Mandie Collection, The: 8 (43 page)

“Celia, we couldn’t get lost in this town,” Mandie protested. “St. Augustine is not that big.”

“It’s too big for us to go wandering around in after dark, not knowing the streets and everything,” Celia said.

Mandie slid out of the chair and stood up. “Celia, are you afraid to go with me?” she asked. “If you are, you don’t have to come along. I’m not afraid to go by myself.”

“Oh no, Mandie. I couldn’t let you go alone,” Celia replied, stopping as she tied back her hair. “I’ll go with you. I just hope we don’t get into any trouble or danger.”

“All right, then,” Mandie said, walking about the room. “When we see Juan today, we need to watch him and to try and figure out what he’s planning. I heard Senator Morton tell Grandmother last night that we would be going to an afternoon tea at his friends’ house, and
I imagine Juan will go with us since he has been going everywhere else we’ve gone.”

“Afternoon tea?” Celia asked. “Mandie, I hope it’s not one of those formal things.”

“Me too,” Mandie agreed, going over to the bureau and picking up her brush to do her hair. “But I do hope that Bonnie and Ted are there. I’d like to show them up for their underhanded ways.”

“On that I agree,” Celia replied.

But Bonnie and Ted were not at the tea that afternoon. Mr. and Mrs. John Saylors hosted the tea, and only two other couples besides Senator Morton and Mrs. Taft were invited. The Saylors had a teenage daughter, Patricia, and an older son, Edward, who were present. They were both friendly but seemed at a loss as to what to say to carry on a conversation with Mandie and Celia, until Mandie asked them a question.

The young people were seated in a corner of the huge parlor, mostly looking at one another, when Mandie suddenly realized the Saylors family had a different accent. Making a guess, she asked the young people, “Y’all don’t sound like you come from here. You’re not, are you?”

Patricia smiled for the first time and said, “No, we are from New York. We moved down here about a year ago. Everyone notices that we don’t speak like the local people.”

Mandie smiled back and said, “New York? Oh, I love New York. We have friends up there, and Celia and I have been to visit them. What an exciting time we had!”

“Who are your friends?” Patricia asked.

“Jonathan Guyer. His father is Lindall Guyer,” Mandie replied. “And also there’s Dr. Plumbley up there. He came from my hometown.”

“I have heard the name Lindall Guyer,” Edward said, running his long fingers through his black curly hair. “I understand he is very wealthy and contributes to lots of good causes.”

“Yes, and no one seems to know where he gets his money or what kind of work he does,” Patricia added.

“Oh, I can tell you that—part of it, at least,” Mandie said quickly. “Mr. Guyer does secret work for the United States government. And I
understand from my grandmother that he owns lots of businesses and things that he inherited.”

“Really,” Edward said with interest. “Mr. Guyer is a secret agent of some kind. That’s very interesting. And that explains a lot of things about rumors I’ve heard.”

“Jonathan stowed away on the ship we took to Europe last year, and we found him,” Celia said, smiling at the two.

“Stowed away on a ship? Jonathan Guyer? Why was he doing that?” Edward asked.

“He was running away from boarding school and hoped to make it to his aunt’s house in Paris before his father located him,” Mandie explained.

Patricia smiled and said, “Let’s talk about you two. When are you going back to New York again?”

Mandie and Celia looked at each other and shrugged.

“I don’t know exactly, but all of our friends are trying to get something together for the summer where we would visit one another’s houses,” Mandie explained. “That would include Jonathan’s house in New York, and he would come down to North Carolina to my house and the other’s homes.”

“That sounds like an interesting summer,” Patricia said.

“There’s only one snag in it,” Celia said. “Mandie’s friend Joe Woodard is away at college and may have to go to school all summer to get caught up, so we’re not sure exactly what we’ll do.”

“And my mother doesn’t like the idea of all of us young people traveling around the country without an adult, so I’m not sure how this plan will work out,” Mandie said. Then she asked, “Do y’all know Bonnie Sammons and Ted Tilden?”

“Oh, everybody knows them,” Edward said with a big grin.

“Y’all weren’t at the masked party at Senator Morton’s house, were you?” Celia asked.

“No, we didn’t get back from out of town in time for it,” Patricia said. “Did you have fun?”

“Well, in a way. But Bonnie and Ted were there, and they seemed a little strange to me,” Mandie said.

