The Mandie Collection (34 page)

Mandie took a deep breath, stared away down the hill, and finally turned to her grandmother. “You might not know this, but Uncle Ned brought that quilt back today that we had found in the attic during Christmas. Remember the one he said had a Cherokee message on it?” she asked, hoping her grandmother did remember the quilt.

Mrs. Taft frowned and said, “Yes, I remember seeing that quilt and that he took it home with him to have someone interpret the symbols on it.” Then, looking sharply at Mandie, she asked, “Just what was the message?”

“That's the problem, Grandmother,” Mandie began explaining.
“Uncle Ned would only say that Uncle Wirt had looked at it and said to pack it away, it has a sad, bad message. And Uncle Ned absolutely refused to tell me what it did say, so I wanted to visit my Cherokee kinpeople and ask them what it says.”

“But why the rush? Uncle Ned has had it since Christmas,” her grandmother said.

“Well, Grandmother, Uncle Ned made such a mystery of it, I just wanted to go find out what it was all about,” Mandie said and added, “And since Uncle Ned is here, I wanted to go home with him. He might not be here when we come back from New York, and I can't go see my kinpeople by myself. Then I realized I was being selfish to ask other people to change their plans for me.”

“Young lady, you might be interested in knowing that I went to your mother for you, not knowing why, only that Elizabeth was upset because you insisted on changing everyone's plans. However, I figured you must have a good reason to want to do this,” Mrs. Taft said.

“Oh, Grandmother, thank you,” Mandie said with a big smile as she sat down on the opposite bench with her friends. “I hope Mother didn't get angry with you about it.”

“Angry? No, she didn't. However, she refused to discuss it at all,” Mrs. Taft replied. “I told her I didn't see any big reason for not changing our plans.”

“I appreciate your trying, Grandmother,” Mandie said. She glanced up and saw Liza hurrying down the hill. “Here comes Liza so fast she must have a message for one of us.”

Everyone looked up as the girl got down to them. She was out of breath from her fast walking as she said, “Miz 'Lizbeth, she wants to see you, Missy 'Manda.”

“Mother wants to see me?” Mandie repeated. “I wonder what for.” She looked at her grandmother and asked, “Do you think I'm in trouble?”

Mrs. Taft smiled and said, “If you are and it's about our plans, just come let me know. I'll see what I can do to help you out.”

“C'mon, Missy 'Manda,” Liza insisted.

“Liza, take time to get your breath,” Mandie told her as she stood up. “We'll just walk back up that hill. We won't run.” Turning to her friends, she asked, “Are y'all going to wait down here?”

“Sure, we'll just stay here with your grandmother,” Joe said. “Far away enough that we won't hear you scream for help.”

“I'll wait here,” Celia said.

“I'll remember that next time you get in trouble, Joe Woodard,” Mandie said with a grin as she started up the hill with the maid.

Elizabeth was waiting for Mandie in the back parlor. There was no one else in the room. Mandie felt cold chills, wondering if her mother was angry with her about something. She tried to smile and didn't do a good job of it.

“Sit down, Amanda,” Elizabeth told her as Liza left the room.

Mandie sat on a low stool, not too close to her mother, as she waited.

“Amanda, I don't know exactly how to say this,” her mother began and then paused, looking around the room.

Mandie held her breath as she silently asked herself,
What have I done now?

Elizabeth cleared her throat and said, “It seems that I am the only one who is opposed to changing our travel plans.” Then she spoke quickly, “It might interest you to know that my mother was the one who started the revolt, so to speak, in your favor. Therefore, you may go home with Uncle Ned tomorrow morning and—”

“Oh, thank you, Mother,” Mandie quickly interrupted.

“Wait, Amanda,” Elizabeth told her. “I am not finished. If you and your friends wish to go home with Uncle Ned, you may. However, we adults will keep our plans and go on to New York tomorrow.”

Mandie thought quickly for a moment. She would not be able to visit Jonathan Guyer if the others went on to New York without her. And then she remembered Polly. What would she do? “Mother, what about Polly? Will she still go with y'all or with us?” Mandie asked.

“I've talked to her mother, and she prefers that Polly go with us,” Elizabeth replied.

