Chapter 49

It was about a month later and well into spring when Tom received another strange visitor. It was the middle of the afternoon and Tom had just learned some interesting things from a Congressman's butler. He might have retired after Tom paid him.

Tom was writing in the File books and attaching documents to the pages when he noticed a woman standing by his table. He nodded to the chair across from him and didn't bother to notice when she sat. When he finished he looked up and took stock of who he was sitting with. She was young and very pretty, with light blonde hair and clear sparkling blue eyes. She had a good figure with a tiny waist, but he wasn't sure how much was corset and how much as her.

Tom sipped his coffee and watched her as she met his eyes. He thought it unusual since most women never look a man in the eye, at least until they knew them. Tom nodded his head and spoke softly as he had found that his business worked best if conducted in near whispers.

"What may I do for you?" Tom waited as he noticed that she seemed to become nervous now that the time to talk about her visit was at hand. After a moment or so of wringing her hands she seemed to find her courage and once again looked him in the eyes before she spoke, "My name is Janet Thurston. I was Senator Thurston's daughter." Tom looked at her and wondered if that was supposed to tell him everything about her. He considered it for a moment and decided that she was used to people that knew all about her before she met them, or at least knew all about her father. It was a statement that she wasn't used to dealing with common people.

Tom thought that she needed an education, "Where that may be very important where you come from, I can assure you that Senators are a dime a dozen in my business. If you want me to know who you are and what this is about, then I suggest that you tell me, and not assume that I know anything about what is important in your life. Not only do I not know, but I really don't care either. Unless it affects me, your life is your own affair." Tom watched as his words sank in and registered. He surprised look was enough entertainment for the whole afternoon. Tom smiled and offered her a cup of coffee.

After her surprise her eyes grew hard again and he figured she had seen a few hard times. She nodded her head and Tom motioned to Michael for another cup. Since Tom had the pump installed in the kitchen, Michael had made Tom's service his personal priority. Tom never had to look for Michael as he was always close by.

After pouring a cup of coffee, Tom leaned back and waited for the lady to speak. She realized what he was waiting for and steeled herself. "Mr. Sherman, I have heard a lot about you, and I was hoping that we could help each other. You see, I have a problem. My father died recently and left some considerable gambling debts. To guarantee his markers he put up Magnolia House as collateral. The problem is that the gambler, a Mr. Belamy wants his money now. Right now we are planting and until the crops are sold we won't have the money. He plans to take Magnolia House for the debt, and I can't let that happen."

Tom looked at her and even though he didn't have a good grasp of the whole situation, he did understand the general idea. "You will have to forgive me Miss Thurston, but what is Magnolia House and just where is it?" He could tell that if he had asked what a moon was, it wouldn't have been any more of a shock. She looked frustrated but she took a deep breath and slowly explained, "Mr. Sherman, Magnolia House is our plantation, in the great state of Virginia. Senator Thurston was the Senator for Virginia; I would think that you knew the most obvious things, in your line of work."

Tom smiled at her, "Miss Thurston, it might be a surprise to you, but in my line of work I don't meet every Senator and Congressman. Actually I don't care to meet any of them as I personally find them repulsive. As far as Magnolia House is concerned, it's just another plantation in the South and I don't see where any of this concerns me."

Janet Thurston bristled before she wilted again. "You're right Mr. Sherman, it has nothing to do with you, but it has everything to do with me. I need to borrow money to pay my father's debts before this cheap gambler can take Magnolia house from me. That is why I came to see you. I heard that you have money, and you might loan me the sum I need."

Tom frowned. He knew that this type of thing was bound to happen, but he wished that it wouldn't. "Why haven't you gone to the bank?" It was an obvious and simple solution to her problem. He watched as she sat up a little straighter before she answered, "I assure you Mr. Sherman, that was the first place that I did go. The problem is that as a woman, I can't borrow money against Magnolia House. Without collateral they won't loan me any money, and as a woman I can't own land, so I have no collateral."

Tom considered the situation. It was not something that he wanted to get involved with, but there was something curious about the whole thing. "So, if you can't own land, you have no collateral to offer me either. Why would I want to loan you any money?"

Tom watched her as she considered his words. He could tell that it didn't disturb her to have the obvious shortcomings to her plan pointed out, and he wondered what she had in mind to get around the situation. She took a deep breath before she continued, "Mr. Sherman, even though I can't own land, I assure you that I do own Magnolia House. My father expressly made arrangements in his will. I am the one that owns Magnolia House, but not for long if I can't raise the money to buy back father's markers."

Tom shook his head and knew that he was missing something. He figured that she hadn't explained things correctly, but since he didn't have anybody else waiting, it couldn't hurt to play along a little farther. "Miss Thurston, you are obviously not telling me things that I should know. So, unless you want to end this here, right now, quit stalling and tell me what I need to know. We could play this game all afternoon and still be no closer to the truth than we are now."

