Just a single chord is enough to be tangled. ~ Munia Khan
Chapter 26
Twist.
The main door slammed as Washington stormed out of it and headed for the stables. Susan watched from the window. She pitied the groom who would be unfortunate enough to be given the task of saddling Washington's mount. He would get no mercy from the anger master, who would lash out at him verbally nonstop until the horse was ready.
"That certainly did not go well," Susan sighed.
Her predictions were quite right. Washington was in a terrible state of temper as he rode out to the prison.
"It can't be true, it just can't be," he kept muttering to himself. "Jackson wouldn't do that. To be stealing from Father all this time!"
What he really wanted to do was confront Jenna, but of course his cousin hadn't thought to detain the woman. No, she had let her go with a purse of money. Jenna was no fool, she would get as far from Apple Wine, Washington, and Jackson as she possibly could.
"Told Susan some sob story and Susan let her emotions get the better of her," he fumed. "That's why woman shouldn't be involved in business. We'd all be broke if we let them handle things."
Yet, despite his constant denial, even Washington had to admit that it all fit together. Hadn't Jackson been present when they had discussed using freedom as a lure to get Seth to tell the truth? Hadn't he disappeared that afternoon, under the pretext of going to see Catherine? It was ten to one he had ridden over to the prison and had a nice chat with Seth. Still, Washington had to hear it from Seth's own lips to really be sure.
He forced himself to cool down before entering the office to speak with Sheriff Goldberg. His father always said cooler heads must prevail. Nothing good ever came when you did things in a state of temper.
Once he'd calmed himself he arranged with the sheriff to have Seth brought over to the office so they could speak in privacy. It took some time, but at last they brought the handcuffed Seth, who took a seat in the chair Washington had motioned too. Then they were left alone.
For a few moments the two men eyed each other.
"I just had a word with my cousin, Miss Susan Goodwill," Washington began at last. "Apparently yer little lady friend paid us a visit and spilled all the beans."
Seth slowly nodded his head. "So I have also been informed," he dryly stated.
Washington put himself at eye level with Seth. "Seth, let's have the truth. This is a new season starting for us. And I don't want us to lose a third of the harvest like we did last year. I've been tryin' and tryin' to get the truth out of you. Believe it or not, I even went through Jenna, hopin' she would get it out of you and tell me. Well, she got it out, even if she didn't tell me in person."
"Jenna knew all about it before I was even arrested," Seth retorted. "She only let the truth out because she pitied my daughters."
"Huh, the whore has a heart after all. Not like it actually matters. Has she been here?"
"I haven't seen her in two days."
"Shame. Now, start talkin'!"
"I thought Miss Goodwill already told you everything."
Washington's face grew serious. "So it really is Jackson after all? Have you been working with him personally?"
"He does most of the business through that foreman of yers. I never actually met Jackson Goodwill until he came to visit me in the prison and told me to keep my mouth shut."
"How did you even get involved in all this?"
"Ironically enough it was through Jenna. I was lookin' to make some easy money and she said her brother used to work for your brother. None of the business goes on in Apple Wine, it's far to close to the plantation and the town is too small. Garden Springs is quite a bit bigger, but we take all the tobacco to the city to be sold, naturally."
"What city?"
"Several in fact. Your brother has markets in quite a few of the bigger cities all throughout Tennessee. He makes quite a bit of money at the expense of his father. And since all of this is illegal he doesn't pay tax on any of it. I can't tell you anything about how or where it is sold in the city. I was only used to transport the tobacco from here to there."
"And why did my brother decide to put you in jail?"
Seth's eyes darkened as he shrugged. "Naturally your father notices the tobacco going missing so every so often Black, Jackson Goodwill that is, has someone put in prison to keep up appearances. He's got all the evidence after all. I guess this time I was the unlucky one. You know," Seth leaned back in his seat. "I actually had no idea that I was workin' for yer brother. Like I said, I only knew him by the name of Black. Even yer foreman goes by a different name. I only found out he was yer father's foreman when he came to testify against me in court. But when yer father came up with that scheme of his, I suppose yer brother got so scared he decided to come and threaten me personally, and that was how I discovered who it was I had really been workin' for."
"Hmmm," Washington mused aloud. "Jackson probably thought that if you gave Wenthworth's name it would in the end come back to him, so the fool panicked and ran off to give himself away. Well, his plan almost worked, you certainly would have kept your mouth shut till yer dying day if Jenna hadn't decided to take pity on you. Right, well, thank you for your information. I've got to go now. Everything has been put in a completely different light."
"So when do I go free?" Seth stated as Washington rose from his chair.
"When I've got all the facts settled," Washington coolly replied. He called the jailer to take Seth away. He was going to talk to his younger brother.
Jackson had a lot of explaining to do.
***
It was obvious that Jackson was trying to keep a completely nonchalant look on his face.
"Washington Goodwill, whatever put that idea into your head?"
Washington narrowed his eyes. "The cat is out of the bag, Jackson, there is no point in hiding it. Just come out with the truth already."
"But who told you such things?"
"Several people in fact."
"Seth is just trying too..."
"Oh, Seth was the last person I heard it from," Washington cut him off. "I only went to him when I had all the facts. You see, Jackson, you forget that I am also a shrewd man. I knew that Seth was very close with a certain Jenna Callaway. She's a saloon girl. I had hoped she could get the information out of him, but it turned out she didn't need to as she was the one who got him the job in the first place."
"My brother!" Jackson rolled his eyes indignantly. "You are going to believe a whore and a convict over me."
