught a glimpse of Uncle Ned. He was racing toward her on horseback from a clump of trees nearby. Then suddenly Mandie felt herself being snatched from the saddle. She almost collapsed with relief.

When Uncle Ned slowed down enough to set her on the ground, her legs were so wobbly she could hardly stand up.

Uncle Ned threw his arms around Mandie. She buried her head on his shoulder. The old Indian gave Mandie a big hug. “Do not cry, Papoose,” he begged. “Things all right now.”

“Thank you, Uncle Ned,” Mandie said.

Tommy, catching up with them, dismounted. “Are you all right, Mandie?” he asked in genuine concern.

Mandie nodded. “But what about the horse?” she asked.

“Don't worry about the horse,” Tommy said. “Uncle Luke will catch him.”

Mandie watched as the old Negro galloped at full speed, quickly turning this way and that. Finally Uncle Luke managed to intercept the runaway horse. He grabbed Slowpoke's reins. “Mastuh Tommy!” he called, waiting as Tommy quickly mounted and raced over to him.

The old Negro looked worried. “Mastuh Tommy, Slowpoke ain't no slowpoke no mo,' ” he said. “Sumpin' spoofed dat hoss sho' as I'se asittin' heah.”