The Brooch

Matthew Meets Hal

That long hot summer seemed like Magnus was stickin onto me like bees to honey. She insisted I be around her nearly every second of the day. Something, my mother seemed to be okay with. Seeing as she knew, as long as I was near Magnus, then there was no chance I could be around Matthew. But that didn't stop him from trying.

In fact when Matthew found out that my mother refused us seeing each other, even more so the reason, seemed he got even more determined than ever to be in my presence. Even if that meant, he took a temporary job with Mr. Manchester in his furniture store. By that time He was already keen to Magnus sweet tooth. And he knew I would always be outside waitin as she soothed her temptation. It's also when he would take a break from Manchester's and would grab me away. I lived for those moments. No one had caught onto our secret rendezvous for some time. Not until that one solo afternoon when Magnus came out far too early for all of us.

"Why, Matthew! As I live and breathe!" Magnus joyfully uttered.

"Course I had to pretend like I never saw him there and it was our first meeting since that day some time ago. She adamantly insisted he come with us to the Lexingtons estate. But when Matthew told her of his job... well that was the end all. We were no longer able to see each other in our rendezvous. My heart was torn open. I felt maybe my mother was right. So stayed away from him. And it hurt like the dickens! I even refused to go with Magnus to the candy store. Well that didn't set well with yo daddy! And by that time, Magnus had a craving for another sweet."

"Daddy?"

"Course. She would just relish in tellin me how she would bring him lunch and sit on that very side wall. And how things were just going swimmingly with him. I stayed at the estate and helped mother where I could. In fact I had decided I was going to get over yo daddy. But he wasn't over me. He knew the only way to see me was to do what he regretted doin. I'm sorry to say, he used Magnus. He felt it was the only way to get to me. So he finally agreed to have dinner with her and her family at the estate. Well you think that would never happen and the ice castles would dance with a volcano in a dark eternity first. But the strangest thing happened in that time. Magnus told her father of Matthew. And that he was a Hastings. You would think he would refuse her ever conversing with him again. Instead the opposite happened. Mrs. Lexington convinced her husband it would be healing for them all. I nearly died when I seen Matthew walking through those doors to have dinner with the Lexingtons. And I hated him for it."

"You mean he actually called on Mrs. Crowder?"

"Seemed so. And I was on fire with hate for him! Oh I never wanted to lay eyes on Matthew Hastings eva again. But yo daddy is resourceful. Somehow he managed to allude the Lexingtons of his whereabouts on their own property. And he found me. A raging me at that. Oh I let him have it. But before I knew it, I was in his arms. Still I fought him as best I could. Till he finally explained, he wasn't there for Magnus. He was there for me. No doubt. But he actually came for the Lexingtons and Hastings to be at peace."

"But I thought that's what grandpa Julius had already resolved that."

"To some degree. But Hal was never really over that brooch. Julius and Hal had never seen each other again after Hal had returned that brooch. And Matthew from the stories of his father, knew how conniving Hal could be if he set his mind to it. And he wanted to make sure there was no more beef between their families. Not only for his father's sake. But oddly for mine. He knew that was the only way he could freely see me. Come to find out Hal was too tired to even feud anymore. To have any unforgivness..."

"What about Magnus?"

"Oh that whole time she thought, Matthew was there for her."

"How did she find out he wasn't?"

"That night she didn't. She was too blind to see. And her father Hal, didn't have the heart to tell her of the meeting between Him and Matthew. In fact Hal actually led her to believe that he was there for her hand. But he wasn't. He was there for mine. You see Matthew wanted to take me home with him to be with him forever. But he knew he couldn't until Hal, talked to my mother and in short, give the blessing of him pursuing me. Hal promised he would talk to Grandma Hubbard. He also promised he would sit down with Magnus and explain everythang. That night yo daddy went home. Not before finding me and making me promise to see him again. If not for one more time. I agreed."

"Strange that Mr. Lexington didn't have much more fight in him that night. Especially from what you said about the beef between him and Julius."

"You would think so. But... he was telling the truth we said he was tired that night and needed to make amends. Mr. Lexington went to bed that night and never woke up. But not before summoning Grandma Hubbard to let her know it was okay for love between yo daddy and I. In fact he gave his blessing. Sadly, he never made it to tell his daughter and explain it all. That next day when Matthew came calling for me. He had a package in his hand. He was so jovial and beyond elated to come for me. And to come with no ties to the Lexingtons. But to his dismay, the butler opened the door, and down the stairs came Magnus...."