"Well, I have reason too," Washington retorted. "You see, I know that saloon well, just like I know Jenna well. And I also know for a fact that I was not the only Goodwill brother who enjoyed yer services. I took a photograph of you this morning and went over to the saloon and the owner identified you as a man named Black, who often comes over there. I heard you were quite popular with Jenna until Seth came along and swept her off her feet. Not like you cared, you know as well as I do that you never love a whore. I have to say one thing, Jackson, you need to learn to work more undercover. Changing your name doesn't do the trick anymore. We have entered into an age with photographs, and you've got to change your looks as well before you go to public places."
There was a slight pause. Jackson's face had lost a shade of color and while he remained was calm it was obvious he was shaken.
"Have you told Father?" he said at last in a voice that was not exactly his.
"So you confess at last. I can't believe you! To be doing such underhand dealin's like this. And then to go and try to beg Uncle Isaac's cotton plantation. The nerve of you is ridiculous. I...I...I...honestly, Jackson, I can't even do the subject justice."
"Have you told Father?"
"Not yet," Washington replied. "I have half a mind too."
"What if I'll tell you that I'll stop!"
These words had Washington breaking out into a hearty laugh. "You'll stop! You'll stop? What a childish expression. Shall I send you to your room with now supper as punishment? Jackson, we are talkin' of a criminal offence here. And I have no reason to believe that you will stop!"
"Washington," Jackson abruptly rose from his seat and walked over to his brother. "Washington, you could help me out. There is so much more money when you go under the law. All these taxes that Father has too pay, land, sales, you name it. The Yanks have not been kind to us ever since the end of the war, they took our slaves away, now we have to pay the workers and that hinders profits. Washington, think about it. We could increase our wealth if we just used our heads."
"I will not steal from Father!" Washington stated with a note of finality. "I'm ashamed that you had the nerve to even think about it."
The wheels in Jackson's head were turning furiously now. He had to get Washington on his side, or all was lost. He took a deep breath and returned to his chair.
"What about Uncle Isaac's plantation, the one our cousin Matthew sold to Father?"
"What about it?"
"Father doesn't want to give it to me, but what if he gives it to us? We could make so much money off of it. No, Washington, listen to me," Jackson held out his hand as his brother rolled his eyes. "Give me a chance. Let me tell you what I had in mind."
"Even if I do hear you out, this won't solve the issue with you stealin' from Father."
"Yes, in a way it will. If we get control of that plantation, there will be no need for me to get money from this one anymore. Let Father run it his way if that is what he wants. I need you to get a hold of Uncle Isaac's plantation and you could really profit from it. We'd have more money than ever. Just think, we could open up the entire house again, employ more staff. You won't have Father and Juliana complainin' about the cost of two nannies for Jefferson! We could get bigger stables, more horses. We could speculate even more and continue to expand and expand. The sky would be the limit!"
A serious expression set into Washington's handsome face. It was easy to tell he was slowly starting to consider what Jackson had to offer. "And if I do agree to go along with your plans," he said at last, "we still have to get that Seth boy out of jail."
"We can threaten him..."
"Not so easy this time, Jackson! His whole family knows, as, I will point out to you, does Susan!"
There was a name Jackson had not been expecting. "Susan? How is she involved?"
"Because Jenna didn't want to talk to me, so she went to Susan. Our cousin knows it all. And you know her sense of justice. Zhe will never let it rest. If I don't tell Father about your theft and just let it slide, you can be sure she will not hesitate to lay it all out before him."
The light in Jackson's eyes dimmed and he frowned for a brief moment. Then his eyes lit up again.
"Of course! Washington, Susan will be easy to handle. If we're talking about things coming out of the bag, did you know that she's been sneaking off with that other Carthwrite son? What's his name...Jimmy, that's it."
Washington inhaled deeply. "Susan! With that good for nothing drunk!" He took another deep breath. "He's the worst company ever. Do you know how many girls he's got at that saloon? We've go to put a stop to this! How long have you known about it? Why keep silent until now?"
In so many words Jackson explained what Catherine had seen and told him.
"I was planning of confronting her, but didn't get around to it yet. Of course we must put an end to it, but we can also use this information to keep her quiet. If she talks we'll tell Father and Mother, and worst of all, we'll tell her mother. You know how Aunt Elizabeth is all obsessed with Susan being a model of perfect etiquette and decorum and makin' the perfect match with the perfect man. If Aunt Elizabeth finds out she will have a hissy fit and then Susan will be promptly married off and goodbye to her dreams of not being match made with some man she hardly knows. If we play this right, we could keep her nice and quiet forever."
"Fair enough, but that doesn't solve the problem with Seth. You see, his father and mother known and they will make sure our father finds out. Even if they have to go through Judge Hill, who so happens to be a very good friend of theirs. Then Father will want an investigation and the whole truth will come out. No, Jackson, we have got to set Seth free and find another culprit. That's the only way to keep your name in the clear. And it's got to be someone more believable than Seth. It's really got to be done in a way that will convince Father that this time the real mastermind has been put behind bars."
For a few moments there was silence as the two brothers sat thinking. "You know," Jackson spoke up at last. "I think I have an idea."
***
Softly, Juliana glided away from the door. She had heard as much as she needed to. There was precious little time before Susan discovered that Washington was not going to expose his brother. Worse than that, he was going to join him. She needed to get Susan as far away from her cousins before the truth came out. She needed to get her away from Jimmy, the Carthwrites, and White Hill. Let all this happen without Susan around to try to bring justice and ruin her good name and reputation while she was at it.
"The only questions is," Juliana thought to herself. "Is where do I take her so that it is far enough?"
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Hi Folks, just wanted to apologize for being gone for so long. So much has been going on in my life, most of it good. I'll write more on that later, but here's an update at last. There's also the next chapter up on Inkitt for ya'll to enjoy as well.