~ Serendipitous Rose ~

by

Sue Thornton

"You may think I’m a heartless father, Rani, but I’d like to see you succeed to prove to Judith you don’t have to be born with a silver spoon in your mouth to be somebody. It takes brains and hard work to make it in this world, and you shouldn’t rely on your family money to get you by in life. Judith’s still under the misconception old money is what made her." Mr. O’Malley coughed again. This time the gut-wrenching racking lasted longer.

"And you don’t believe that?" Rani questioned, knowing the answer well-enough. Money talked, especially old money.

"It shouldn’t, but it has. I blame her mother and myself for that. I, too, was a spoiled, arrogant S.O.B. in my youth. I’m still an S.O.B., but one who sees even old money can’t give you everything." He sighed into the phone. "If you’ll be home this afternoon, I’d like to stop by with my analysis. Don’t feel obligated to take it, just look it over and think about it. Will two o’clock be alright with you?"

Rani stood upright and glanced at the clock. "Two o’clock is fine, Mr. O’Malley. I’ll be waiting."

The abrupt dial tone shook her more than the phone call. She didn’t think he was much of a businessman in the way of manners when he didn’t even say goodbye.

"Miz Rani, you okay?"

She glanced at Arthur and realized she still held the phone in her hand. "Yeah, sure." She let out a deep breath. "At least I think I am."

The receiver dropped in its base with a soft thud before she walked to the table to sit. "It seems the president of the bank is going to make a house call this afternoon." She glanced around the kitchen. "Where’s Devin?"

Arthur nodded, his face solemn. "I reckon Mister Devin’s still down at the fishing hole. The ground’s too muddy to till."

But, there was brick that could be replaced or work on the fountain that needed to be done. Did he think just because she was inside she was loafing around? She rubbed her eyes, frustrated at her own lack of patience. He couldn’t work very well in the mud, either.

A stack of leather-bound books caught her eye. "Are these the books you found?"

"Yes, ma’am. Here’s your soup and a nice plate of bread and butter." He placed the items in front of her.

Enthralled with the discovery, Rani found the same spidery handwriting filled the musty pages of these notebooks, just like the book upstairs. Todd Blakely’s diagrams and ideas fascinated her. His dreams to make Blakely gardens as superb as the castle gardens in England were apparently cut short by some unknown event.

Rani turned the page and stared at the hand-drawn map of the area. The bowl of soup was forgotten as she became caught up in history.

"Look at this, Arthur," she exclaimed. "All of these buildings behind the garden area."

Arthur didn’t move from his seat, yet he nodded, "Slave quarters."

Shocked at the unexpected answer, she jerked and stared at the old man. "How do you know that?"

He took a bite of thick, vegetable beef soup and chewed slowly, abominably slow. "My granddaddy was born of slave parents on this land, Miz Rani. He came into this world a slave and left it as a free man."

When he pointed his spoon at her, his hand shook slightly. "Now you eat, Miz Rani. Need to keep your strength up for the money man."

With a sigh, she slid the bowl closer. "Arthur, would you tell me more?"

"What you want to know?" he asked, his eyes watchful.

"What were the Blakelys like? How did they treat the people who worked for them?" She spooned up soup and savored the flavor while waiting for an answer.

"Mister Todd and Granddaddy grew up together. They were best friends. Mister Todd’s mama took granddaddy under her wing and taught him to read and write. The master and mistress were good, fair people who treated their slaves decent. Master Blakely wasn’t looked on favorably by many of his peers ‘cause they believed he was too soft, letting his slaves become educated and not splitting up and selling off their family."

He rested his spoon in his bowl. "You see Miz Rani, the master discovered his slaves were more loyal and got far more work done if they were well-fed, rested, and treated like humans."

Rani continued to eat while she listened to Arthur and studied his face. There was something about him that struck out at her, something she should know, but couldn’t quite grasp.

"How did your granddaddy become a gardener?" she asked.

"His daddy was the head gardener before him, just as his wife was the head cook like her mama. Granddaddy worked in the gardens when he wasn’t at his lessons. The Mistress Blakely was from England, and she missed her mother’s gardens. She’d learned everything she could from the gardener there. Then she taught my family everything she knew and supplied us with books to continue learning. Master Blakely carried on long conversations with Granddaddy and his daddy."

Arthur scraped his chair back and stood.

"Did Master Blakely listen to what they had to say?" Rani whispered in awe. Never had she heard a story of a good slave owner, only tales of horror and brutality.

Pride evident in his stance, Arthur straightened. "Every word, and Mister Todd, he even practiced some of the recommendations. Mister Todd was just as thoughtful and caring as his daddy. That’s why my granddaddy and grandma stayed on here to work for Mister Todd after Master Blakely died. By then all the slaves were free, and the war had left a lot of dead. Those that didn’t go to fight remained and worked. After the war, some even returned and were given jobs as freemen to earn their own living."

Rani stared in fascination at the aging man. "It must be wonderful to know your family’s history, Arthur. You’re a very lucky man."

He picked up her empty dishes and went to the sink. "You still got your Grammie, Miz Rani, I’m sure she’d be happy to tell you about your family."

She blinked in surprise. Of course, Arthur wouldn’t know she was adopted. And there wasn’t anything she wanted to know about her biological family, especially if there was a possibility there were more relatives like Elmo. Good old Pa.

"I’ll do the dishes, Arthur," she rose from her chair.

"No, ma’am, Miz Rani, you go on back to work. I’ll come get you when the money man arrives."

A smile covered his face while he shooed her from his domain. Rani gathered the treasure trove of books, hurried from the room and back to the study. When she stepped into the warmth of old wood and leather, she resolved to go to her parents’ home to gather her plants. Greenery would be a nice addition to the masculine surroundings.

Maybe new window treatments, too, she thought before she curled into the corner of the couch and lost herself in the history of the Blakely gardens.

~ * ~

"Excuse me, Miz Rani, I think you better come," Arthur’s voice shook.

Intent on the spidery handwriting in front of her, Rani didn’t look at him. "Is it two o’clock already?"

"No ma’am, but I think you best come. Mister Devin’s found something."

The uneasy sound of Arthur’s voice sank into her brain. The sight of his gray face and the stark whites of his eyes caused a bitter taste to roll up from her stomach into her mouth. "Arthur?" Her voice was barely a whisper.

"Please, Miz Rani, you need to come."

With weak knees and legs, she forced herself to stand and follow the elderly man down the stairs. What happened to put Arthur in such distress? What was there that she needed to be afraid of?

A wall of ice-cold air slammed into her when she stepped into the large kitchen. There, in the middle of the table, the hollowed eyes of a skull returned her stare while its macabre grin laughed at her.