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Chapter Nine

Chapter Nine

Allie did not get a chance to go back up to the attic that night nor the next morning as Mrs. Treadwell had her running frantically, trying to make sure everything was perfect for Theodore's arrival later that evening.

The flowerbeds were tidy, the walk had been weeded, the porches cleaned and the inside of the house swept, mopped and dusted from top to bottom. The dinner menu was excessive to say the least and Allie couldn't imagine why Theodore coming back home would warrant such a feast.

There would be a few other guests coming as well and Allie assumed that they were truly who Mrs. Treadwell was hoping to impress. If only the guests knew the secret that Mrs. Treadwell was keeping in her attic; they may not be so keen to spend their time socializing with the monster of a woman. It had taken every bit of Allie's self control to manage the submissive respect that Mrs. Treadwell expected of her.

"I need you to take these to the attic," Allie whispered as she stepped into her and Amelia's room in late afternoon with a sack of fresh baked biscuits.

"Where did you get those?" Amelia questioned, showing no surprise at hearing Allie wanted her to go to the attic. The two sisters had talked long and hard about the man up there. While Allie had made it clear that Amelia was not allowed to go into the attic without checking with her first, Amelia seemed pleased that she would still be allowed to spend time with her new friend.

"Tessa made them and Mrs. Treadwell insisted that because the bottoms were black they were no good. I was supposed to put them in the slop bucket with all the chicken innards but I don't want him eating that so take him these biscuits while they're still warm and tell him I'll bring him more proper food as soon as I can."

"Okay," Amelia took the sack.

"I'll bring you a plate up for supper whenever I get a chance so don't spend too much time up there."

"It'll be fine, Allie," Amelia insisted. "Thank you for giving him a chance."

Allie smiled and laid her hand on her sisters lightly freckled cheek, "No one deserves the hand he's been dealt in life, Amelia, and you were right to say we have to help him. To ignore him and turn a blind eye to his situation would make us no different than the monsters that put him up there. But we have to be careful. He's very afraid of Mrs. Treadwell and I think we'd do well to be afraid of her also. If she's capable of doing what she's done to him than she could be capable of anything."

The sisters shared a look of understanding and then both ran off to do their duties.

***

Allie was dead on her feet, sweating and wishing the night of entertainment could end. She blew a loose strand of her mousy brown hair from her face and winced when Tessa came slamming into the kitchen, "Mrs. Treadwell wants the main course now," she ordered.

"I'm trying!" Allie insisted.

"You're gonna have to try harder, suga'," Tessa warned. "That woman won't stand to be embarrassed in front of those other society types out there."

Allie placed the last of the warm rolls on the platter and picked up the silver dish of roasted chicken, "You get those two vegetable dishes and we'll have to make another trip for the rest."

Tessa nodded and with their hands full the two women stepped into the dining room. Allie rushed to get the food placed on the table and glanced around at the guests. This was the first she was seeing them having been cooped up in the kitchen. She had no idea who any of them were but it was easy enough to pick Theodore out of the crowd.