Gold, Fire & Refinement

Chapter Seventeen

"It is in your moments of decision that your destiny is shaped." ~Tony Robbins

The rain stopped, the weather started keeping its cool, and there was a chill in the air at the dinner table on Sunday evening. The silence made Harvey pay close attention to his grandmother. She hadn't been "the general" at all during dinner. They enjoyed a delicious home-cooked meal of garden-fresh turnip greens, mashed potatoes, Southern-style corn simmered with fresh tomatoes, and accompanying it all, Harriet's delicious and crispy fried chicken and Wisconsin cheddar biscuits. The food was nothing short of perfection, but Grandma Betty's silence through it all was deafening. She hadn't chided or scolded any servant over any little thing; hadn't made even one ridiculous demand, and that was unusual. Deciding not to ask her what was wrong, Harvey figured she had a lot to think about and was probably worrying about what could be the result of the trip they'd all be taking to Memphis the next day.

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After getting back from Tennessee, Uncle Drake and Rita June invited them all to have dessert at the guesthouse after dinner. They'd been in Nashville for several weeks visiting Rita June's ailing mother. Harvey decided it would be nice to walk the 100-yard trek down the private drive to his uncle's house, since Zarah said her sore foot felt up to it. They were at the back door ready to go, but his grandma wasn't there. When Harvey yelled for her, she yelled back from her bedroom. "Y'all go on over without me," she said. "I have to change and I need to make a quick phone call. Tell my son I'll be on over a bit later."

Soon, the engaged couple was strolling down the hill, holding hands, talking, and stealing lots of kisses. Keeping the promise she made to Mrs. McNeese, Zarah hadn't told Harvey everything from their talk the day before. When he came to her room on Saturday night and found the door locked from the inside, he knocked. She opened the door, peeked out, and told him his grandmother knew. When he asked how she knew, she told him. "She spoke with me ... about it," she said. "Yesterday. Said she knew you slept with me our first two nights here." Then she told him they should respect Bettina's wishes for the rest of the visit. After making his sad face and pretending to cry, he agreed, then he gave her a very passionate goodnight kiss.

As they walked up then down a steep hill, the colonial-style guesthouse started coming into full view and the real-estate developer in her fiancé came to the forefront. He started talking about all the renovations the home had gone through, inside and out, since it was built in 1960. Taking her through the history, he pointed and showed her different aspects of the scenic grounds. There was beautiful landscaping and "hardscaping" visible from where they were. The landscaping included expansive and well-maintained lawns and flower gardens, and a variety of different types of trees and shrubs. The hardscaping was beautiful cobblestone masonry, including a circular driveway, several walkways, and a wraparound porch that turned into an expansive deck in the back. Taking her by the hand, Harvey led her far enough around the back to show her how the deck ended in a massive stone waterfall that spilled into an enormous infinity swimming pool overlooking the lake.

"Grandma meant for her and Grandpa McKinley to retire here," Harvey said. "Planned everything. Even put in an elevator for when they could no longer go up and down the stairs. She swims over here for exercise. Three, four times a week."

Zarah noticed the pride in Harvey's voice as he spoke about his grandmother. It was very clear to her. He didn't just love his Grandma Betty. He admired a lot about the one blood-related woman in his life who absolutely hated her.

"It's her favorite exercise," he said. "She's seventy-seven, and she walks here and back to the main house. Sometimes after swimming for a whole hour."

"Impressive," Zarah said. "No wonder she's in such great physical shape. For her age." She wasn't ready to tell him what she thought about his grandmother's mental state. The woman's personality was like a scimitar—a double-edged sword that cuts both ways. The delightful, charming, pleasant-to-be-around Bettina McNeese was camouflage for sneak attacks by the cruel-hearted, mean-spirited viper she kept hidden away from Harvey.