Signposts to Victory

By Peggy Houston Henderson

Signposts to Victory is composed of four parts. In Part 1, three women set out on what they think will be an uneventful trip to a small southern town. The shocking discovery they make there, however, turns their lives upside-down, placing them in awkward and dangerous positions.

In subsequent parts, a series of unusual finds present unique challenges for other characters, as well. Shrouded in mystery and uncertainty, each surprising revelation calls for a solution, though often accompanied by painful inner struggles.

The question of forgiveness, the overriding theme of the novel, involves a choice each character must make that ultimately determines the path forwardtoward either defeat or victory.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Sep 17, 2015
• ISBN: 9781512707410

Peggy Houston Henderson

Peggy Houston Henderson, a former high school teacher, is the author of SIGNPOSTS TO VICTORY, a work of religious fiction. She has been published in several magazines, as well. The mother of four children and the grandmother of twelve, she and her husband reside in Haslet, Texas, north of Ft. Worth. She enjoys music, reading, and traveling.

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Copyright © 2015 Peggy Houston Henderson.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, names, incidents, organizations, and dialogue in this novel are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica, Inc. All rights reserved worldwide. Used by permission. NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION® and NIV® are registered trademarks of Biblica, Inc. Use of either trademark for the offering of goods or services requires the prior written consent of Biblica US, Inc.

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ISBN: 978-1-5127-0742-7 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5127-0743-4 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-5127-0741-0 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2015912757

WestBow Press rev. date: 09/16/2015

Contents

Acknowledgments

Characters

Part 1 215 Oak Street

Part 2 417 Liberty Street

Part 3 100 Brubaker Street

Part 4 1500 Stratford Place

Acknowledgments

A heartfelt thank-you to my fellow writing guild members, especially Barbara Henry, Sue Pike, and Lorena Keck, for their inspiration and encouragement, as well as their insightful suggestions along the way.

To my son Bert, whose computer savvy got me through some difficult times, I am forever grateful.

Also, I must thank my nieces Jan Bowles and Nan Hare for their contributions which provided the initial idea for this novel. Without them, there would be no story.

Finally, a special thanks to the Haslet, Texas, Public Library for allowing me a comfortable nook where I could indulge my writing skills in peace and quiet.

Characters

Part 1

Amy Grayson -— Jean’s daughter; financier

Carrie Ferguson -— Talman’s wife

Diane Spalding Kensler -— Jean’s twin sister; school teacher

Henry Spalding -— Mavis’ husband; father of the twins

Jean Spalding Grayson -— Diane’s twin sister; Amy’s mother

Jim Grayson -— Jean’s former husband

Mavis Jenkins Spalding -— wife of Henry Spalding; twins’ step-mother

Olga -— the Spaldings’ cook

Talman (Tal) Ferguson -— the twins’ distant cousin; Granville businessman

Vera Townley -— owner of The Dove’s Nest Bed and Breakfast

Part 2

Brady Fulmer -— Dexter’s school counselor

Dexter Townley -— Vera’s son

Diane Kensler -— Jean’s twin sister

Eileen Jamison -— guest at Vera’s bed and breakfast

Lillian -— Vera’s employee

Richard Stemholzen -— candidate for State Representative

Thomas Jamison -— Eileen’s husband

Vera Townley -— Dexter’s mother; owner of The Dove’s Nest

Part 3

Charlie -— Witness Protection Program Officer

Chuck Wheeler -— volunteer at House of Joy; former coach

Jacob and Hannah -— residents of House of Joy

Jesse Runnels -— House of Joy benefactor

Kay Hagan -— House of Joy employee

Mary Jo Simpson -— Mavis Spalding’s new name

Miss Susie Barksdale -— volunteer at House of Joy

Tom -— Mary Jo’s fellow employee

Trey Simpson -— Granville coach

Willie Watson -— bus driver

Part 4

Jean, Diane, Amy, Vera, Mavis, and Chuck (listed previously)

***

Alice Colson -— Derrick’s mother

Aunt Regina -— the twins’ aunt

Derrick Colson -— Alice’s son; successful entrepreneur

Kyle Austin -— Derrick’s business associate

Lilly -— receptionist at the orthopedic clinic

Nick -— The Jamisons’ son

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PART 1

215 Oak Street

Preface

In Part 1, twins Diane and Jean, along with Jean’s daughter Amy, embark on a simple business trip to the small southern town of Granville. What they encounter there, however, turns their world upside-down.

