Drena
Hills
-
Mark Twain
1852
“Dye?” the dark haired woman said softly coming up behind her husband and gently resting a hand on his shoulder. “What is it?” Her soft Irish lilt caressed him as much as her touch and turning he found comfort in the concern in her large blue eyes.
“Nothing Maureen my love, just a letter,” he very methodically placed it in his journal and added it to the bank papers to be taken the next morning.
“It’s from your family, your father wrote didn’t he?”
He smiled at her perceptiveness. There was nothing he could get past this woman.
“You worry too much lass,” he said changing his proper English voice to her country’s accent and putting his arms around her waist he pulled her to him. He never tired of just looking at her and once more wondered how he had managed to secure the most beautiful, exciting, cleverest woman on earth.
“Someone has to be worrying about the likes of you!” she said. “And don’t be trying to distract me with your fine English ways Major David Heyes, me father warned me about the likes of you!” She did her best to sound stern but as his kisses moved down her neck she melted against him lost in her desire and love for him. “He is angry you married me isn’t he?”
Her husband pulled her closer wanting to assure her of how much he loved her even as he admitted the truth.
“He has disowned me Maureen, I expected no less.”
“And Hannibal? He does not even care he has a grandson?”
“My father is proud man and he has my two older brothers to produce grandsons. He has enough family to spar that he can indulge himself in dismissing those that dare oppose him.”
“It’s because I’m Irish isn’t it?” she said laying her head against his chest.
“Yes he’s afraid were not good enough for your family,” David smiled.
She looked up and had to laugh at the dimpled grin that made his lie believable.
“You are the Devil’s charmer sir!”
“Well it caught me an angel so I’m not complaining.”
“Oh Dye I am so sorry, I never meant for you to lose your family over me and mine!”
“Maureen your father has been more of father to me than mine ever was. I have a family, its you and little Hannibal and your brother and Grace. I have notified my father, if he chooses to miss out on all this it is his decision. As for me I now have a farm of my own in a soon to be new state in this grand country called America and I am taking my son and my wife and will find my fortune!”
Looking down at the cradle beside them he picked up the dark haired sleeping child and held him in wonder.
“I have the feeling Maureen with Curry blood in him, this one is going to be a handful!”
“And listen to your cheek!” she said smiling at the picture the made and slipping an arm around his waist and peering down at her son. “Look at those dimples and he’s got your eyes, this one will be something great husband, I can tell.”
“Then it is my father’s loss at never knowing.”
*********************************
NEBRASKA 1864
Ten year old Jedediah Curry took another running jump and sent the gate swing whirling around into the metal fence with a thundering crash. The Postman was late, but it was a warm spring day and he was in no hurry to return from this current duty and be ordered to his next one.
Mail pickup was a job given to the smallest and scrawniest he had been told, but he didn’t mind, in fact he had fought to keep the job. He had to reach the mail first before anyone saw it. It was luck that had let him see the first letter and upon seeing the familiar last name and far away post mark he had been bold enough to open it and after reading it, burn it. The second had followed two month later and he was sure there would be a third. But he knew his luck could not hold out forever and eventually one was going to slip through and take from him the only family he knew. And so he had devised a plan. With the help of Cook this one he would answer and settle the matter once and for all.
He would lose no more family.
*********************************
“Hannibal the headmaster wishes to see you in his office.”
Fifteen years old Hannibal Heyes exchanged a quick glance with his 13-year-old cousin. They had just finished up the evening dishes and had been hoping to finally be free of the day’s chores so they could concentrate on their plan.
“Well come along, your brother can finish up here,” the woman said tersely.
Heyes rolled his eyes. After 3 years he had given up correcting them. Not that it mattered, Kid and he were as close as brothers and the mistake was only natural.
Jedediah gave him a nod to indicate he had read his mind and Heyes slowly followed the woman from the room knowing his cousin would not be far behind if he needed him.
To be honest the summons surprised him. Jed and him had been working on escaping for the last three months and during that time had been the model of proper young men so as not to draw attention to themselves. Unfortunately after three years of being the undisputed terrors of the school and unofficial head of the boys such a change was suspicious without them even trying to be.
