Family Reunion (49 page)

Lena threw her head back and
laughed as she went to her grandson, leaning over slightly to hug him and kiss his forehead. He grinned up at her with his snag-tooth smile and handed her a card while he held onto the flowers. She opened it and it read.

She felt more tears fall as she took the flowers and Felix left the kitchen running as usual. She turned to Gaitsu, using her forearm to wipe her tears that were streaming steadily, managing to get flour on her cheek.

"Boss, he good man. What boss want, he get … he always get." Gaitsu nodded surely. Lena sighed with a smile, knowing what he said was very true. What Maynard Ramsey Webster wanted, he would get. With a smile she went back to the preparation of dinner thinking,
'But this time ... he will have to patiently wait for it.'
When dinner was about ready, Lena left the galley to find her family. On entering the state room, she encountered her daughter and a short woman who was waiting with a tape measure around her neck.

"And I was just about to come to the galley for you." Hope began.

Lena's head tilted toward the woman in clear understanding. "Need I ask what she is here for?"

"Only if you want to, she's here just in case you change your mind and marry my father by Sunday. He would like you to have a new fresh gown to wear ... please mama?" Hope put on her most humble face. Lena nodded a simple yes, walked up to the woman and slipped out of her dress. Hope locked the door to avoid intrusion as her mother turned her back and spread her arms standing still as she was measured, and Hope wrote down the measurements as they were called out. After her arms, legs, from hip to ankle and across her back were measured; it came to the torso measurements, which caught Hope's attention.

The bust of thirty-four didn't surprise her much, nor the twenty-four inch waist, but the thirty-nine around the hips brought her head up.

"So that's where it came from! My goodness mama!" She cried accusingly.

"What?!" Lena called in confused concern to her daughter's screech of dismay.

"Thirty-nine inches?!"

"Yes, and you should know, that you are the only one complaining."

Lena thrust her chin up turning and stating, “Besides, your father has big hands, he always said there was no better place to rest them; hands ... his size!"

"Mother!!" Hope blasted in complete shock.

Lena grinned mischievously ordering, "Close your mouth and gather your nephews and nieces as well the men for dinner while Maria and I set the table." Pleased, Hope did as her mother ordered while Lena dressed and went to the kitchen after setting the table to help Gaitsu lay out the banquet.

She and Gaitsu traveled in and
out of the dinning room. On each return there, more members of her family were present. She smiled satisfied to hear the men talking around the table as Maria and Hope pitched in, laying out the food. Out she went and a minute later back again with more.

"Where you want this placed Miss Lena?" Asked Francis, Lena smiled at her, handed her the bowl of soup and said. "That end of the table will be fine, thank you." She then headed for the door when suddenly she stopped and turned back. Her eyes were wide with shock and amazement as she stared at Francis.

"Francis?!" Lena asked as she stared, swallowed and stared more.

Francis smiled and nodded. "It's been a long time Miss Lena." Francis greeted as she nervously stepped up with Lena unable to hide her shock. Her heart was hammering as she took in the vision of the brown skinned, pretty girl before her. Her hair had been straightened and arranged in a very attractive chignon, with light bangs in the front of her small forehead, her brown eyes were wide, searching and hopeful. She was still slender, soft spoken and eager to please as Lena had remembered her.

Lena closed her eyes and when she opened them, she searched the room for Manny. He leaned with a foot propped up on the coffee table watching her reaction closely. Caught on the spot as she was, she could do nothing but turn back to Francis, feeling jittery and awkward she walked up to the young woman wrapping her arms around her to welcome her.

"Francis…my God, it has been, a very long time, how nice to see
you again and well ... how-...?" Lena couldn't quite find the words to question her presence and was fighting to hide her fear of it.
'Francis of all people ... my God, could this mean he knows?'
Lena glanced covertly once again to see Manny and Leon observing.

"I told you we searched for you Lena." Manny finally spoke up. "We searched everywhere, even there ... Leon is the one who ran into Francis, she recognized your description and let us know we were on the right track."
'Why are you keeping it from me Lena? Don't you feel you can trust me?'
As much as he wanted to know, he would not question her on anything he'd learned from Clarence Winston, when she was ready, she would tell him. Yet he realized that Francis' presence was a small break in the wall of Lena’s secret. It was only a matter of time before he knew what had really happened in her past concerning George Sinclair and Dustinhurst. There was no way he would believe her capable of murder.

Francis swallowed nervously, afraid, by the look on Lena's face, that she had told them something she shouldn't have "I'm sorry-...If I done- …" She started apologizing on the verge of tears.

Lena looked back at her from Manny. "Why are you apologizing Francis?" She swallowed, wringing her hands. "I think maybe I done somethin' wrong, tellin' them-…"

"You did nothing wrong Francis, nothing at all. I am so happy to see you out of that dreadful place and here among my family."

"Yo' son and Mr. McNeil, they-…"

"Leon, Francis." Leon corrected her, Francis blushed and nodded.

"Um, Le-Leon, he, he the reason I’m free, I owe him - a lot."

"Nonsense, you have no debts here with us Francis, be assured of that. Those days are over." Manny spoke up as he closed the distance between him and Lena. "We are the ones indebted to you and you are welcome to be here among us as Lena has said." He furthered, placing his hands possessively on Lena's shoulders, standing slightly behind her. "Now, I hope you women are through with all of this, because we men are hungry and we would like to eat!" He deepened his voice to sound commanding.

