The Mandie Collection Read Online Free

Y’all git on to de parlor. We’se got toserve up de food now,” Aunt Lou said, shaking her big white apron in Mandie’s direction.
    â€œAll right, Aunt Lou,” Mandie agreed. “I’ll see y’all after we’ve all finished eating.”
    Mandie and Joe walked down the hallway toward the parlor. She stopped before they got to the doorway and asked, “Now what am I going to do? Uncle John didn’t volunteer to tell us he left the door open.”
    â€œMaybe he’ll get around to mentioning the fact,” Joe suggested as he waited.
    â€œAnd what if he doesn’t? Do you think we should let him know that we know?” Mandie asked.
    â€œWhy don’t you give him a chance to talk some more about the broken lock and see what else he has to say?” Joe told her.
    â€œHe probably realizes Liza will tell me about the door,” Mandie said, tossing back her long blond hair, and then looking up at Joe, she added, “And whoever took the will must have slipped into the house without anyone seeing them.”
    â€œThere’s one fact we’re both overlooking,” Joe told her. “How did this person know the will was in your uncle John’s desk?”
    Mandie thought for a moment and said, “I suppose anyone would think all valuable papers would be locked up somewhere, in a desk or something.”
    â€œBut we still don’t know how anyone knew we found the will in your father’s house,” Joe reminded her. “And that your uncle John had brought it home with him.”
    â€œWell, if we can figure all that out we’ll know who took the will,” Mandie replied. “But even if we find out who the thief is, we still have to figure out where the will is.”
    â€œHere comes Aunt Lou to announce the food is on the table,” Joe said, looking down the hallway.
    Mandie quickly glanced in that direction and said, “Come on. Let’s at least put in an appearance in the parlor.”
    The two hurried on through the doorway of the parlor and rushed to sit down as Aunt Lou arrived at the doorway saying, “De food be on de table, Miz ’Lizabeth.”
    â€œThank you,” Elizabeth replied as she rose and Aunt Lou went back down the hallway. “Shall we go in now?”
    â€œSounds like a good idea,” Dr. Woodard said as he also rose.
    â€œI agree,” John Shaw said.
    As everyone started toward the dining room, Mrs. Taft fell back and asked Mandie, “Did y’all find any clues?”
    â€œNot yet, Grandmother, but we will,” Mandie told her.
    â€œAnd if Mandie says so, we will,” Joe said with a big grin.
    Mandie frowned at him as they followed the adults into the large dining room. When Mrs. Taft came to visit, Mandie knew her mother always dined in the huge room. Ordinarily they ate in the smaller dining room, which was really a large room itself.
    A huge crystal chandelier hung over the enormous dining table, which was covered with a cream-colored crocheted tablecloth to match the background of the green-flowered plush seats of the chairs. A tapestry of peacocks and flowers hung on one wall of the room, and long French doors opened onto a terrace on the other side. Even though a large, rock fireplace stood at each end, the air could be drafty in the wintertime. Today it was not cold enough for fires with the outside doors closed.
    After everyone was seated and served, the conversation centered around the will. Mandie kept listening for Uncle John to make some remark about having left Liza in the room and the door unlocked, but instead he began talking about witnesses.
    â€œAmanda, can you remember the names of the two witnesses on your father’s will? I can’t for the life of me remember seeing the signatures, but I know they were on it,” John Shaw said, taking a sip of the coffee in his cup.
    Mandie frowned thoughtfully and finally said, “No, Uncle John,