Chapter 1

Jean ran to answer the persistent phone to avert the answering machine. Her twin sister Diane was on the other end. It had been their habit for years to take turns calling each other in the mornings. They called it their safety check.

Guess who just called me. Diane spoke with a spark in her voice uncharacteristic for that time of day.

Well, I know it wasn’t our father. Dear Mavis wouldn’t let him make a call this early, especially to one of his girls.

"No. It wasn’t Dad. But you’re close. It was a relative. Well, sort of. Do you remember Talman Ferguson? He’s a cousin, third or fourth on Mother’s side, who still lives in Granville. I think everyone called him Tal."

"No, Diane. I can hardly keep up with the few close relatives we have." Jean scratched her head as though doing so would stir some long lost memory. Then the proverbial bell rang.

Oh, was he one of several brothers, and he was the youngest?

Yes, sleepy head. He was much younger than we were. Mother referred to him as a little brat.

I don’t remember that, but I do remember one of his brothers went off to war and Mother had me write a letter to him. She said it would cheer him up hearing from people back home. We hadn’t yet started to school, but we could write long before then. Okay, my head is cleared somewhat. What about this Talman?

"Well, ‘this Talman,’ as you put it, has a real estate agency in Granville and is the director of the Granville Preservation Society. He called me about something that might interest us. I don’t know how he got my number, but this is the situation. The city wants to buy Mother’s old home place there on Oak Street and use the space to expand a park located behind the property."

Whoa! I thought you said ‘preservation.’ He wouldn’t be preserving anything. He’d be tearing down.

I know, but he said the old house was falling apart and any effort to restore it would not be cost effective. He also convinced me of the town’s need for additional ball fields and playgrounds to accommodate the growth it’s experiencing. You know. The civic pride thing.

That’s beginning to sound like the Talman I recall. He would have made a great politician. Diane, I know we haven’t seen the house in years and we’ve been paying taxes on it all this time, but we had talked about having it restored and finding some renters who would be responsible caretakers. It was always such a jewel of a place.

"Jean, listen to me. Here’s the real jewel. The city is offering us twice what comparable lots are selling for on that same street. I could certainly use the money, and I know you could, too."

Oh, Diane, we may be identical, but I think I got a stray sentimental gene. What would Mother have thought? Here we are thinking about selling the place where she grew up. Do you remember the good times we had there when Grandma Ginny was alive? It would be like ripping a page from our memory book—a big page. I just don’t know. Is there a deadline on this thing?

He didn’t mention that, but after school we can meet and I’ll show you the figures. We can talk about it further. Okay?

Okay. I’m already running behind. Now I’ll have to skip my coffee and hit the shower.

Jean hung up and paused for a moment to let everything register. Then, like Scarlett O’Hara, she decided she’d just have to think about that tomorrow, or more to the point—that night. Right then, she had a job to get to.

Chapter 2

Though they did not share rhyming names, no twins could have been closer. When they were young, Diane fell on a hot floor-furnace grille which burned crisscrosses on her leg. The next day, Jean did the same thing. In their dating years they played many a trick on boys who came calling. The girl that a fellow thought he was taking out ended up being the other twin. The guys were none the wiser until the true identities were revealed later in the evening. When Jean was in labor with her daughter Amy, Diane suffered labor pains, as well. Often, as though intentionally composing a compound sentence, one would start a statement with the other finishing it without missing a syllable. They had always shared their joys as well as their heartaches. However, some of life’s problems they had to face alone.

