"I don't approve of divorce. Marriage isn't a flight of fancy. "
"It certainly isn't. I confess my marital difficulties were primarily on my shoulders. " He kept his eyes level with her piercing ones. "I'm an alcoholic, and though in recovery now for many years, I caused my former wife a great deal of distress and unhappiness during our marriage. I'm pleased to say she's remarried to a good man, and we have a cordial relationship. "
Clarise pursed her bright red lips, nodded. "I respect a man who takes responsibility for his failings. If a man can't hold his drink, he shouldn't drink. That's all there is to it. "
Old bat. "I'm proof of that. "
She continued to sit, and despite nearly eight full decades of wear and tear, her back was straight as a spear. "You teach?"
"I have done. At the moment, I'm fully occupied with my research and writing of family histories and biographies. Our ancestry is our foundation. "
"Certainly. " Her gaze shifted when Jane came in with the flowers. "No, not there," she snapped. "There, and be careful. See to the refreshments now. Our guest can't be expected to sit here without being offered basic hospitality. "
She turned her attention back to Mitch. "You're interested in the Harper family. "
"Very much. "
"Then you're aware that the Harpers are not only my foundation, but a vital part of the foundation of Shelby County, and indeed the state of Tennessee. "
"I am, very keenly aware, and hope to do justice to their contributions. Which is why I've come to you, for your help, for your memories. And in the hope that you'll come to trust me with any letters or books, any written documentation that will help me to write a thorough and detailed account of the Harper family history. "
He glanced up as Jane came out carrying a teapot and cups on a large tray. "Let me help you with that. "
As he crossed to her, he saw the woman's eyes shoot over to her aunt. Obviously flustered, she allowed him to take the tray. "Thank you. "
"Pour the tea, girl. "
"Miss Paulson would be your great-niece on your father's side," Mitch began easily, and took his seat again. "It must be comforting to have some of your family so close. "
Clarise angled her head, regally. "Duty to family is paramount. I would assume, then, you've done considerable research to date. "
"I have. If you'll permit me. " He opened his briefcase and took out the folder he'd prepared for her. "I thought you might enjoy having this. The genealogy - a family tree - I've done. "
She accepted the folder, wagged her fingers in the air. On command, Jane produced a pair of reading glasses on a gold chain.
While she looked over the papers, Mitch did his best to swallow down the weak herbal tea.
"How much do you charge?"
"This is a gift, Miss Harper, as you've not requested my services. It's I who request your help in a project I'm very eager to explore. "
"We'll be clear, Dr. Carnegie, that I won't tolerate being asked for funds down the road. "
"Absolutely clear. "
"I see you've gone back to the eighteenth century, when the first of my family immigrated from Ireland. Do you intend to go back further?"
"I do, though my plan is to focus more on the family here, in Tennessee, what they built after they came to America. The industry, the culture, their leading roles in both, as well as society. And most important, for my purposes, the family itself. The marriages, births, deaths. "
Through the lenses of her reading glasses, her eyes were hawklike. Predatory. "Why are household staff and servants included here?"
He'd debated that one, but had gone with his instincts. "Simply because they were part of the household, part of the texture. In fact, I'm in conta
ct with a descendant of one of the housekeepers of Harper House - during your mother, Victoria Harper's, childhood. The day-to-day life, as well as the entertaining the Harpers have been known for are essential elements of my book. "
"And the dirty linen?" She gave a regal sniff. "The sort servants are privy to?"
"I assure you, it's not my intention to write a roman a clef, but a detailed, factual, and thorough family history. A family such as yours, Miss Harper," he said, gesturing toward the file, "certainly has had its triumphs and tragedies, its virtues and its scandals. I can't and won't exclude any that my research uncovers. But I believe your family's history, and its legacy, certainly stands above any of its very human failings. "