“Oh,” Mandie said in a loud whisper. She didn't like the idea of Polly Cornwallis going to visit Jonathan Guyer without Mandie and her friends along, too.

“You go talk to your friends and let me know what you plan to do,” Elizabeth said.

“But, Mother, we wouldn't have to stay a long time with my
kinpeople. Couldn't we come on to New York after we visit them for a few days?” Mandie asked.

“No, you young people certainly can't come all the way to New York without an adult along,” Elizabeth said firmly.

Mandie stood up and said, “I'll go ask Celia and Joe what they would like to do.”

“Go ahead and come straight back and let me know. We've got to settle this thing once and for all,” Elizabeth said.

“Yes, ma'am,” Mandie said, rushing out of the room.

She hurried outside and down the hill to where her friends were waiting. She did not follow her own advice to Liza not to hurry, and when she was halfway down, her foot slipped, causing her to sit down hard on a mound of dirt.

“Mandie!” Joe shouted as he ran up the hill to her. “Are you hurt?” He reached to help her stand up as Celia joined him, and back in the arbor, Mrs. Taft stood up to watch.

“No, only my pride,” Mandie said as she brushed the dirt off her long skirts. “Come on. I have something to tell you, and I want Grandmother to hear it.” She started on down toward the arbor.

“Amanda, that was very unladylike to come rushing down that hill in that fashion,” Mrs. Taft reprimanded her.

“Yes, ma'am, I'm sorry, but you should hear what Mother wanted to see me about,” Mandie replied, and she told them about the change in plans. She looked at Celia and Joe and said, “So if y'all want to go with me to visit my Cherokee kinpeople, you can. Or y'all can go on to New York with the others.”

“Couldn't we visit them for a few days and then go on to New York?” Joe asked.

Mandie shook her head as she said, “No, my mother said we could not come to New York alone, without an adult.”

Mrs. Taft quickly spoke, “Amanda, I'm not in any particular hurry to go to Lindall Guyer's house. I could stay here and visit with friends for a few days while y'all go visit those kinpeople. Then we could all go to New York together. What do you think?” She smiled at Mandie.

Mandie rushed to embrace her and said, “Oh, Grandmother, I love you. You would do that for us?”

Mrs. Taft stepped away from the embrace and said, “Now that's settled. Once and for all, I hope. We will go speak to your mother.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Taft,” Celia said.

“I appreciate it, Mrs. Taft,” Joe added.

“Come on. Let's hurry and talk to Mother,” Mandie said, turning to go back up the hill.

“Not so fast this time, Amanda,” Mrs. Taft reminded her.

“Yes, ma'am, Grandmother,” Mandie said, slowing down and smiling at her.

Mandie could barely wait to settle the matter with her mother and then find Uncle Ned to let him know they would be going home with him. However, she planned to put the quilt in a bag so he wouldn't know that she was bringing it with her. Or he might even refuse to let her carry it, since he had been so firm about refusing to explain the message on the quilt.

But once among her kinpeople, Mandie was sure she would be able to find someone who would decipher the symbols for her.

CHAPTER THREE

A DISAPPEARANCE

Elizabeth Shaw was still in the back parlor, but Jane Hamilton, Celia's mother, had joined her when Mandie and her friends and her grandmother came back to the house. Then Mandie realized Celia would have to get permission from her mother to change their plans.

Mandie whispered to Celia as they entered the room, “You have to get permission from your mother, remember?”

Celia nodded and went to sit near her mother. Joe and Mrs. Taft joined Mandie on a settee. “Mother, do you know about the change in our plans?” Celia asked.

Jane smiled at her and replied, “Of course I do, Celia. That's all we've been talking about today, this visit to see Amanda's Cherokee kinpeople and the journey to New York. So I suppose you want to go with Amanda?”

“Yes, ma'am,” Celia replied with a big smile. “Please.”

Mrs. Taft spoke up, “I have told the young ones I would wait here and visit friends while they go to see those kinpeople, and when they return I will accompany them to New York.”

“Then that's fine, Celia. You may go with Amanda, but you do need to come on to New York when you get back because we have to do some shopping,” Jane reminded her daughter.

“Mother, are you sure you don't want to go with us tomorrow?” Elizabeth asked, frowning as she looked at Mrs. Taft.