Tom saw her visibly wilt and waited for her to get on with her story. "Very well Mr. Sherman, you obviously have no Christian charity, since you knew that there were things that I didn't want to tell you. I shall start at the beginning. My father was killed in a poker game, surprisingly by the same Mr. Belamy that now threatens me. My father accused him of cheating and Mr. Belamy shot him. A gun was found by my father, but my father never carried a gun. He owned many guns, but never carried any of them. If he were going to carry one, it would have been one of them, not one that I had never seen before. In short my father was murdered."

Tom waited in silence as Janet Thurston took a sip of coffee and composed herself, "My father left Magnolia House to me, but as we discussed I can't own land, so my father arranged that the transfer of ownership passed to the man that I marry. Only by marrying me could anyone get Magnolia House. Magnolia House is easily worth ten times what that thief Belamy is trying to steal it for. But I can't do a thing about it, unless I can raise the money." She looked at Tom and he knew that there was a lot left unsaid. He sat and continued to watch her as he sipped his coffee.

She quickly realized what he was doing and why, "You won't even leave me my dignity will you?" Tom just looked and waited. It was her idea to come here and she had to face her own demons. She dropped her head to look at the table, her voice was very soft and Tom had to listen closely. "I went to a number of men that I thought that I could trust, for help. Some of them made it obvious what they wanted from me, to help me. Them I slapped and left. The one that was the worst was Congressman Richmond. He promised help and even to marry me, but he quickly made a stipulation that he wanted to try the merchandise. I guess like most women that get an offer of marriage, I didn't see the harm in getting a little ahead of things. Then he showed his true colors and said that the merchandise was unacceptable, and that the deal was off. He took away my hope and everything else that was important to me. I would destroy him, if I could."

Tom nodded his head. "So, just what is the offer that you are bringing to me? I pay your father's debts and you guarantee payment how?" Tom waited as she struggled with his question. "Mr. Sherman, the only way I can guarantee your money it to marry me. I know that I am damaged goods and it isn't much of a bargain for you, but you would still get Magnolia House. I wouldn't expect you to really be a husband; after the debt is paid you can take off and forget I ever existed." Tom watched her closely and saw the tension back in her body and knew that if he could see her hands she would be wringing them.

Tom sat forward and looked at her hard she shrank back from his look. "Let me state things clearly, just so that we both know exactly what we are dealing with. You are a whore and you are offering to sell me your body for the price of the debt of your father. Along with your body I get the Plantation; Magnolia House. Once I own it, I can do whatever I want with it and you."

Tom watched as she struggled to control herself. He knew that she wasn't used to being treated rough, and he considered his statement brutal in its own way. He watched as she got herself under control and then as she wilted again under the pressure of the truth. "Yes Mr. Sherman, that is pretty accurate; I am a whore selling myself. And once you get control of Magnolia House there will be little I can do to stop you from doing anything that you like. But, my reputation isn't as bad as I led you to believe. As my husband, I can still get you into many Washington parties, that could help your business."

Tom smiled at her as he reached into his case and removed a handful of cards. He pitched them on the table between them, "Here is the usual invitations for this month. I rarely go to any of them, but sometimes I will send one of my men, just to apologize for my absence. You see, I found that attending such parties, they try to turn it into a business meeting. I prefer to conduct my business here, so I avoid the parties. So, you see your reputation doesn't mean much to me, either good or bad." Tom collected the invitations from the table, and even a few from her hands as he put them back into his case.

As he sat back he looked at her again, "You still haven't told me just how much you cost. How much will it cost me to own you?" He saw that she didn't bristle this time, and assumed that she had come to terms with her own situation. "It's almost a thousand dollars, Mr. Sherman. I might be cheap, but Magnolia House isn't. It's the pride of Dearing, Virginia; more than twenty-five hundred acres of some of the most fertile land in Virginia. Even taking into account that you will be getting me, you are getting a good bargain."

Tom smiled and shook his head, "I'll let you know tomorrow, at this same time. If you are still interested, then I will see you tomorrow." Tom watched as she nodded her head and got up to leave. He noticed that she didn't look back as she left the restaurant. He wondered if she would come back the next day.

Tom motioned to John to join him at the table. Once he was seated Tom made a motion that he had a few things for him to do. John had gotten used to the few things and had started carrying a small notebook that he kept notes in. He had worked out the system over time and when Tom made his special hand motion, he knew it was for him to start making a list.

"John, I want you to take Luke with you and go to the bank. I want you to get a thousand dollars, not in gold but in bank notes." John raised his eyes at this, as Tom always preferred to work in gold. Tom saw the look and grinned.