Heyes climbed the stairs to the office wondering what he would be beat for this time. It was usually justified and he didn’t mind so much if he had been foolish enough to be caught, but for the life of him he could think of nothing he had done to warrant being called in.
The woman opened the door and he stepped in to find the portly man seated at his desk, but not alone. Another man was in the chair near the window and rose at his entrance. For a moment Heyes blinked thinking he knew him. He had dark hair, now almost gray and a commanding slender figure. His clothes were eastern and very expensive and carried himself with an air of importance that was almost military in its bearing. It was only when their eyes met that Heyes was completely taken back. He knew those eyes. Dark, brown and unreadable, they were his own.
“Hannibal my boy,” the headmaster gushed.
Heyes turned to look at him surprised. He had never been ‘my boy’ in his entire time here.
“You are Hannibal Heyes?” the old man said, but it was clear Heyes’s looks had convinced him.
“Yes sir,” Heyes said not backing down from the gaze and the man seemed to approve.
“You are like your father.”
“I know,” Heyes said curious now.
The old man bit back a smile at the confidence in his stance and manner.
“I am your grandfather.”
“My grandfather is dead,” Heyes said at this lie.
“No not your mother’s father Hannibal, this is your father’s father. Sir Andrew Heyes of Buckinghamshire, England,” the headmaster announced enthusiastically.
Heyes considered this and then offered her hand.
“Nice to meet you sir.”
The old man chuckled, “You do not impress easily son.”
“You haven’t done anything yet to impress me, cept maybe be my Pa’s dad. He was the best dad in the whole world,” Heyes said and his voice defied anyone in the room to contradict the statement.
“Yet here you sit in an orphanage.”
“My parents were murdered,” Heyes said tensing.
“Which would not have happened if your father had not disobeyed me. But never mind what is done is done. You are still young enough we have hope of turning you into a gentleman. I have come to take you home Hannibal.”
Heyes frowned, “Back to Kansas?” he asked confused.
“No Hannibal, your grandfather is taking you back to live in England at his estate.”
“England? You mean the country my father was born in?” Heyes said his normal quick brain suddenly going slow and mushy at the revelation.
“Yes we found his address in a letter we found in some papers your father had in a bank and contacted him,” the headmaster said. “We have never despaired of finding you family Hannibal.”
You mean getting rid of me, Heyes said ruefully. “So you weren’t looking for me?”
The old man bristled, “I had contacted your father when you were born and told him to return, he refused, I had not heard from him since this school wrote me concerning his and your mother’s death. I, of course came immediately.”
“Why?” Heyes said shrewdly.
“Why what?”
“Why did you come immediately, what do you need me for?”
The old man took a second glance at him. This one was sharp and clever. He was impressed.
“All right I will be straight with you as you Americans say. I have a great deal of land, factories. England is changing, I need a man I can trust to help me run it.”
“You got no other sons?”
“I have two other sons, but one went into the church and the oldest passed away last year in a boating accident.”
Heyes considered this. “You pay well?”
“Hannibal!” The headmaster gasped. “The man is offering you a home?”
“No he isn’t,” Heyes said. “Or he would have come when I was born. He’s offering me a job to be his…heir, that’s the word isn’t it?’
“It is,” his grandfather approved. “And I am very rich, you will want for nothing.”
Heyes considered this and finally nodded, “Sounds all right, have to talk it over with Jed though, but he usually does what I say so he’ll be okay about going.”
The old man stiffened, “Jed?”
“Jedediah Curry your grace, his cousin,” the headmaster just managed not to roll his eyes. “They are inseparable.”
“Hannibal I have come for you. Your cousin is not my family.”
“Sure he is,” Heyes said simply. “My mother was his dad’s sister.”
“She was Irish Hannibal, the sooner we leave that side of you behind the better. Your cousin is not coming.”
If the man had suggested Heyes leave his arms behind the stare could not have been more confused.
“Leave Jed? But he doesn’t have anyone. I’m all the family he has.”
“Jed will be fine, Hannibal, he had two more years he can stay here and we will find him a trade,” the headmaster smiled.
