Reclaiming Katie

by Gardner, M. L.

  Katie choked on her wine. Sputtering, she dabbed her mouth with a napkin and then looked back at Will.

  "Really?"

  "Really."

  "Poor Samantha. To escape Richard only to have a daughter that's…"

  "Crazy?" he finished for her.

  "Well, mentally challenged," she said with a look of reproach.

  "I don't know why Elizabeth was there. A lot of the records were destroyed in a fire at the Asylum in 1930. But I do know that they escaped, at least once, and waited out the search in Canada. It looks like they stayed there three years or so before moving back to the states. My guess is, by that time the Depression was so bad that there were more important things to look for, like jobs and food, rather than two kids who ran off together."

  "Do you know anything about Simon?"

  "No, I couldn't find a thing. But they did have a son, David Sinclair." He looked at her with a devilish grin. "Want to take a road trip?"

  Chapter 29

  Katie wrung her hands, standing at the threshold of the doorway. "I've never been away from him for a whole weekend before."

  "He'll be fine," Vicky assured. "All kids have sleepovers with Grandma."

  "Mom, we live with you," she said dryly. "He sleeps over every night."

  "Well, you won't forever and he's growing fast. Let me enjoy this while I can."

  She nodded, still not entirely comfortable with the idea. Will pulled up in his truck, the back full of camping supplies. Vicky eyed him and then glanced at Katie, grinning.

  "I thought we'd camp, if that's okay," he said as he ascended the porch steps.

  "Sounds fine."

  He slipped an arm around Katie's waist and gave her a discreet, in-front-of-the-parents kiss on the cheek. "Hey little guy," he said and reached his other hand out to Jacob, who stared at him with wide, curious eyes.

  His fat cheeks jiggled as he looked at his grandma, at Katie and then fixed his eyes on Will again.

  "We'll take you next time, alright?"

  Jacob broke the slightest grin, showing a new top tooth.

  "He's not too young for a slingshot, right?" Will asked Katie, teasing. As if understanding him, Jacob began throwing his hands up and down and bouncing on Vicky's arm.

  "Yes, he most certainly is," Katie said.

  Will grinned and cocked his head toward Jacob and whispered. "A BB gun, then." Jacob giggled and stuck his arms out toward Will. He looked lost at first, not knowing what to do until Vicky stepped towards him.

  "Looks like he wants to go to you."

  Jacob leaned hard, to the point where Katie thought he would fall out of Vicky's arms. Will caught him and Jacob settled himself against Will's chest, looking up and patting his face, his little rosebud mouth slightly open. Will seemed like a natural with children. He looked natural with Jacob.

  "Don't worry, he'll be fine," Will said, reaching over to take Katie's hand. With the windows rolled down, the wind whipped Katie’s hair around.

  "I know," she said with a voice that still held concern.

  "You're a good mother," he reassured. She didn't know why, but his acknowledgment of that helped her relax somewhat and she settled back into the seat. "And it's just for the weekend. You deserve it. You got a lot done on the house this past week."

  "WE got a lot done on the house."

  It was true, they had completely finished the living room and had moved on to the bathroom. It was empty, nothing but hanging wires and protruding pipes sticking up from the ground. Will had talked her into gutting everything and starting over.

  "Everything go okay yesterday?"

  "Yes." She blew out her breath and closed her eyes. "I hated having to see Tom's father again but since the Judge went with me, he didn't dare say a word. He glared at me something awful though. I hope ten thousand is enough to finish the house."

  "Should be enough with some left over. I wish you'd consider renting that storefront now."

  Katie shrugged. "Let's get more done and I'll see where the bank account is at. I have to do this just right."

  "I also wish you'd let me help."

  "I am letting you help," she said and pulled her messy hair into a ponytail.

  "I mean financially. I have a little saved."

  "No, Will. I'm not taking your money."

  He held his hand up relenting. "Fine. You're a stubborn woman, Katie Johnson."

  "Emery. I've decided to go back to my maiden name."

  "What about Jacob?"

  "I have to file paperwork to have his name changed. It's not so easy as with me."

  "You could leave it."

  "No, I don't want him having that family’s last name."

  Will opened his mouth to say something and then closed it quickly.

  "What?" she asked, giving him a sidelong glance.

  "Nothing."

  "No, you were going to say something."

  "I…" He paused, appearing to reorganize his thoughts.

  "I was just thinking, if you ever re-married, then you would just have to do paperwork for Jacob all over again. With an adoption, you know? Why bother with that. Why not just leave things as they are and see what the future holds."

  She had no answer and was surprised at the swell her heart took at the mention of remarriage. She was the last person to think she'd be open to the idea.

  Watching Will with his wrist casually resting on the steering wheel, his calm but in charge manner, she couldn't help but hope he was hinting about the two of them. They drove in silence for several miles, and he only removed his hand from her leg to turn on the radio.

  The first stop for gas and drinks broke the comfortable silence and as they sped off again, Katie grew excited to meet Samantha's descendant.

  "Simon Sinclair died about two years ago. Natural causes. His son inherited the house," Will said as he changed lanes and sped past a Sunday driver.