“You’re not the only one who thinks that,” Patricia agreed. “Those two don’t mix very well with the rest of our society.”

Mandie had a sudden idea. “Do y’all know Juan, Senator Morton’s servant who can’t hear or speak?” she asked.

“Everybody knows of Juan, but few people know him,” Edward replied.

“He hasn’t been with Senator Morton long, probably a few months, and no one seems to know where he came from,” Patricia added. “You know, you would expect the senator to investigate a servant when he hires one, especially since he is a senator and in Washington with the government, but if the senator knows much about Juan, he hasn’t told anyone else.”

“Oh, Patricia, you know how Senator Morton is,” Edward said in a low voice, glancing down the long parlor toward where the senator and the other adults were sitting. “He’s always sorry for the downtrodden and will give a person a job on his own evaluation. He seems to be able to judge a person’s character pretty well. People he hires stay loyal to him.”

“That’s what my grandmother said,” Mandie agreed. “But it’s too bad Juan can’t speak or hear, isn’t it?”

“Yes, but he seems to understand everyone and everything all right with hand signs and motions,” Patricia replied. “There are lots of different people here in St. Augustine. Why, some of them even believe in ghosts.”

“Ghosts?” Mandie quickly repeated. “Yes. Lolly, who works for the senator, definitely believes in them.”

“It’s not just servants,” Patricia told them. “There are some well-to-do people who live in mansions here who claim their homes are haunted by ghosts. Can you imagine?”

“How do they know there are ghosts in their homes? What do the ghosts do?” Celia asked.

“Why, I’ve heard some people claim lights are turned on and off without anyone being around, and some have heard strange noises, like weeping or fighting,” Patricia explained. “And there are some who claim they have actually seen ghosts—that the ghosts appear in person sometimes.”

“Do you think you could introduce us to some of these people? I’d love to go into a haunted house,” Mandie said with a big grin.

Patricia looked at her in surprise. “You believe in ghosts?” she asked.

“Not exactly,” Mandie replied. “I’d just like to talk to people who do. It would be fun trying to explain a mystery that some people think is caused by ghosts.”

“Oh, I see,” Patricia said with a smile. “Yes, I can arrange for you to meet some of our friends before you leave town.”

“Thank you,” Mandie replied.

She was really going to get to meet some more people who believed in ghosts. That would be exciting. But right now she began thinking about Juan and the man he was going to meet at a boat somewhere that evening. And she couldn’t discuss this with her new friends.

Finally suppertime came at Senator Morton’s house. After they were seated in the dining room, Mandie noticed that Juan was staying nearby doing little things to help the servants, like bringing in the coffeepot and making sure their cups stayed filled.

Mandie watched him, and now and then she smiled at Celia. It looked like he was going to stay within their sight at least until supper was over. Then she and Celia would work out the problem of keeping up with him while socializing in the senator’s parlor that evening. Maybe Juan wouldn’t leave the house until late, after everyone had gone up to bed for the night. But even then it would be hard to watch him because they were supposed to be in their room. She’d figure out something before supper was done with.

CHAPTER TEN

BUSINESS IN THE NIGHT

Mandie tried to watch Juan when everyone finished their meal and rose from the table that night. As she started to follow Celia and her grandmother and the senator out of the room, Senator Morton said to Mrs. Taft, “Excuse me for a moment. I will catch up with y’all in the parlor. I have a chore for Juan. Be right with you.” He walked back into the room.

“Of course, Senator. Come on, girls,” Mrs. Taft said.

Mandie glanced back as she went through the doorway and saw Senator Morton standing in front of Juan and making motions with his hands, evidently in an effort to talk to him.
Oh, will the senator be surprised when I finally tell everyone that Juan can hear and talk!
She smiled, anticipating the surprise.

As the girls and Mrs. Taft sat down in the parlor, Mandie did some fast thinking, trying to figure out a way to check on Juan. Glancing at her grandmother, she asked, “Are we going for a walk?”

Mrs. Taft replied with a loud sigh, “No, dear, I’m just not up to it after all the walking we did today. I’ll just sit here with the senator and relax with my coffee.”

“Would you mind if Celia and I went for a walk, then?” Mandie asked, looking at Celia and then at her grandmother.

