Finding Elizabeth (9 page)

"I'm sure you will think I'm crazy, but I
can't stop thinking that this new life is a gift from Adam. Who
really inherits not only a beautiful home but a new life with a
successful business. And I know Adam would want me to be happy.
Sometimes I feel like he is right here with me trying to lift my
spirits," Claire said. "It was our dream to move to Eureka and
start a business and a family. I just can't imagine that he isn't
here with me."

"You are not crazy! I'm sure that Adam is
with you. The two of you were inseparable in life, and I doubt that
would change in death. And you are right, Adam loved you and he
would want you to be happy, even if that meant moving forward
without him and getting re-married some day. You are so young, what
do you think, you are just supposed to stop living because he is
gone? He wouldn't want that. I know you both dreamed of moving to
Eureka, opening an antique store and having children. Can't you
see, you already have the home in Eureka and you are opening the
store soon. All that is left is the children. I think Adam would be
pleased," Jen said.

Claire thought for a while about their
conversation. She was right, two of their dreams were coming true.
Maybe Adam did send her here to live out their dreams.

After a long silence the girls said good
night. Turning off the lights, as they lie in the dark, quietly
thinking about their futures.

***

Again, Claire woke early to the sound of the
crying baby. Thinking to herself, she wondered if it would be
possible to trap the fox and have it moved somewhere further away
from the house. Rising, she decided she would read Elizabeth's
journal. Turning to the table beside the bed,
Where did I put
it?
Knowing she had read it in bed the night before Jen
arrived, Claire silently slipped from the bed as she looked all
around, unable to find it.

Feeling a little panicked, she left the room and began searching.
After a thorough search she found it in the second floor turret
room.
Hmmm, I don't remember being in here in a few days.
Claire shrugged off the thought, deciding maybe Jen had been up
earlier and decided to read. As she settled onto the comfy sofa,
she opened the journal and began.

March 20, 1886

Dear Diary,

So much has happened since my last entry.
Mother has learned of my illness and the absence of my
menstruation. She nervously brought me into town to visit Doctor
Livingston, who confirmed what mother suspected. He said that given
the date of onset, my child would make his or her arrival in the
fall.

On the return trip home, mother expressed
her fears of what is to surely come when father finds out I am with
child. I could see the worry in her eyes, but I can not help but to
feel happy that I am with child.

I am still hopeful Thomas will come for me
soon, so he can share in the blessed event. Now I am even more
hopeful father will allow us to wed. After all a child needs a
fathers love and care as much as it needs its mothers.

Mother is trying to decide the best way to
handle father. She has asked me to continue to keep this secret,
until she has devised a plan. I told her of my love for Thomas, but
she already knew. She said she has seen the way we look at one
another and has even seen us steal away from time to time. But she
fears father would never allow me to marry someone below my social
class, even in my delicate condition.

I know I should not speak to mother with
such a tone, but I could not help myself. I firmly told her that I
love Thomas and he loves me, and I am an adult and that we would be
married, no matter what. If father did not approve I would just run
back to Boston and find Thomas myself and they would never have to
set eyes upon me again. I could tell the harsh words shocked and
hurt mother, but I think they worried her more because she knew
that they were true. I hope it does not come to that because I
would sorely miss mother and William.

Elizabeth

March 22, 1886

Dear Diary,

There is still no news of Thomas. I must
confess, I have grown concerned over the past months that the
gambling house has had a negative influence over him.

I have of course, never been in a gambling
house, but I know that they can be dangerous places. Once I
overheard a conversation between father and his business partner
about the types of going on in such a place. To hear them tell it,
the gambling house is full of drunkards, cheats and soiled doves.
And many times there are fights and sometimes people are even shot.
I worry he will begin drinking and who knows, maybe he has even bed
one of the women from the house of ill repute.

In my fragile condition I should not worry
my mind with such things, but I just can not help it. I fear he
will not return for me and I worry of what will become of myself
and our child.

I must end now. Mother and father are
throwing a party today for Williams tenth birthday. The poor baby
has been so excited to open his presents and our cook has baked a
wonderful cake that has tormented the boy for the entire day.

Elizabeth

March 23, 1886

Dear Diary,

William's party was going splendidly.
Several young boys and girls from his school attended with their
parents. William loved the gifts that mother and I had chosen. He
has collected marbles since he was old enough to play, so we chose
several from the mercantile that were especially colorful swirled
glass. The colors were vibrant and mother thought perhaps William
would like them because they were different than the clay marbles
he normally played. We also chose a set of checkers in a beautiful
box with inlaid wood on the top. It is a beautiful set, and
something that William can enjoy for a very long time.

The cake that cook baked was delicious and
quickly gobbled up. And as the children played, the adults sipped
their punch and talked. I must admit I was having a glorious time.
It is not often I am included in adult conversation.

Just as the party was coming to an end
father, who had been drinking with the other men in the library got
into a fight with one of our new neighbors. He tried to take a
swing at the poor gent, but he missed. Father fell onto the floor,
which only angered him more.

I am not sure what the fight was about, but
it does not matter. I am certain it was father's drunken state that
caused it. I felt so badly for mother and for William. It sent
mother into a state and she has complained of a headache and has
since locked herself in her chamber.

I fear William will be ridiculed in school,
but I hope and pray that it is not so. The family has always tried
to shield him from father and his behavior, but surely he will come
to realize that father is a drunkard.