  "What about Elizabeth? Is she still alive? I'd love to ask her questions about her mother."

  "I couldn't find anything to say she wasn't, but if she was, why would her son inherit everything."

  "I guess we'll have to wait and see."

  "This is fun, you know." He glanced over at her. "Tracking down ghosts from the past and fitting all the pieces together. Did you bring the journal?"

  "I did." She pulled it out of her purse. "I went to the library and copied every page yesterday. I want to have a copy, but the original belongs with her family."

  "I'm sure David will appreciate it."

  "Will he? I'm hoping he isn't too upset to find out his grandmother had this whole other life they didn't know about."

  "Well, it's hardly sordid. It was her husband that went syphilis crazy, not her. And they might have known."

  "Her inability to bear children must have been his fault then, not hers like she thought. Or she wouldn't have been able to have Elizabeth."

  "What would be really fantastic is if Samantha kept up her journal writing with her new life. I feel connected to her now. I want to know more."

  "I thought we'd set up before we go to see David," Will said, pulling into the campgrounds. "That way we don't have to fumble around in the dark. He found the reserved spot, set far back into the woods, away from other campers and nestled up to a slow moving river. Katie stepped out of the truck and took a deep breath of fresh, clean air.

  Will tossed bag after bag out of the bed of the truck and seemed to have some order to the piles he was making on the ground.

  They began the work of setting up the tent; a high end model with two rooms and a vent for a woodstove. Being accustomed to camping alone, he handled the task well and thought she tried to help; she mostly stood around, watching him and waiting for direction. He saw Katie eyeing the flashing in the roof as he set the last pole into place.

  "I didn't bring the stove with it being so warm."

  She nodded and began setting up his kitchen camping unit. He took his camping seriously, she noted.

  He tossed slee
ping bags, pillows and bedding in the tent and glanced at Katie.

  "I'm not sure how you want to set this up," he said, avoiding her eyes and shifting his weight. She felt a nervous flush and realized he was talking about the sleeping arrangements. "There are two rooms, or the one, it's up to you."

  A perfect gentleman, she thought with a sigh. Giving her the option to choose and letting her know, discreetly, that it was up to her what, if anything, ended up happening between them on this adventurous trip.

  "I'll set it up," she said. She grinned to herself, knowing he would be wondering all afternoon what he would find. Two sleeping bags side by side? Or one set up in each room. The first confirming, Yes, I want you. The second, No, I'm not ready yet.

  Simply having the decision lay squarely on her shoulders, she felt a surge of longing for him. She already knew what she'd decide. But she'd make him wait to find out.

  "Ready?" he asked, taking a last glance around the campsite.

  "I'm ready," she said, grinning to herself as he opened her door for her.

  The house was neat and unassuming. Sitting amidst a block of neat and unassuming houses, if one weren't looking for it, they'd drive right by and not think twice. The yard was clean and manicured with thick green grass lining the cobblestone path to the door. Its drapes were pulled and it looked as if no one were home. Katie grew anxious, hoping they hadn't made the trip in vain.

  Will knocked and they waited. The slow footsteps from inside told them someone was home. He opened the door, expressionless and didn't say a word. He was older, in his sixties, perhaps, with thin white hair and startling brown eyes that seemed too young for his wrinkled face.

  "David Williams?"

  "Yes."

  "Hello, I'm Katie Johnson. I was hoping I could talk to you about your grandmother, Samantha." She dug into her purse and pulled out the journal. "You see, I found this in the fireplace of the home I lived in and it looks like your grandmother was married into my father's family at one time and—"

  He held his hand up, stopping her nervous ramble. His eyes were pinned on Will and they narrowed, as if trying to place him in his memory of people and things. Suddenly his face relaxed and he nodded.

  "I've been expecting you," he said, turning away. He left the door open and Katie and Will followed hesitantly.

  "Come in," he called as he shuffled back to his chair by the fireplace. "You'll have to excuse the place. I don't have company much. I'm somewhat of a hermit. I've just made some tea, would you like any?"

  "Thank you," Katie said.

  Will looked uncomfortable. His shoulders tense and his brow furrowed, he tried to look around inconspicuously. It was as dark as a cave inside, the drapes kept out most of the daylight. The side lamps were on, burning as if it were nighttime. It smelled as most elderly homes do, with that stuffy, pent up smell of old wood and furniture polish. A small fire burned in the fireplace, never mind that it was 85 degrees outside.

  "Please, sit." Katie did and Will relented, sitting on the edge of the couch, looking ready to run if need be. Katie glanced over at him and put her hand on his leg.

  "Relax," she whispered. "Everything's fine."

  His wary eyes darted to her and back to David, who was settling himself in his chair. Will cleared his throat.

  "You said you were expecting us, sir? What did you mean?"

  He broke the slightest of secretive smiles. "Never mind about that." He focused on Katie again. "What would you like to know about my grandmother?"

  "Well, like I said, I have her journal." She looked down at it and bit her lip before holding it out to him. "I thought her family might want to have it. We did some research, well, Will did most of it and found out that your grandmother turned up in Canada and married Aaron Williams."

  "She did." He held the journal carefully. "Thank you."

  "Did you know?"

