The Brooch

Her Vengance Rose

"Mumma, Mrs. Crowder said that brooch didn't leave her possession till after I was born. In fact on her wedding day. You and daddy let her have that brooch all that long?"

"It wasn't of our choosing Scarlet. When yo daddy and I left that house that night, that was it for us. There was no way I could return. Even with my mother there. Magnus was sure I had stolen yo daddy from her. And my name was not to be spoken in her sight."

"But that was your brooch."

"Yes it was. But she didn't know that."

"Then you tell her."

"It wasn't that easy Jeffy. She thought sure your daddy had returned that brooch to her for her own daddy's sake. Lawd knows why! Nonetheless, She had it in her head that Matthew had received permission from the late Mr. Lexington and that he was to propose to her. And the brooch was uh love offering to return her family. To finally bring them all together. So there was no way she was ever going to return it. Not with that story drizzling in her mind. Sides that, she never let yo daddy or I near her presence. And when we decided to go up to the estate and retrieve back what was ours. She was gone."

"Where did she go?"

"Supposedly she left the country to her daddy's brother. And she took that darn brooch with her. By that time, my father had safely returned. He took my mother and they left."

"They left the Lexington estate?"

"Mumma wasn't needed anymore. Magnus was gone. And Mrs. Lexington was adjusting on her own. There was even another prospect for marriage in her sights. She was after all much younger than Mr. Lexington by many years. So it only made sense for her to remarry. Or so all convinced her it was the thing to do."

"Where did Grandma and Grandpa Hubbard go? Did they stay nearby?"

"They left Orange Haven. They came here to Everly. They wanted to start all over fresh and anew. Fact is, they even asked yo daddy and I to come. But we had already made a home in Ponchas just near Matthew's family. So for the time being, we stayed."

"And Magnus and the brooch were just gone?"

"Gone... and I thought they were never returning. It's not like I never tried to get it back. I tried thousands of times. But it was to no avail. Not even the sweet Mrs. Lexington could help. Not anymore. And to me, I thought I had disappointed yo daddy and let down your grandfather Julius. So with that, life went on for yo daddy and I."

"But you gave up."

"I can see it from your point of view. But you have to understand... You, Scarlet, came into this world. Tou changed everythang. You were my new joy. I had never realized I could love something so much till I held you in my arms. Even yo daddy. He no longer cared about that brooch as he once did. Not the way he did before he met you."

"Did Great great granddaddy ever know the brooch wasn't in your possession."

"He never did. Matthew and I managed to always evade and change the subject. Matthew never wanted to disappoint or hurt his father. He felt that would be the end of him if he found out the brooch was back in the hands of a Lexington."

"That lie must have tore daddy up."

"Oh honey you don't even know. But like I said life went on... and we couldn't have been happier.  In fact we had came to terms with even letting it go. Until Magnus returned to Orange Haven and the Lexington estate.

"What made her suddenly come back?"

"Time... My guess. She begged me to come up there without yo daddy and let bygones be bygones. Course, I was skeptical. But I took you with me, Scarlet. I thought if she saw you, she would see just how real yo daddy and my love wuz."

"And?"

"For a moment it seemed to work. She even said she had mended and found new love in Rusty Crowder, who was an old school mate of yo daddy's. And that he was soon to propose. And how they were going to live in Ponchas. All seemed well. I went home and told yo daddy. I told him I had a chance of getting back the brooch. Surprisingly he said no.  He wanted me to let it go. He said Magnus was happy. We were livin our lives. And maybe it was meant Magnus to have that brooch after all ."

"Why would he say that?"

"Cuz that brooch seemed to cause more woes in our family that we could ever imagine. And he felt maybe it was better off if we never had it. So I promised him I wouldn't take that brooch."

"But you did Mumma."

"No not me." She said looking at Mama Woods."

"I don't remember taking that brooch Mumma!"

"You were way too young to remember. Mrs. Crowder told the truth when she said you took that brooch out of the room. You had seen it sittin in the corner. And you were just gazin at it in fond."

"So I just took it?" Mama Woods said stunned.

"Kind of."

"Mumma either I did or I didn't! You said daddy made you promise not to take it. And you didn't touch it. How would Mrs. Crowder as obsessed as she was even let me near that brooch or it out of her sight fir that matter?"

"She didn't. And I didn't."

"Then how on God's green earth did I get it?"

"Cuz you, sweet Scarlet, you weren't alone in that room. How you got in there, I don't know. I just know, You weren't with me. And Mrs. Crowder was on the pot with shot nerves. So while she was droppin the kiddies off at the pool sort of speak. Someone came in."

"For the love of that is almighty, who?"

"Mrs. Lexington." Grandma Hastings smirked. "She saw you in that room admiring that brooch. And she was the only one who knew that brooch rightfully belonged to our family. So she took that brooch and she pinned it on you. In a place that Magnus wouldn't dare look."

"Where?"

"Yo diaper!" Grandma Hastings chuckled. "It was the perfect place. Not even I or yo daddy had a clue."

"But Mumma, Mrs. Crowder was searchin for that brooch before she got married."

"Yes she did. But Mrs. Lexington, being the charm, she wuz, promised she would look for the brooch and convinced Magnus to walk down the isle without it."

"When did you find out it was on me, Mumma?"

"When you had a stinky? But I didn't have a spare diaper, so for the sake of all and their burnin nostrils, I took you home. And when I went to change you and there it was. Just smiling at me. Naw, I didn't know what to do in that instant. I thought maybe I go back and give that brooch to Magnus. But before I could even come to that clear conclusion, Mrs. Lexington followed me home. She made me promise never to return that brooch to Magnus. And that it rightfully belonged to me and our family. But I told her of yo daddy's wishes. But she reminded me of Julius and the sacrifice. With that in mind, I held onto that brooch. I didn't even tell yo daddy for years."

"Where did you hide it from his eyes?"

"Inside this precious box." Grandma Hastings smiled. "It stayed there till you, Scarlet, were of age."

"Till you gave it to me?"

"Not necessarily. You were cleanin the curio and saw this box. And you tried that brooch on. And when I saw yo face. How much you admired it... I saw that same happy face from when you were a baby on Mrs. Crowder's wedding day. So I gave it to you. With one condition."

"That I never wear that brooch out of the house. I remember that. And I never did."

"You never did..."

"So how did Mrs. Crowder find out?"

"When yo daddy and Rusty came from fishin and surprisingly that day Mrs. Crowder decided to help me clean and cook the fish. She saw you in your room. And she saw that brooch."

"And that's why she swears it was me..."

"Yup, my sweet Scarlet. Grandma Hastings replied. "And why she can't stand you. But being the woman she is. She stayed silent to me and to you. At for years. Lawd knows why. And Her vengeance rose...