Heyes opened his mouth and then nodded reading the old man’s eyes.
“All right, but I can’t leave till morning, you’ll have to come back for me, I gotta square this with Jed.”
“Fair enough,” his grandfather said and reaching into his pocket pulled out a $20 gold piece. “If it will make you feel better give him this.”
Heyes stared at the coin and then nodded taking it as the headmaster’s eyes lit up.
“Perhaps I better keep that for him Hannibal,” he smiled slickly. “Might get stolen otherwise.”
“Yes sir, I’ll have him give it to you in the morning, but tonight I wanna give it to him to hold if you understand?”
“Of course!” the headmaster smiled.
“I will return at 9 a.m. to collect you, be prompt.,” his grandfather said calmly picking up his top hat.
“Yes sir,” Heyes said and watched the man leave and then hurried to the back supply cupboard where he knew his cousin would be waiting.
“Well Heyes what happened?” Jed asked concerned looking him over. “Didn’t sound like they beat you, I would have come if they had.”
Heyes looked down at the serious blue eyes and knew he would have, Jed had gotten more than his share of such punishment trying to save him in the past.
“Get your things. We’re leaving tonight.”
“But Heyes you said we didn’t have enough money,” Jedediah said wide-eyed.
“We do now.”
********************************
WYOMING
1881
“You are killing him boy!’ the old man roared. “I am going for a doctor.”
Kid Curry turned on the old man gun drawn. “You take one step towards that door and I’ll shoot you where you stand.”
“You are insane!”
“Maybe I am mister, but my partner is lying there because of you and I’m not letting you and your Bannermen finish him off. Now you are gonna sit right there and be my assurance that if they show up he gets out alive.”
The old man swallowed and finally nodded looking over at the unconscious figure on the cot. It had been luck finding the old miner’s cabin or had it? The blond man had seemed to know just where to go after the attack had gone awry. Stupid detectives. He had told them to arrange a meeting not a shoot out.
“You do not understand I do not wish Hannibal ill.”
“Well he sure saved your life, you do realize those horses would have cut you down if he hadn’t of got you out of the way. I just wish I knew why he did it,” Kid said squeezing the water out of the rag and bathing the nasty gash on his cousin’s temple that he had secured in getting himself out of the way.
“Because I’m his grandfather.”
Kid looked up sharply, “His what?”
“Grandfather. Jedediah, isn’t it? I told him associating with Irish…with the Irish would lead him down such a path, the same thing I told his father.”
“What are you talking about?” Kid said angrily.
“But no he had to run away just like his father did and look what end it has brought him. A wanted man with a price on his head! A thief! And all because some Irish slut…”
Kid pinned the man to the wall easily. “Mister you are a lot older than me, but that’s my aunt you just insulted and I’m feeling real short tempered worrying about my cousin. Now I’m gonna give you 3 seconds to apologize to her memory or I will…”
“Kid…”
Curry dropped the man, forgotten and turned on the name called to him from the bed.
` “Heyes you okay?”
“No, I think my head caved in,” he said managing to sit up with Kid’s help. “What happened?”
“Bannermen on the train, it was a trap, then this lunatic came running out right in front of the horses and you leapt off yours to save him.”
Heyes looked up and tried to focus, “You?”
“Hannibal.”
“He hates being called that,” Kid said looking for an excuse to deck the man.
“Kid, he’s my grandfather.”
“Andrew Heyes,” the man said but did not offer his hand, but then Kid would not have taken it.
“I don’t understand?” Kid said.
“Long story,” Heyes sighed leaning back and closing his eyes. “Did we get the papers?”
“We got the papers, inspite of him nearly getting you killed.”
“A Heyes, a thief,” the old man spat. “I did not believe it when they told me.” He turned and looked at Kid his eyes ablaze with rage. “You! You are the one who caused his ruin! Without you he would now have a position and a real family!”
Kid stared confused.
“Yes its true. I came to the Home and offered him a life removed from squalor and poverty, but he refused to leave you and ran away that night before I could collect him! Irish refuge!”