How I wish there was a way to protect my
poor baby brother from fathers harsh hand. I know it is hard to
believe, but there was a time when father treated myself and Andrew
with love. I would never have believed that he would harm us in any
way. But sadly, that is the truth.

Elizabeth

April 1, 1886

Dear Diary,

The days following Williams birthday have
proven to be a very dark time in our family. Father has continued
his drunken stupor as mother has remained locked away in her
chamber. I fear my delicate condition has something to do with
mothers headaches as much as fathers unsavory behavior.

I continue to pray that somehow this family
will find peace and for William's sake I have continued to carry on
as though all is well. We take dinner together every day, and
sometimes we even return to his attic. He has taught me to play
marbles, and I have begun teaching him how to play the piano. He
has proven to be a bright student and has surprised me at how
quickly he is learning. I am so thankful every day to be blessed
with such a wonderful baby brother.

My illness has finally begun to subside, but
I know it is just a matter of time until my secret is revealed. I
do hope mother has devised her plan to keep me and my child
safe.

I pray to God every day that Thomas will
make safe passage to Arkansas to retrieve me. I fear if he
approached father in his current drunken state it would only prove
deadly for Thomas.

Elizabeth

Hearing Jen coming down the hall, Claire put
the journal to the side and went to greet her. "Good morning
sunshine, it's nice of you to get up and join me. I was just
heading down to get a cup of coffee, would you like a cup?"

Jen grunted her response, "How did you not
hear the baby crying all night. I'm sorry but your house is creepy.
I think it's haunted."

"I thought the same thing the first few
nights, but Daniel told me that there are fox in the woods behind
the house. He said they sound like a baby when they cry," Claire
said with a knowing grin.

Skeptical, Jen smiled, "I hope he is right,
but I still don't feel comfortable staying in a room by myself. I
hope it's ok for me to stay with you in your room when I visit.
Unless of course David is with me, in which case you are on your
own."

Grabbing Jens hand, she led her down the
stairs and into the kitchen. As the girls nibbled on toast and
drank their coffee they began making plans for the day.

"I would love to go to an auction today. It
has been quite a while since I have gone to one, but I don't want
to get out in the weather. Maybe with the attic search under way,
we should check out the basement. I would presume the nicer things
are stored in the attic and things from the servants and utility
items from the house would be in the basement. What do you think?"
Claire asked.

Standing, Jen said, "I think that makes
perfect sense, and it sounds like fun. What are we waiting
for?"

"Um, just one problem," Claire said with a
puzzled look, "I don't know how to get to the basement."

Searching the first floor, Claire found a
small door, just outside the butler's pantry off of the
kitchen.

"Ah ha, here it is!" Claire yelled, "Grab
those flashlights from the kitchen, I think we are going to need
them."

Coming around the corner, Jen grabbed the
back of Claire's shirt as they headed down the stairs, "You are
such a chicken Jen."

"Come on Claire, every scary movie has a
basement with demons in it. Aren't you the least bit scared?" Jen
asked.

"Absolutely not," Claire lied.

Nearing the bottoms of the stairs, Claire
tripped over a loose board and tumbled to the bottom.

"Oh my god, Claire are you are right?" Jen
yelled as she ran down the stairs.

"Yes, but my right ankle is killing me. Do
you think you can you help me get up?" Claire winced from the
pain.

Jen carefully supported her under her arm
while Claire tried to pull herself up with the newel post. After a
few attempts at maneuvering the stairs Claire plopped down on a
step.

"It's no use, I can't put any weight on my
foot. I'm afraid if we keep trying we will both fall and get hurt
worse," Claire cried.

With a big smile Jen said, "I will be right
back, don't move."

Within a few minutes Jen was back, but
Daniel was already steps ahead of her. He gently picked Claire up
as if she weighed nothing. Speaking in soft soothing tones, "It's
okay, let me get you upstairs and we can look you over."

Sitting her down on the sofa in the small
room off of the kitchen, he carefully removed her boot. He could
see that her ankle was beginning to swell and turn blue. She had a
couple scrapes on her hand, where she tried to catch herself on the
brick of the basement wall and a small cut on her forehead. Just
then Janet and Steve came rushing in the back door.

"Oh my, Claire sweetie, what happened?"
Janet crooned.

"I... I tripped on a loose board on the
basement step. I'm fine, I wish you guys wouldn't fuss over me,"
Claire said.

"Nonsense, look at your ankle, it's getting
bigger by the minute. Daniel get your truck warmed up and take her
to the minor emergency in town. She needs to have her ankle x-rayed
to make sure it isn't broken. And see to it that she doesn't need
stitches on her forehead," Janet said with a worried
expression.

A couple of hours later Daniel carried
Claire back into the house.

"Bring her in here Daniel," Janet yelled
from a room just beyond the kitchen.

"Where did this bedroom come from? I have
never seen it," Daniel asked as he gently laid Claire on the
bed.

"It was actually a woman's parlor. While you
were at the emergency room your dad, Jen and I moved Claire's bed
in and re-arranged. There's no way she is will be able to maneuver
those stairs for a while, and there's a bathroom right next
door."

Jen sat down softly on the bed with Claire,
"What did the doctor say?"

"It isn't a big deal, I don't have any
broken bones. The doctor said it's just a sprain. He told me to
elevate my foot and put ice on it for the next couple of days. I
have to use crutches until I can put weight on my foot without
pain, but it should be fully healed in a few months," Claire
said.