“As you very well know, I am not overly fond of visiting at Lindall Guyer's house, and this will cut my visit short,” Mrs. Taft replied.

Mandie heard that remark and quickly looked at her friends, who were also looking at her. So her mother knew why her grandmother didn't like Mr. Guyer. But she was sure her mother would never tell.

“I know you don't like that enormous mansion with servants running all over the place, but Mr. Guyer does make us welcome so we don't have to stay in a hotel when we go to New York. And he does entertain us, so I just don't know why you've always disliked visiting there,” Elizabeth said, frowning as she looked at her mother.

Mandie quickly absorbed that information. So maybe her mother did not know why Mrs. Taft seemed reluctant to go to Mr. Guyer's house. She looked at her friends again, and Joe and Celia were both frowning and shaking their heads, out of view of the adults.

Mrs. Taft didn't reply but rose and said, “I must go to my room now and rest a little before supper, now that we've got all these plans settled.”

“Yes, Mother, thank you for altering your plans so eventually we will all be in New York together,” Elizabeth said.

Mrs. Taft sent a secretive glance toward Mandie as she replied, “We'll let you know, Elizabeth, when to expect us in New York.”

As soon as Mrs. Taft left the room, Elizabeth said, “Now, it's not all completely settled. Amanda, go find Uncle Ned and ask if you all may go with him in the morning. I believe he's out in the shed with your uncle John, tinkering around with something or other.”

“Yes, ma'am.” Mandie quickly stood up as she replied. “Come on, Celia, Joe, let's go.”

They found Uncle Ned in the shed helping John Shaw mend a harness. As soon as they walked inside, Mandie began talking. “Uncle Ned, Mother and Celia's mother have agreed for us and Joe to go home with you tomorrow so I can visit my kinpeople. We just wanted to ask if we may go with you.”

Before Uncle Ned could answer, John Shaw looked up from his
work and said, “Now, this takes a little explaining. Are you all not going to New York?”

Mandie began relating the events of the day and ended by saying, “So you see, everything has been worked out just fine except that we need Uncle Ned's permission to go with him.” She looked up at the tall Cherokee man.

Uncle Ned smiled at her and said, “We go, tomorrow sun come up, we go.”

“Oh, thank you, Uncle Ned,” Mandie said.

“And I thank you, Uncle Ned,” Joe added.

“Yes, Uncle Ned, we appreciate your letting us go with you,” Celia said.

“There's one problem,” John Shaw spoke up.

“Oh no, what?” Mandie asked. She looked at her friends, who were both holding their breath.

“Uncle Ned is going over to Red Clay, Tennessee, to visit some friends a couple of days after he gets home and will not be able to come back with you all,” John Shaw explained.

“Oh, shucks!” Mandie exclaimed.

“Will send another with Papoose and friends. We find someone, no worry,” the old man said. Turning to John Shaw, he added, “No worry.”

“Thank you, Uncle Ned,” John Shaw replied, and turning to the young people, he said, “Remember this. You are not to start back home unless Uncle Ned has designated someone to travel with you. Remember that.”

“Yes, sir,” the three chorused.

“I have to go sort out my clothes now and pack,” Mandie said.

“So do I,” Celia added.

“Mine are all done. Remember, I put them in two piles?” Joe said. “I'll just stay out here while you girls pack.”

Up in Mandie's room, the girls repacked their clothes. Mandie had two large valises and loaned one to Celia.

“We sure won't be needing a lot of clothes for this journey,” Mandie told her. “One of these should hold everything necessary.”

“Thank you,” Celia said, taking the bag. “This won't take long to fill, either.”

“I think I'd better unpack my trunk and hang all those clothes back up in the wardrobe, because by the time we come back here they will be all wrinkled,” Mandie said, stooping to pull out dresses from her trunk.

Celia laughed and said, “We sure have been packing and unpacking, haven't we?”

“Yes, and I hope our plans are final now,” Mandie agreed, taking the dresses to hang up in the wardrobe.

As soon as Celia had filled the valise, she said, “I'd better hang my other things back up, too, so they won't have to be pressed.”

Finally everything was sorted, hung back up and packed into the valises. The girls looked around the room. Their empty trunks stood over to one side. Snowball had left the room as soon as they came in.