There was not much that could have gotten Heyes on his feet as bad as his head was hurting, but that was it.
“Shut up!” he yelled grabbing the old man and for the first time the Englishman seemed frightened at the fury in Heyes’s eyes.
“Hannibal I only…”
“Your talking about my family, the only family I got as far as I am concerned and if you say one more word about my Curry side I will forget your age and your name old man.”
Then the effort catching up to him, he released the man violently and tried to steady himself.
Kid and the old man instantly dove for him, but Kid reached him first and gently laid him back down.
“Enough yelling Heyes I can manage for both of us, you just lay still.”
“We gotta get those papers to the Governor.”
“We will.”
“Our amnesty depends on it.”
“I know, I know you just rest and we’ll try it in the morning. Not much we can do tonight.”
“Kid?”
“Yea Heyes?”
“Man don’t leave his partner.”
“I know Heyes, get some rest.”
*****************************
“This amnesty?” the old man said after two hours of silence staring at the plate of food he had been handed.
“Heyes got us a deal with the Governor. We’ve been going straight for the last year, we hoped this little job for him would be enough to push us over the mark,” Kid said quietly.
“I only hired the detectives to find you, I had no intention of turning him…both of you in.”
“Yea,” Kid said not looking up.
“You’re a hired gun aren’t you?”
Kid just looked up and stared at the man, “Are you always this annoying or do you just have a death wish?”
“I was just curious if the rumors were true?”
“Mister how did you ever produce a man as fine as my uncle?”
“My son was a traitor to his family. He deserted.”
“Your son was one of the bravest most outspoken abolitionist writers in the country. He was also the fairest, smartest man next to my cousin I ever met. You must have adopted him cause I can’t see no similarities.”
“Hold your tongue young man! I am not accustomed to being spoken to like that!”
“Yea well you know us Irish, just can’t help ourselves, refuge is like that.”
***********************************
“Is it them?” the old man said looking over Kid’s shoulder as he peered out the window.
“Yup all seven, haven’t seen the cabin, but they will if I don’t lead them off. They’ll think Heyes is dead so just stay put till he comes too and then tell him I’ll meet him in Cheyenne.”
“You cannot get past them! I will explain to them…”
“Mister we are wanted dead or alive and they won’t care how they drag Heyes in. We move him now it will kill him. I can get past them, I’m a legend or haven’t your heard?”
Kid finished checking his gun and opened the door. “And oh, tell him not to yell when you explain it, will only make his head hurt.”
*****************************
1883
“She will see you now sir,” the butler said with a slight bow and Kid rose nervously looking back at his cousin.
“Come with me.”
“No, I better stay here,” Heyes said. “She’s your grandma.”
“Heyes, please?”
Finally Heyes nodded and followed his cousin into the large, lavish bedroom of the upscale Philadelphia home.
They had been in Washington on business when Kid had suddenly had the urge to look up his mother’s family. Heyes had been content to help him find the house he remembered from a visit there as a child, though worried there would be no one to greet him or of the greeting he would receive.
Instead he had found they had been ushered in most welcome and given the news his grandmother was not well and his timing could not have been more perfect.
“Jedediah is it really you?” said the frail old woman from the bed almost lost in the huge bundle of pillows and blankets.
“Hello grandmother,” he smiled going over to the bed and taking her hand.
She’s tiny like Kid’s mom, Heyes noted, and smiled at the intelligent warm blue eyes looking past her grandson to study him.
“And this must be your cousin Hannibal or do you prefer Heyes? I read all the dime novels, it is a delight to meet the legend at last!”
Heyes found himself grinning and took her hand and obeyed her demand for a kiss on the cheek.
“Now sit down both of you, I rarely get gentlemen callers that are not doctors and certainly not handsome grandsons, I hope I may think of you Hannibal as one?”
“I would be honored ma’am,” Heyes smiled.
“I met your father and your mother, wonderful people. You look just like him, but you have her impish grin, it suits you! Such a lovely girl and her voice, that of an angel and how she could make me laugh. Her and Grace were such good friends.”
