“No!”
“True.”
Her mother had looked like she was about to faint. Hannah had been angry, she knew he was a scoundrel but to hide the fact that he had two children? That was evil!
She had talked to her mother to throw him out. The marriage could be annulled. But Samuel had shooed her and the children aside, and locked himself in a room with her mother. Her ears against the door, she had listen to him cry as he told a tale of how he was a widower, and how he had left the children with his sister in search of greener pastures.
“I did not want to lose you,” Samuel had said. “I accepted you and your daughter. Why not do the same for me and my children?”
His words had been enough to convince her mother to not only forgive him, but accept his children into her home.
“He’s an idiot!” Bear Claw spat.
Hannah chuckled. Indeed he was an idiot. His true self had revealed in the coming months. He had removed his sheep clothing, and the wolf had emerged. He spent his day lazing around, demanding for food and care, when he barely contributed anything to the household. He had several plans to be invested in. A patent for anything that might make him money. At first her mother had funded his exploits, which always failed, with debtors at their door.
“He has a sweet mouth. Sweeter than honey,” Hannah said.
Bear Claw grinned. He loved honey.
“He can charm just about anyone with his smiles and convincing words. She paid for his debts because she cared for him.”
He had no pity for her and continued to bring shame to her mother.
“He would have sold our house too, given it up to fund his expedition but the house had belonged to my father’s mother and ownership had been passed to my mother and me. According to her will, the two of us had to agree to sell the house.”
For an expedition to Egypt to look for a treasure, Samuel had begun to seek for funds. With debtors and with people considering him a scoundrel, he was no longer trusted and had barely anyone willing to give him money.
“We have to sell the house,” Samuel said over dinner one day.
He had been met with stunned look by mother and daughter.
“Our house?”
“Yes. I know none of the other plans worked out, but I am convinced of this. I will be going with the crew myself to Egypt. It will be a success,” Samuel said excitedly. “I already have a buyer for the house. All you have to do is sign.”
“Where will we live papa?” Thomas asked.
“We will rent the quarters above the saloon. I have spoken to the Madame...”
Of course, Hannah had listened to him talk on about his plan. He had presented before her mother an already written contract. Although her mother had looked weary, if it had been up to her, she would have signed.
“The thing is, the house doesn’t belong to me alone,” Regina said.
“What do you mean?” Samuel asked, his smile slipping away, a dent in his excitement.
“The house belongs to Hannah and me. It cannot be sold without our joint consent,” Regina said.
His gaze turned to her and Hannah smiled. For the first time, he didn’t look happy.
“Did he leave it at that?” Bear Claw said. He was intrigued by her story. She looked animated as she told him all that had happened.
“No way!”
Samuel had sweet mouthed her mother into talking to her to sell the house. But Hannah had vehemently refused. The house was the only thing keeping them from being on the streets. With Samuel off to Egypt on some silly expedition, what would they fall back on? He might as well abandon them and they would never hear from him again. And what if he died on the voyage? There were just too many cons of selling the house.
“I think she was relieved that I didn’t give in, because she did not push me. She couldn’t say no, but she counted on me being firm,” Hannah said.
Samuel had also tried talking to her. But she had told him point blank she was not selling her home, the only thing she had of her father, to sponsor a wasted venture.