When her marriage to Jim Grayson showed signs of failing, Jean found employment with an orthopedic surgeon whose office was ten minutes from their home. Though she began as the doctor’s assistant, she soon rose to office manager of what became the largest orthopedic clinic in the region, supporting six physicians in a large complex. The marriage did not last and an amicable divorce followed. She and Jim remained friends and shared the responsibilities, as best they could, in the upbringing of their only child though Jim’s job often required him to be out of the country. It was Jean who saw her daughter through the difficult teenage years and then off to college where Amy graduated with a degree in finance and then settled in the Northeast.

Diane, unlike her sister, always wanted to be a teacher. To her advantage, she married a man who was supportive of her desires and later became Mr. Mom to their two young boys while she attended night classes. After graduating college with honors, she dived into teaching with the zest of one fifteen years younger. Though harnessed with lesson plans and hours of grading, she never missed her boys’ sporting events or any of their school activities. They had finished college and were out on their own when their father, Ben, was diagnosed with cancer. After eight months of treatments and the roller- coaster ride of hope and despair, Ben lost his battle. For the first time, the twins found themselves alone, each in her own home, with good jobs but painful personal memories.

Chapter 3

The cool spray of the shower shocked Jean into the reality of the day. She had almost forgotten she was meeting her daughter’s plane after work. Amy, based in New York, was coming home for the Christmas holidays after a three-month stint in Spain as financial consultant for her company. How can I meet with Diane to discuss this thing about the house in Granville? Perhaps all three of us can meet to go over the offer. After all, if two heads are better than one, three will be even better.

****

Amy’s plane was on time, and she and her mother met Diane at their favorite Italian restaurant. After hugs and kisses, they were directed to a table and placed their orders. In her teacher-like manner, Diane pulled out a piece of paper on which she had jotted information during the phone call from Cousin Tal, the appellation they soon assigned him.

Mom told me a little, Amy said, leaning toward Diane across the table. Tell me more. I can almost hear the ol’ cash register ringing!

Spoken like a true financier—always looking at the monetary angle, never the human aspect, Jean said as she patted her daughter on the shoulder.

This is the deal, girls, Diane said, her pen tapping the top line of her notes. The house will be demolished. Any lumber proven to be at least one hundred years old will be preserved and used somehow in a museum to be built in Granville.

What if we agreed? Would we be able to retrieve anything in the house for ourselves? Jean’s frown registered concern.

What did you have in mind, Jean?

What about all those gorgeous fireplace mantels? There were at least three in the house, maybe four. I remember playing on the floor and looking up at the beautiful scrollwork on the mantel in Grandma Ginny’s bedroom. Jean made curlicue motions in the air with her index finger. And the stained glass window on the front door. Wasn’t it oval? Jean’s mind began to spin as she mentally strode through the old Victorian. What about that big bookcase in Papa Sam’s room? It had wavy glass doors. As a child, I thought they had been damaged. What would happen to those things?

Amy piped up, Wouldn’t Aunt Regina want something from the house? She grew up there, too, just like your mother.

Turning to give her daughter a stern look, Jean said, No! She made that clear when she sold her part, and did it long distance! You’ve never given up on her, have you Amy?

No, Mom. You taught me that. Amy knew the story too well and knew when to let it go.

Amy’s admonition, though spoken gently, was a stab to Jean’s heart. However, she chose to dismiss any reminder of her aunt.

"Let’s change the subject, girls. Hey, look at these figures. I think I could exchange a little sentiment for these zeroes. What do you think?" Diane asked as she leaned forward, raising her eyebrows in optimism like a realtor inching toward a final deal.

The proposed offer on the paper before them dazzled Jean and Amy. Then Amy spoke up. I say we go to Granville and check it out. I’m off work until a week from Monday and it sounds like a great adventure to me, Aunt Diane. Do we have a key? Diane nodded.

After a brief discussion, the three agreed to leave Saturday morning at seven o’clock. The trip to Granville would take a couple of hours. Each would pack a small bag in case it became necessary to stay overnight. But Jean suggested they not contact their cousin until after they had taken a look for themselves.

Chapter 4

The following day, Diane called her father to report that they would