“Grandmother I wanted to come and explain or try to…”
“No, no, no regrets, you are too young for that, except maybe that little incident with the tadpoles in the tea during my soiree when you were last here. Do you know Philadelphia social circles still talk about that?”
Kid looked horrified and Heyes found himself laughing.
“He didn’t want to wear a suit and he missed his cousin,” his grandmother explained to Heyes. “Though I see you both wore one today, very impressive, but next time come as westerners, I want to see the real you.”
“Did you hear about the amnesty?”
“Yes I did and I also heard about the President thanking you both personally for the work you did for him. Terribly exciting, but I’m sure the paper left most of it out, tell me everything and do not leave out the juicy bits.”
The two men laughed.
“Ma’am we don’t want to tire you, the doctor said not to stay long…” Kid said worried.
“The doctor is an idiot, I wasn’t dying I was bored, now I have my two grandsons here I feel a remarkable recovery coming on. I shall expect you both to accompany me to the theatre tomorrow and you are of course staying for dinner. I shan’t take you to tea…yet though, I don’t think Philadelphia society would forgive me!”
She then smiled and both men returned it and glanced at each other to see if each had noted Kid’s mother in it.
“Ma’am we are at your service,” Heyes said. “As long as you are sure about me coming? They might accept Jed, but…”
“My dear young man!” she said sitting up stiffly. “You are for all attempts and purposes my grandson and if any blue haired uppity matron even dares to thumb her nose at you I shall put the tadpoles in the tea myself is that understood!?”
“Yes ma’am,” Heyes said blinking and feeling more loved than he had in a very long time.
“I did try to find you both when I got the news. I wrote the home several times until they finally told me you had left and they did not know where. When I heard about your…career choice I prayed for you both every night. But I wanted you to know I always knew in my heart that you would find your way back. You are a Heyes and a Curry and that is stock that does not let misfortune and mistake destroy them.“
She stopped as her maid peered in.
“Yes Jenny, I know, I know…just a bit longer.”
“She needs her rest,” the maid apologized to the two men.
“Maybe we should go…” Heyes said rising.
“No, no wait, before you go, Heyes please look in that second desk drawer. You will find a box full of papers that is rightfully both yours and some things of your mother’s Jed, letters etc. There is also a copy of your inheritance from your mother Jed, you are a very well off young man, and I invested it well until you could collect it. I also want you both to know from the day I learned of your births I put you in my will. As it stands now after a few charitable obligations the bulk of my estate is yours. But do not count on me dying any time soon, now I have found you I intend to delight myself in showing you off, I might even see this wild west of yours. I rather fancy meeting an older cowboy!”
Heyes, who had taken the box out on her order looked up from the will in shock, “Ma’am this a fortune, you cannot leave me, you don’t even know me…”
“Hush Heyes, never argue with a rich old woman. Your exploits have brought me years of entertainment, do you really open those safes by listening? Do you think you could teach me to open one? It would be such a devil of a party trick to play on ole Sue Ann Vander Mer!”
“I’ll do my best ma’am.”
“Good and then you Jedediah can teach me to fast draw.”
“Grandmother I am not going to teach you to fast draw.”
“Yes you are, right after you find me a handsome cowboy!
“Grandmother I am not…”
“Or maybe even an outlaw!”
Kid stared at her.
“I’ll work on him about the fast draw, but your not getting near any outlaws, they tend to carry off good looking women,” Heyes said sternly kissing her cheek.
“Oh the women of Philadelphia are going to thank me for this!” Suddenly she teared up and reached for Jedediah and he held her tight as the tears spilled out.
“Oh Jeddy I’ve been so afraid for you both and Grace, oh I can’t believe I’m holding you.”
Kid let her cry and did nothing to wipe his own tears staining his face.
After a moment she pulled away, “We’ll talk later, you will come back?”
She looked so afraid Heyes leaned down and hugged her himself.
“Try and get rid of us, were outlaws remember? Beautiful woman is a beautiful woman!”
“Thank you Hannibal,” she said touching his cheek. “I know you are a big reason Jedediah survived. You kept my daughter alive in him and I can never thank you enough.”