  "Did I know about what?"

  "That she had another life, another husband before your grandfather?"

  "Yes, I knew." Katie sat back, surprised. "But I appreciate having her writings, just the same."

  "I was wondering if perhaps she continued journal writing when she started her new life?"

  "Yes, she did."

  "I don't suppose I might be able to read them?"

  "They are tucked away in the attic. It would be difficult to get to them."

  A polite response for ‘No’, Katie realized. She was visibly let down.

  "I can't let you read them for reasons I cannot go into right now. But I can tell you about her, and her life, if you'd like. And I do have a picture."

  "Oh, please, I'd love to see it."

  He struggled to rise and made his way over to a large bookshelf. Scanning the thick volumes, he pulled out an album and blew years of dust away. He sat and opened it, glancing over the old black and white photos without expression.

  "Here's a picture of my grandmother. When she and my grandfather started the tannery in Massachusetts."

  He handed the open album to Katie.

  "She was beautiful." Even in the antique picture, she could see her hair was full and dark, her features delicate, yet strong.

  She would have to be a strong woman to endure what she had. Katie turned the page carefully. David, in his youth, was very handsome indeed. She could see the striking resemblance to his father, Simon who stood next to a woman; presumably, his mother.

  "And this is her daughter?"

  "Yes. My mother, Elizabeth."

  "And is she…"

  "She passed away just a few months ago."

  "I'm sorry to hear that."

  "It was for the better."

  Katie looked up, unable to hide a look of shock. "It sounds cruel, I know, but my mother was tormented. She died in a state mental hospital."

  "In our research we found that she had been a patient in Massachusetts," Will said.

  "For years my mother lived a happy life. Normal as you are. But after my father died, her symptoms reappeared and it wasn't long before she was readmitted."

  "What symptoms were those, if you don't mind my asking?"

  "Split personality. Three ways, actually."

  Will stiffened and eyed the door.

  "She believed that my father, Simon, was her cure and kept her mind in check. Without him, she began to lose control and they surfaced again."

  "They?" Katie asked.

  Will stood up. "Well, thank you for your time, Mr. Sinclair, we'd best be going."

  "Will, sit down. I want to know more." She looked back at David. "If you don't mind sharing, that is."

  "Makes no difference to me," he said reaching for his tea.

  Chapter 30

  "That must have been hard on Samantha, to have a daughter so ill."

  "It broke her heart. But she often had her hands busy with my grandfather. It was a family trait, apparently. He came back from World War One split as well. When my mother was diagnosed, I think she just about gave up on life."

  "We found that Elizabeth met your father in the…hospital," Katie said.

  "No need to be delicate on my account, dear," David said. "Yes, they met in the asylum. They ran away together—terribly romantic—but they were caught and returned. There was a fire a month later; burned down the entire men's wing of the hospital. That's when they took their chance and ran again. Only this time, they ran west and up, to Canada. After all that trauma, you can understand how it must have affected my mother. She retreated into herself and it took my father the better part of three days to get her back to herself."

  "How did he do that?" Katie asked. She winced from Will's iron grip on her hand. She shot him a look and shook it out.

  "Sorry," he whispered.

  "It was nothing short of an exorcism," he said, casually taking a sip of tea.

  Will scrubbed his face with his hand. "Katie, can we go please," he pleaded in a low voice. She grinned at him and shook her head.

  "Will this is amazing!" she hissed.

  "
No, my mother wasn't possessed. All he did," David continued, "was help my mother realize that she was in control of her mind. They had stopped along the way and were nearly to Canada when she began to not act like herself. My father was in a hurry to get across the border, but my mother was too unstable. They found an abandoned cabin and he set out to win my mother back or die trying. And after those awful three days in the woods, he won her heart and mind; she remained symptom free. Until my father died."

  "I hope you aren't offended when I say that's one of the most romantic stories I've ever heard."

  Will gave her a sharp, sidelong glance.

  David smiled. "You came here in hopes I'd have more of my grandmother's journals."

  "I did. I'm afraid I got very attached to her while reading."

  "I have something else you might be interested in reading." With a grunt and a push he went off into the side room and emerged with a small book. "I wrote an account of my mother's life during the time she met my father. There's a little of my grandmother in here."

  Katie's eyes lit up as he held it out in offering. "I'd love to." While her main interest was Samantha Emery, she was happy to get a glimpse into her daughter’s life.

  "Elizabeth's Heart," she said, looking over the cover.

  "I named it after a clay heart my father gave her while in the institution."

  "What do these initials stand for?" she asked.

  "Much Love and Gratitude. When I saw my mother looking at my father, I knew there was something else there beyond worldly love. There was something that went deeper than body and soul, beyond anything I could comprehend or put words to. After struggling with a description of what is was, exactly, that was in her eyes, I simply decided on those few words. It seemed to best describe it. You can keep that copy. I have others."

  "Have you written anything else?"

  His entertained laugh ended with an exuberant cough. "Just those," he said, pointing to the top shelf where a four foot long row of books proudly stood.

  "My goodness," Katie said, eyes wide with awe. "Mr. Sinclair, if you don't mind my asking, what was your father hospitalized for?"