"My sentiments exactly! Women; food on the table…now!" Mike added, however it lacked the power because of his grin.

"These lot are bad for that, leaving a man to stand hungry as a bear. Your sister could care less if I evaporated into nothing!" Joseph added grabbing a seat. "Why must you ever paint this picture of me as a neglectful wife?" Hope fussed.

"Come dear
, follow me. That will go on a while and there are hungry men to be fed. Hope, stop arguing with your husband and feed him, Maria go ahead and see to yours." Lena directed, heading for the door with Francis behind her. "Well what about me woman! Who’s going to serve me!? Since when do they sit before the head of the family? I – am the first to be served here!" Lena chuckled at Manny’s jesting as she was slipping out the door.

"As it stands
milord king
, there is hardly enough food there to satisfy you anyway. So you might as well be seated and be patient." Manny shook his head, seating himself at the head of the table and watched as Mike sat back nodding yes to everything Maria offered.

"Hold on, hold on, leave some for me." Manny grumbled as his stomach followed suit.

Mike shrugged with a grin. "Sorry dad, one must get while the gettin's good with this many hungry appetites at the table!"

Manny's eyebrow's drew together in amazement as silverware and plates made clinking sounds while the food was steadily being passed around and his plate still sat before him empty.

"Lena-a-a!!"
He bellowed in alarm. Lena, Francis and Gaitsu entered, their arms fully strained with more platters and serving bowls.

"Why are you bellowing my name, I'm right here." She chided, setting more on the table.

"There are too many hungry people at my table! Eating my food before I do!" He growled.

Lena smiled, bent next to his ear and whispered softly when she picked up his plate. "Trust me; I know your appetite well, what I serve you milord will more than satisfy your hunger."

Manny looked into her eyes and felt a stirring. "Careful there wench, else you'll find yourself fat bellied again."

Lena simpered, "That would mean more mouths at the table."

Manny winked, "Aye, I can feed them, as long as I can feed them." He flirted further at that moment feeling truly like a king in his world, he restrained himself from caressing her rear as she leaned next to him filling his plate, the tips of fingers tingled to travel up her skirt, against her skin, to that secret place, he’d not carresed for such a long time.

Never asking what or how much he wanted…she knew. He shifted in his seat, an erection making him uncomfortable as he leaned back, enduring her arm across the back of his chair. She reached for a bowl from Francis, and Manny resisted turning his face to look at her breasts not far from his head, yet, leaning back in his chair he couldn't help but look at her pleasant derriere.

Once more, he envisioned going underneath her skirts to seek out the heat of her. He shifted again having to lean to the side and straighten his right leg.

Lena finally caught him moving about and bit her lip so as not to laugh, she knew him well and knew his predicament. Laying his plate before him, she asked saucily. "Will that be
all
- milord?"

"Aye, for now… for now." He returned with knowing eyes.

Francis, at first hesitant, looked around, then taking a deep breath, picked up Leon's plate and began serving him, keeping her eyes lowered shyly, then looked at him to make sure what she put on his plate was to his taste. He smiled at her and nodded his pleasure. Swallowing and taking a deep breath, she fought back the lump in her throat as she served him, hoping, praying that she could do so for the rest of her life.

That evening they dined together slow and relaxed with the noise of their grandchildren, who were taunting back and forth, and their children, who were calling back and forth, pass me this, pass me that, with minor arguing and baiting, jesting and laughter.

Manny sat with his eyes boring into Lena down the length of the table, completely blocking out the happenings around him.

Through the noise and racket he stared at her, sitting semi-erect, he couldn't hide what was on his mind. Lena was doing her utmost to keep her eyes from him but found it impossible. His look said things to her that only her experience with him could decipher. Without removing his gaze from her, he reached to his right, picking up his cup of tea, the whole time keeping his penetrating gaze on her. Suddenly a pea sailed by and landed directly in his cup. He sighed. "Felix! Don't throw your food!" Maria yelled. "I don't like – grrr-e-e-en peas! Yuck! Nasty!" Felix moaned.

"Papah Felix dumped all his peas on my dress." Lolita tattled angrily, and then she popped her brother on his back. He wailed. "Lolita!" Maria yelled. "He started it!" She defended herself.

Manny looked over at Mike, who was smiling and eating. He looked at Maria, plate full, wrestling with Felix. "Mike!" Lena and Manny called at he same time.
"What?!”
He called with childish irritation – reverting back a few years.

"Maria's is with child; see to your children so she can eat!" Lena fussed at him. "Yes - exactly!" Manny backed her, throwing one of his peas at his son, popping him on the head with it. "Manny! Don't throw food in front of the children!" Lena reprimanded. "Yes, father!" Mike shot back.

Three fights almost broke out between the kids, Felix having to be sent to bed without his dinner.

Hope defend
ed Lolita and attacked Mike because of his chauvinistic attitude. Mike told Joe to get his wife off of him. However, despite the quarrelling the meal was a success and enjoyed by all with the men standing and congratulating the women for preparing and serving a feast fit for royalty. As the table was being cleared they all left the room leaving the women to their chores while Hope fussed about the privileges of being a man.

Lena only smiled and got on with it, finding pleasure in what she did for her family, her Manny. After the chore was done, she went to her room to freshen up, not a moment after closing the door, there was a knock. Lena opened it to see the reddest roses ever.