“You all ready have ma’am, now were gonna go rest up so we can keep up with you at dinner.”
“Does he still eat like…” she grinned questioningly.
“An army troop? Yes ma’am,” Heyes said with a sigh and got a slug to the arm from his cousin.
“We’ll be back for dinner grandmom,” Kid smiled.
“Grandmom,” Heyes said to be able to say it and picking up the box followed his cousin out.
****************************
“These pictures….I was never that little,” Kid said staring at the contents of the box they had spread over their bed and were investigating.
“Yea you were, annoying too,” Heyes said glancing over at the family portrait.
“$100,000,” Kid whistled looking at the bankbook in his name. “You know what this means? Means we can pick and choose what cases we want to do from now on.”
“You aren’t gonna retire and live the life of luxury?” Heyes grinned.
“Nah, too boring, might get a house though, where should we build our house Heyes?”
“Ya know Kid this is really your money,” Heyes said quietly.
“Don’t start,” Kid said darkly. “It’s our money, were partners remember? And I wouldn’t even have had it or probably be alive if you had not turned down all that money and position your grandfather offered you.”
“What?” Heyes said innocently.
“He told me Heyes, that day at the train when you got knocked out? He told me how he came the day we ran away from the home to get you, but he wanted to leave me. That’s why we left so quick. You could have have had everything, but you gave it up to look after me.”
“I didn’t give anything up, can you see me in England? They can’t even talk American.”
“Uh huh, not buying it Heyes and what about the last time? He wanted you to come home, hired the whole Bannerman Agency to find you and you turned him down.”
“He wasn’t family,” Heyes said simply and then frowned at the letter in his hand. Confused he opened it up and read quietly and then looking up sharply stared at his cousin.
“What?” Kid said at his expression.
“It’s a letter from your grandmother’s solicitor to the Home thanking them for the information concerning you, Kid its dated 1864, we were still there in 1864.”
“Must have been an error,” Kid said going back to his investigation of the box.
“How could they forget you were there? We spend more time in the headmasters office than he did…wait a minute here’s the letter the Home sent…”
“Let me see,” Kid said moving to grab it, but Heyes was too fast and giving his cousin a suspicious look opened it and read.
Kid watched trying not to look worried.
“It says that they wish they could send one Jedediah Curry to her, but he ran away and they have no idea where he is. It is also signed by Marcie Bringman, wasn’t she the cook?”
“I don’t remember.”
“Sure you do, you used to talk to her all the time, why I bet you were good enough friends that she would even help you write a letter and lie about you. You did this because you thought they were going to separate us? Kid were you crazy? You could have had a home!” Heyes yelled.
“Yea without you! The lawyer just asked about me, send me, he kept saying, well I wasn’t leaving my family. I wasn’t gonna lose you, I just couldn’t, so yell all you want Heyes.”
Heyes just stared at him and then slowly began to laugh, “We both did the same thing.”
Kid looked at him and finally grinned, “I guess we were meant to stick together.”
The knocking at the door interrupted them and Heyes rose shaking his head to accept the gold seal embossed letter handed to him.
“From your grandmother,” Heyes said and then smelt it. “Honeysuckle!”
“You better stop saying my grandmother or she is going tan your hide,” Kid said firmly.
“Point taken Jeddy,” and smiled when Kid gave him a look of death. “A letter from our grandmother,” Heyes opened it and as he read a smile began to spread across his face until he was chuckling with delight.
“What does it say?” Kid demanded.
“It says,” he replied trying to stop laughing. “That she expects us at eight, you are to bring your gun as she wants you to kill something in the garden and terrify the neighbors who are and I am quoting here, ‘stuffy and unreasonable in their idea of a good time.”
Kid laughed and shook his head.
“There is also a PS, she wants to know if pearls are appropriate for safecracking?!”
“You know what this means Heyes?”
“That we may end up having to get her amnesty?”
“Yup,” Kid said grabbing his coat.
“Where you going?”
“To buy her a couple of things, honeysuckle for one in the hopes we can talk her out of fast draw lesson.”
“And if that doesn’t work?”
“That’s what the tadpoles will be for.”