Chapter 1
1247 Words
Part Two
CHARITY
Chapter 1
December 2004
Charity Grayson stared at the man in front of her. He had black eyes and hair. He was just a little taller then her. And there was no way that what he said could be true. The farm that she was living and working on was hers. It had been for ten years, since she was eighteen. She even had the deed to prove it.
“Come in and have a seat,” she said. “I'll be right back with the deed.”
“No,” the man said. “You don't understand. I think I have explained it wrong to you, Ms. Grayson.”
“No, I think you explained it enough,” she said. “Come in and have a seat. I will get the deed.”
She knew he saw no way out of it when he came inside. She closed the door and pointed to a chair for him to sit in. She didn't wait to see if he sat down. She went to her office. She quickly found the file and turned to go back into the other room.
The man had followed her to her office.
“I have explained it wrong,” he said. “I have not been back here long.”
“Where did you live before?” she asked.
“France,” he said.
“They do speak English there,” she said.
“Yes, but my mother didn't allow it in the house,” he said. “And since I spent most of my time in the house, I mostly spoke French.”
“Oh. Well, since you and I are in the office I guess we can stay in here. Unless, you would like to go into the kitchen? I was just about to start lunch.”
“Please, don't let me stop you.”
She frowned. “Follow me then.”
He followed her into the kitchen and then sat at the table. She placed the folder onto the table in front of him. She then turned and went over to fridge.
“Is this all of the papers you have?”
“Yes, those are all of them. Why?”
“I just wanted to make sure.”
“Okay.” She started to take things out of the fridge. “Do you want a sandwich?”
“I don't know.”
“Well, are you hungry?”
“Yes.”
“Then I'll make you one as well.”
“Fine.”
She heard the papers shuffling as she made them each a ham sandwich. She placed their sandwiches on the table and then got the soda and chips. She had returned to the table and sat down by the time he found what he was looking for.
“Here it is.” He handed her the paper.
She set her sandwich, which she had just picked up, down and took the paper. It was her uncles will.
“What about it?”
“Read it. Just the highlighted part. Out loud.”
“'And to my niece, Charity, I leave my farm. Should it become too much for her, she can either sell it or give it to Ashley Silvermist.'” She handed the paper back to him. “So what of it?”
“I am Ashley Silvermist. Your uncle was my fathers best friend. Together they made this farm what it is. Three months before your uncle died, my father died. I didn't learn of ether mans death until recently. My mother had kept my fathers death, and your uncles, a secret from me.”
“So, again I ask, 'What of it'?”
“There was a letter written to my mother by the foreman. In it, he told her that my father had been murdered. It only took your uncle three months to find out who was behind it. Before your uncle had a chance to go to the police, he too was murdered.”
“And you want the farm?”
“Not exactly. I want to find out who killed them. I also want to take up the place my father held.”
“And what place was that?”
“Well, he invested money in the farm. Your uncle was the one who did all the work. When the farm made money, my father received a portion of the profit. When the farm lost money, he would give you uncle a loan to cover it. The last loan that your uncle received was a little over two thousand dollars.”
“Oh. He paid it back, didn't he?”
“I'm afraid that he still owed my father a thousand when my father was killed.”
“Well, since they both are dead that can't be helped.” She looked at him. “Can it?”
“Since you became the sole heir to your uncles farm, that included his debts. I'm sorry to have to tell you that I want the thousand.”
“I'm afraid that you mustn't have heard about this little farm.”
“What about it?”
“I only have ten chickens, a rooster, two cows, two horses, and a mean tempered bull.”
“I don't understand. What happened to all the other animals? There used to be more chickens, cows, horses. I remember that there were even sheep.”
“Sold. They all had to be sold to pay for my uncles' funeral, his debts and the deed to the farm.”
“I am afraid that I don't understand something. When my father died your uncle had over a million dollars from all the investing that they had done over the years.”
“It was all gone by the time the lawyer had called me and told me that my uncle had died. He said that it had been used for repairs, the paychecks of the farmhands, his fees. It was all gone. I had to let go of everyone. Then I had to sell the animals. What little I had left after the selling of the animals and paying off everything, I put in the bank and have only used to buy things that the farm has needed.”
“Weren't there crops?”
“Yes. But without anyone to help me, the job was just to big.”
“Hmm.” He ate a couple of the chips and then looked at her. “Would you like the money to make this place what it once was?”
“Of course I would. Why?”
“What would you do for it?”
“What do you mean?”
“Just what I asked you. What would you do for the money to make this place what it once was?”
“If you mean would I sleep with you, the answer is no.”
“That isn't what I meant. At least not yet. I want to know if you would do anything.”
“It would depend on what 'anything' is.”
“Marry me.”
“What?”
“You heard me. I want you to marry me.”
“But I don't know you. I don't even know if what you say is the truth about who you are. I mean, do you have id.?”
“Like my passport?”
“Or your state id. card. That would work.”
“I see.” He stood up from his chair. For a moment she thought that he was going to leave. Instead, he reached into his back pocket. He took out his wallet and opened it. He then threw it on the table in front of her. “There you are.”
She reached across the table to pick it. In the slot for an id. card, there was his. He wasn't smiling. She took a deep breath and then read the name. “Ashley Silvermist.”
“That enough for you?”
“Yes.”
She slowly stood as he came around the table and took his wallet back. She watched as he checked to see how much money he had on him. He then turned to look at her.
“When do you want to get married, Charity?”
She could only stare at him.
- Writer
