Part 7 (1/2)

”It has to do with those two brief-cases of his. You know, the ones he was so particular about all the way down here?”

Val nodded. Those bulging brief-cases had apparently contained the dearest of his roving brother's possessions, judging from the way Rupert had fussed if they were a second out of his sight.

”This morning when I came downstairs,” Ricky continued, ”he was sneaking them into that little side room off the dining-room corridor, the one which used to be the old plantation office. And when he came out and saw me standing there, he deliberately turned around and locked the door!”

”Whew!” Val commented.

”Yes, I felt that way too. So I simply asked him what he was doing and he made some silly remark about Bluebeard's chamber. He means to keep his old secret, too, 'cause he put the key on his key-ring when he didn't know I was watching him.”

”This is not the place for a rest cure,” her brother observed as he started to sc.r.a.pe and stack the dishes. ”First someone unknown leaves his handkerchief for a calling card and then Rupert goes Fu Manchu on us. To say nothing of the rugged and unfriendly son of the soil whom I found b.u.mping around the garden where he had no business to be.”

”What was he like anyway?” asked his sister as she dipped soap flakes into the dish-water with a liberal hand.

”Oh, thin, and awfully brown. But not bad looking if it weren't for his mouth and that scowl of his. And he very distinctly doesn't like us.

About my build, but quicker on his feet, tough looking. I wouldn't care to try to stop him doing anything he wanted to do.”

”My dear, are you describing Clark Gable or someone you met in our garden this morning?” she demanded sweetly.

”Very well,” Val retorted huffily into the depths of the oatmeal pan he was wiping, ”you catch him next time.”

”I will,” was her serene answer as she wrung out the dish-cloth.

They went on to the upstairs work and Val received his first lesson in the art of bed-making under his sister's extremely critical tuition. It seemed that corners must be square and that dreadful things were likely to happen when wrinkles were not smoothed out. This exercise led them naturally to unpacking the remainder of the hand baggage and putting things away. It was after ten before Val came downstairs crab-fas.h.i.+on, wiping off each step behind him as he came with one of Ricky's three dust-cloths.

He paused on the landing to pull back the tapestry curtain and open the windows above the alcove seat, letting in the freshness of the morning to rout some of the dank chill of the hall. Kneeling there, he watched Rupert come around the house. Rupert had shed his coat and his sleeves were rolled up almost to his shoulders. There was a streak of black across his cheek and a large rip almost separated the collar from his s.h.i.+rt. Although he looked hot, cross, and tired, more like a day-laborer than a gentleman plantation owner whose ancestors had always ”planted from the saddle,” his stride had a certain buoyancy which it had lacked the day before.

With an idea of escaping Ricky by joining his brother, Val hurried downstairs and headed kitchenward. But his sister was there before him looking over a collection of knives of various lengths.

”Preparing for a little murder or two?” Val asked casually.

She jumped and dropped a paring knife.

”Val, don't do that! I wish you'd whistle or something while you're walking around in those tennis shoes. I can't hear you move. I'm looking for something to cut flowers with. There don't seem to be any scissors except mine and I'm not going to use those.”

”Take dat, Miss 'Chanda.” A fat black hand motioned toward the paring knife.

Just within the kitchen door stood a wide, a very wide, Negro woman. Her neat print dress was stiff with starch from a recent was.h.i.+ng, and round gold hoops swung proudly from her ears. Her black hair, straightened by main force of arm, had been set again in stiff, corrugated waves of extreme fas.h.i.+on, but her broad placid face was both kind and serene.

”I'se Lucy,” she stated, thoroughly at her ease. ”An' dis,” she reached an arm behind her, pulling forth a girl at least ten shades lighter and thirty-five shades thinner, ”is mah sistah's onliest gal-chil', Letty-Lou. Mak' yo' mannahs, Letty. Does yo' wan' Miss 'Chanda to think yo' is a know-nothin' outa de swamp?”

[Ill.u.s.tration: ”_I'se Lucy,” she stated, thoroughly at her ease. ”An'

dis is Letty-Lou._”]

Thus sternly admonished, Letty-Lou ducked her head shyly and murmured something in a die-away voice.

”Letty-Lou,” announced her aunt, ”is com' to do fo' yo'all, Miss 'Chanda. I'se larn'd her good how to do fo' ladies. She is good at scrubbin' an' cleanin' an sich. Ah done train'd her mahse'f.”

Letty-Lou looked at the floor and twisted her thin hands behind her back.

”But,” protested Ricky, ”we're not planning to have anyone do for us, Lucy.”