Chapter 16

The limousine had dropped Jamie at the Oglethorpe. Inside he spoke with a pretty young girl obviously new with the hotel but very well trained in customer relations. Jamie inquired if it would be possible to have food ordered from The Dolphin's Wing and deliver to the hotel to be served in his room.

"Of course Mr. Lauderdale would you like to tell me your order and the time you would like it served."

Jamie gave the list of things he wanted and added two bottles of white wine from the hotel. "Tell the waiter to only open one bottle of wine and leave a corkscrew. We may not open the second bottle and you can return it to stock."

"And that's for 1:15 in your room."

"Yes and one other thing. Can you get a cab to pick me up in fifteen minutes?"

"Why of course Mr. Lauderdale."

In his room Jamie doused himself with cold water and after drying combed his hair and checked himself in the bathroom mirror. He still didn't understand why Mr. Waters had insisted that he be at the reading of the will. Probably giving some things of his father's and maybe a remembrance of his grandfather's.

When Jamie arrived at Horace Waters' office there were already quite a few people in the large conference room. Some Jamie recognized and others were complete strangers. When he entered the buzzing stopped as everyone turned to greet him. There was Rose Rogers, Mary Bass' mother, Edna, Henry Hamilton, Charles Wallace and Harvey Bass all of whom Jamie knew. Then the others started to step toward him.

"Hi Cousin Jamie I'm Ellis Rose your second cousin on the Hamilton side. Next came Edith Strong a cousin on from the Lauderdale branch, then Tom Harris and his sister Helen Walters, then Phil Summers, and on and on through what seemed like an army of kin folk. Jamie knew he had no shot at remembering their names but he tried to study their faces so he could place them if he saw them again. And there were still others who weren't there. Just as the last of the introductions were finishing Horace Waters entered from a side door that was made to look like one of the bookcases.

"Good morning everyone. Thank you for coming. If you could all find a seat we can get started. If we are short on enough chairs Eleanor here will get you one. Good everyone seems to have found a place. As you all know we are all here for the last will and testament of Ellie Jane Lauderdale Hutchinson. Wills are only read in total in the movies and on TV. Ellie's will will be filed for probate in the clerk's office at the courthouse. It is a public record and anyone who wants to may go to the courthouse and ask to read it.

"Today I will paraphrase those parts that are mostly covering the legal aspects of will. The parts that I will read verbatim are those that may affect any present and some not present. So let's get to it. Ellie states her full name and states that she is of sound mind, that she is a resident of Chatham County, State of Georgia. She is a widow and was married to Charlie Hutchinson and has no children and her closest living relatives are her sister, Samantha Sue Lauderdale Hawkins Bowles Harrison Thompson and her nephew, Jameson Edward Lauderdale."

A titillation ran through the group at the list of Sam's husbands.

"Now I'll read the bequests: I leave our momma's broach to my sister Samantha.

"I have arranged with Zack Cousins, the owner of Next Street Over to provide free drinks for one week to the patrons of his establishment. Tips for the bartenders and waitresses of an agreed amount are to be included. I direct my executor to pay this bill when it is tendered.

"To Katherine Ellis Lauderdale I leave my engagement ring.

"To Jedidiah Edward Lauderdale, IV, I leave my late husband's watch identified as Hefnour #37.

"To Smithers R. Wilkins who has assisted me greatly over the years in the running of the Lauderdale Bank I leave the sum of $15,000 in appreciation.

"To Eleanor Hoskins who has without the slightest complaint spent many hours of her time dealing with my ignorance and requests I leave the sum of $10,000.