“I suppose it would be all right, provided you girls get back in
before dark,” Mrs. Taft replied. “But, mind you, I did say you must be back inside the house before dark. Remember that.”

Mandie quickly rose and motioned for Celia to come with her. “Thank you, Grandmother,” she said. “We will get back before dark.”

Mandie led the way into the hallway. Celia followed. Just as they picked up their hats from the hall tree, Senator Morton came toward them.

“Are you young ladies leaving us?” he asked with a big smile.

“Yes, sir. Grandmother gave us permission to go for a walk since she didn’t want to go,” Mandie explained.

“You really should have someone accompany you,” Senator Morton said, pausing nearby. “It won’t be dark for quite a while yet, but maybe I should ask Lolly to walk with you.”

At first Mandie was going to object, but then she thought it might be helpful to have Lolly along since the girl seemed to know where Juan was all the time. Smiling up at the senator with her blue eyes, Mandie said, “Oh yes, sir, that would be nice. Lolly knows her way around town.”

Celia stood there silently listening and shaking her head behind the senator’s back. Mandie couldn’t figure out what she was trying to tell her.

“Now, if you two will just wait right here, I’ll get Lolly,” Senator Morton said, going back down the hallway.

“Mandie, why did you agree to have Lolly come along with us?” Celia asked.

“Because she always knows where Juan is,” Mandie whispered. “With a little bit of urging, we can have her looking for Juan.”

“But you said Juan was meeting that man tonight, and it’s not even dark yet,” Celia reminded her.

“I know, but we have to keep up with him until he goes to meet that man,” Mandie said. “Otherwise, we’ll never know where he is.”

Senator Morton came back down the hall with Lolly. “You young ladies have a nice walk, now,” he told them and went to the parlor door.

“Yes, sir,” the girls chimed together.

“We walk,” Lolly said, adjusting a scarf over her long hair.

“Yes, we just want to walk around,” Mandie replied.

They went outside and walked toward the park. Mandie stayed alert and glanced back now and then and looked all around, but she didn’t see any sign of Juan. Finally she asked Lolly, “Did Juan have to help clean up the dining room?”

“Oh no, no!” Lolly replied emphatically. “Never! Juan no do housework.”

“If he doesn’t do housework, what does he do?” Mandie asked as they crossed the street.

“What the senator tells him to do,” Lolly replied. “Only senator can tell him what to do.”

That’s interesting
, Mandie thought. Juan was not an ordinary servant, then. “What does the senator tell him to do?” she asked.

“Drive carriage, do errands, tend horses,” Lolly replied, skipping along, evidently happy at being allowed outside instead of doing housework.

“Horses,” Mandie repeated. “I suppose he does have to look after the horses. Come to think of it, where does Senator Morton keep the horses?”

“Stable down road,” Lolly pointed off to the right.

“And is the carriage kept there, too?” Celia asked.

“No. Carriage stay in house in backyard,” Lolly explained. “Servants live in house in backyard, too.”

“They do?” Mandie said in surprise. “I thought they lived upstairs in the big house.”

Lolly vigorously shook her head. “Only Juan and Pedro live in big house with senator.”

“Pedro?” Mandie said. “I haven’t seen him yet. Is he away somewhere right now?”

“No, no,” Lolly replied. “Pedro live top floor.”

Mandie remembered the man she had seen in the hallway when they first arrived. “Does Pedro not come down to eat or work or anything?” she asked.

“No, Pedro work at church,” Lolly said as they walked slowly on. “Pedro live private. Senator make private place for Pedro on top floor.”

“Then he must have his own kitchen and everything up there,” Celia said.

“What does Pedro do at the church? What kind of work?” Mandie asked.

“Pedro stand up and tell people be good,” Lolly tried to explain.

Then he must be a preacher of some kind
, Mandie thought. And that was probably Pedro she had seen in the hallway. Mrs. Taft had told them Senator Morton had raised Pedro after his parents died, and he must have educated Pedro, also.

“Do you know where Juan is right now? Did Senator Morton send him off on an errand?” Mandie asked as they slowly walked on.

“Yes, Juan go check horses. Senator may go out tonight,” Lolly replied.

Mandie stopped to turn and look at her as she asked, “Is Senator Morton going out tonight? I thought he and my grandmother were just going to sit in the parlor and talk and drink coffee.”