Pumpkin Spice, стр. 18
Barnabas Barabbas was the goblin of the woods.
Bo had beaten and scorned the wrong woman. Penelope was tougher than the rest, her boldness was matched only by her beauty. Barnabas demanded Bo make amends with the young lady. While her family had no wealth, Barnabas needed from Bo’s courtship with Penelope, they did possess something of value to Barnabas. Something they were not willing to part with at any cost, unless say, it became inherited after their passing.
Land.
The Tatum’s owned one of the largest, precious pieces of property in Hastings. It was a two-hundred-acre valley backing directly onto Kobold Woods. The very same woods in which only the Barabbas boys were skilled enough to trek into. If Barnabas could acquire Tatum’s lot, he would acquire the woods by default, thus owning more than two-thirds of Hastings. He would effectively own the town.
First things first, they needed the accusations made towards Bo gone. If the town got wind of his abuse to Penelope their whole operation could go sour. Who would want to hire a woman beater? What Bo did was unquestionably unethical, even if Barnabas agreed that Penelope had gotten what she deserved. A woman has no place in a man’s world, aside from caring for the man. This was the Barabbas family way of thinking for as long as they’d been around. Which, quite frankly, was too long.
And so, Cassidy informed Barnabas of the accusations. There were, as Barnabas saw it, two ways of going about it:
Removing Bo from the family business and admitting guilt.
Or.
Speaking with the parents of Penelope Tatum.
Cassidy agreed, and both he and his brother-in-law felt it was time the patriarchs’ of both the Tatum and Barabbas households meet. Then Barnabas got an idea.
The youngest of the Barabbas boys, the fourth born in total, was William, known by his family and close friends as Billy. In the eyes of Barnabas Billy was soft. He needed more life lessons, and more grit in his skin.
One summer evening Barnabas called his youngest brother into his study. Billy closed the door behind him and took a seat across from his eldest sibling. Barnabas lit a cigar and placed it between his brothers’ lips. He informed Billy of the situation they were in. How Bo had done something vile, and it was either remove Bo from the family, or remove the problem. He asked Billy what he best thought the situation was. Billy responded the way Barnabas had hoped, “Speak with the parents. Make sure they don’t go yapping their mouths off to none of no one.” Billy said as he puffed on his cigar. Barnabas smiled; he was proud of his baby brother. “I want you to go.” Barnabas lit a cigarette for himself, “I want you to talk to the Tatum’s.”
“Me, why me?” Billy began twitching, he was nervous. As much as Billy looked up to his brothers, as much as he yearned to be as tough as them, he was only just a teenager. He hadn’t earned their demeanor quite yet.
“Well,” Barnabas began as he took a puff of his cigarette, “it was your idea after all.” The smoke blew out of his mouth and into his little brother’s face. “You are one of the Barabbas boys, aren’t yee?” Billy could only nod, “Good.” Barnabas smiled, “Prove it.”
Billy absorbed every last ounce of courage and marched on over to the Tatum household. With his right fist he banged on the door three times. The door gently slid open. Mrs. Tatum, Penelope’s mother with greying hair, fresh wrinkles on her forehead, and pale white lips greeted the youngest Barabbas. “Yes?” Her voice was calm and nervous. “Do you know who I am?” Billy’s voice started with a nervous crackle before his pseudo macho tone could emerge. “Ye-yes.” A nervous Mrs. Tatum replied. Billy told Penelope’s mother that he needed to speak with her and her husband as soon as possible, she made the youngest Barabbas boy aware that her husband would be at his occupation for another hour. Billy agreed to wait and Mrs. Tatum made him a cup of tea and turkey sandwich.
Only a short while later Penelope returned home. She was curious and uneasy about seeing Billy, the brother of her former abusive boyfriend, sitting in her living room sipping tea with her mother. She asked what the meaning of it all was, and her mother told her Billy needed to speak with her father about some business arrangements. A lie to be sure, but one that Penelope accepted. She told her mother she would be late coming home that night as she would be out with Reuben, a fact Billy found fascinating, and one her mother was not too fond of.
As dinner time rapidly approached Mr. Tatum returned home from work. Penelope had already left for her “night out with Reuben,” and Billy remained in the living room, his tea had run out and his turkey sandwich all gone. All that was left was a glass of water.
Mr. Tatum stopped dead in his tracks at the sight of Billy. He demanded to know what meaning of his being there was! Billy gladly let the Tatum’s know that Barnabas was willing to donate a hefty portion of money in the helping of restoring their leaky roof, and drafty walls. “A bribe!?” Mr. Tatum was appalled, Billy shook his head “A gesture, a friendly gesture. Nothing more, nothing less.” Mr. Tatum still wasn’t buying it. “And what if we say no?” Billy stood from his chair, “I dun not know. But I do know I suggest you take the kind gesture; it would be in your wife’s best interest.” And without saying another word Billy grabbed his hat, placed it on his head and left the Tatum household.
The next day the Tatum’s told