Abby looked up from where she sat on Miss Granger’s loveseat as Patty Ann came in from the kitchen. “Any luck, you guys?” she whispered.
John paused the action. “Look,” he said, pointing to the monitor, “We found Ned again. The sheriff brought him here.”
“He looks terrible.”
“At least they didn’t lynch him,” Abby said. “There’s no sign of his brother Nelson.”
“Are you sure you want to do this?” Patty Ann said. “As horrible as what we saw at the church was…well, it’s nothin’ compared to what you might find here.”
“It’s the only way left to find the right Ned Greenfield,” John said.
“Well, then you better hurry with it. Supper is almost ready.”
“It was really sweet of her to invite us to stay for dinner,” Abby said.
Patty Ann grinned. “Yeah, well, you may change your mind when you taste it. I’ll stall as long as I can.”
John Granger opened his front door and stepped out onto the porch with his lantern. When he saw the boy looking lifeless at the end of the rope he cursed and came forward. “You fools! I told you to take it easy. He won’t do me any good if you’ve ripped it off of him.” He tipped him over onto his back with the toe of his boot. “All right. He’ll do.”
Sheriff Dobbs got down from his horse and tied the reins to Granger’s porch. “Where do you want him, John?”
“Have your boys take him upstairs.”
Dobbs nodded and his men untied Ned. One man took his feet and another his hands and carried him over the threshold. When they started up the stairs, Ned’s head bounced over the first few steps.
“For crying out loud. Watch his head,” Dobbs said, adding a curse.
“Well, give us some help here. He’s huge.”
Dobbs went up the steps and grabbed Ned’s waistband. The man at his head adjusted his grip on Ned’s shoulders, and they lugged him up to the second floor. A door opened, and Martha stuck her head out, her dark hair primly covered with a lace nightcap.
“You go on back to sleep, dear.” Granger shut the door in her face and turned back to the sheriff and his men. “We’ve got to get him up another flight of stairs. There at the end of the hall. Here, let me go first with the light.”
Patty Ann came to the door again. “Supper’s ready. You’ll have to stop for now.”
John closed the laptop and rose from the loveseat, apparently eager to eat again.
Kate went to Patty Ann. “Do you think it’s possible…would Miss Granger allow us to go upstairs?”
“Maybe,” she answered. “You could ask to have a tour. Brag on the house. She’s very proud of it.”
They sat at one end of a huge mahogany table meant to seat twenty. Patty Ann brought chipped china bowls of chili and distributed packages of cheese crackers. And their choice of water or sweet tea.
“Patty Ann,” Miss Granger said, “you say the blessing, why don’t you? It won’t do a bit of good if I do it.”
She bowed her head and thanked God for the gift of salvation and asked him to bless the food, Miss Granger, and her new friends.
When Patty Ann finished, Miss Granger smiled at each of them in turn. “Eat up, everyone. There is plenty more chili in the pantry. Patty Ann gets it at Anderson’s for me.”
“It’s delicious,” Abby lied.
“I don’t like the kind with peanut butter.”
“Nope,” Patty Ann said and patted her arm. “I always get the cheesy crackers for you.”
“Did you know I once danced with Abraham Lincoln? Right here at Hickory Hill. In the ballroom upstairs. The walls are made to fold back whenever we have dances up there. We all wore our fancy dresses and—”
Patty Ann frowned and took the woman’s hand. “Now, Miss Granger, you know the doctor said it wasn’t good for you to read the diary any more.”
Her smile was watery. “I’m sorry. I get confused sometimes.”
“I know you do. But you’re fine now,” Patty Ann said. “I’ve got a good idea. After supper, why don’t we make brownies for your guests?”
“That’s a superb idea, Patty Ann.”
Kate smiled her best smile. “Miss Granger, we really love old houses.”
“We do,” Abby added.
“Your house is wonderful,” Kate said. “Would you mind if we looked around?”
“Why, certainly. This house has been in my family since 1834. Lincoln once visited here and—”
“That’s great.” Kate stood and began to gather their bowls.
“Oh, no,” Miss Granger said. “You’re our guests.”
“Y’all go on.” Patty Ann waved them away with a speaking glance. “We’ll let you know when the brownies are done. It doesn’t take long, you know. To make brownies.”
“Okay,” Abby said. “We’ll hurry.”