Finding Elizabeth

by Faith Helm

  I must go, I need to re-read Thomas' letter.

  Elizabeth

  Wiping away her tears, Claire set the journal to the side. Needing to know what happened to Elizabeth, she decided she would contact James tomorrow. Maybe he would share the genealogy he had on the Van Whites. Hearing the doorbell, Claire smoothed her hair with her hands before rising to answer the door.

  With a crooked smile Daniel said, "Good morning, are you ready to take a tour of the property?"

  Claire grabbed her coat and gloves, "Yes, I have been looking forward to exploring the grounds."

  Leading Claire to the carriage house Daniel stepped to the side, allowing her to enter first. She was struck with the musty smell of old hay and leather. Looking around she noticed the cast iron hooks on the wall that housed a myriad of tack.

  Although she had never been around horses, she knew these items were a harness, reins and a saddle. The leather was dry and cracked and looked like they would crumble in her hands if she touched them.

  "I wonder if I could find someone who could restore the leather on these items? They are a part of this homes history and I hate to see them destroyed," Claire said.

  Just then, Daniel stepped up beside her, " I am sure we can find someone and I agree, they should be restored."

  Pulling the tarp off of an ATV, Daniel grabbed the key from the hook on the wall. After opening the large door to the carriage house, he returned and started the John Deere gator and patted the seat next to him. Claire smiled as she happily hopped onto the seat, knowing they were off on an adventure.

  Claire could only imagine what this place would look like in the spring and summer. Maybe they should have waited a few weeks before exploring. As it was, she couldn't see any of the beautiful gardens she knew would be here.

  They drove around while Daniel pointed out the different buildings, "To the left is the guest house for the property. That is where I have lived most of my life, and where my parents still live."

  "It is beautiful," Claire said. "I had envisioned a tiny house, but it is lovely and much larger than I expected. I can imagine the light pouring into the home with all of those great windows. And sitting in that beautiful wicker rocking chair on the front porch sipping tea in the summer."

  "It was wonderful growing up here, and I have nothing but happy memories of my parents and my childhood. Even though my parents don't own it, I still think of this as my home," pausing as he smiled at the memories. Daniel continued, "The small building to the right was originally the smoke house, but now it's used for storage for some of dad's gardening tools."

  They continued on as Daniel pointed out other small buildings as they worked their way to the rear of the property. In the distance Claire could see they were heading to the area with a short black iron fence, which she knew must be the family cemetery. With renewed excitement and hoping to learn what had become of Elizabeth, she sat anxiously waiting for the gator to stop.

  Claire reached the gate, with Daniel right behind her. She could see the cemetery had not been forgotten, but she would make this her special project. She could envision the flowers she would plant, and perhaps the fence could use a new coat of paint. Opening the gate she stepped inside looking over the stones. Walking toward the closest one she noticed that it was a newer stone.

  Rebecca Clark Van White 1869-1968.

  Next to it was a larger stone, lovingly engraved with

  "Beloved husband, Protector and Friend," Andrew M Van White 1868-1946

  Beside Andrew's stone were three small flat stones that simply read infant Van White, and each had a date of 1892, 1893 and 1897.

  Stepping away to regain her composure, Claire quickly looked at the older, larger stones for Phillip and Olivia. "I wonder where William and Elizabeth are buried?"

  Leading her out of the gate near a grove of tall pine trees, Daniel said, "I'm not sure who is buried here, there aren't any names on them. My father found these stones not long after moving here. They were overgrown with weeds when he found them, and he nearly ran them over with his tractor. Since they are outside of the fenced area, we always presumed they were the graves of a servant and her child."

  Looking closer, Claire could see the hastily laid stones that had cracked with age. The first one read 1869-1887 and the second read 1886-1887. Wiping away the tears that were now falling freely down her face, Claire turned to Daniel, "Please take me home."

  After they returned the gator to the carriage house, Claire spoke for the first time, "I am starving, would you like to come in for a late lunch?"

  "I thought you would never ask, " Daniel said with a mischievous grin.

  While Claire warmed the soup and made sandwiches, Daniel built a fire in the room just off of the kitchen. It was a small but comfortable room, and would warm them easily. Talking as they ate, Claire noticed how easy it was to talk to Daniel. She felt like she had known him forever. And when he looked at her with those eyes, she thought he could see into her soul.

  "So do you want to tell me what all the tears were about back there?" Daniel asked.

  Looking away, so Daniel could not see that she was lying, Claire responded, "I found a journal for Elizabeth Van White. I have been reading it and I just wonder what became of her. I have just began reading the journal, but it appears that she had a hard life, that all the Van Whites had a hard life," she corrected.

  "How so?" Daniel asked with interest.

  "By Elizabeth's account, her father Phillip was a harsh man. He was violent with the entire family and treated the staff as though they were slaves," Claire said as she sipped her cocoa.

  "Claire, it was a different time. Women and children were not treated the way they are now, but I'm sure it wasn't as bad as Elizabeth made it sound," Daniel said.

  "I hope you are right, maybe Elizabeth was just melodramatic," Claire said with a smile. "Besides, I am probably just emotional because I didn't get much sleep last night. I was woken up early to the sound of a baby crying. I'm sure it was just a nightmare, but it was still eerie."

  With a smile of recognition, Daniel said, "Maybe what you heard was a fox. I haven't seen any near the house, but they live in the woods behind the house. They have a very eerie cry that sounds a lot like a baby crying."

  Blushing at her ignorance, Claire said, "What a relief. I was scared when it woke me up this morning. I wasn't sure if it was a nightmare, or if the house was haunted," she said with a laugh.

  Claire and Daniel talked late into the night. They made plans to meet on Tuesday and go to the store so he could take measurements and try to figure out placement for the loft.

  Claire could tell Daniel wanted to kiss her, but after their earlier conversation about Adam, she knew he wouldn't try. Thanking him again for the tour, she watched him get into his truck before she closed and locked the front door.

  She was exhausted and hopefully tonight she would sleep peacefully. But for the second night in a row Claire was woken by the sound of the crying baby. This time she knew it was no dream. She had heard it again while she was wide awake. Feeling reassured that it was just a fox, she snuggled under the covers and fell back into a dreamless sleep.

  ***

  Chapter Eight

  Claire was usually an early riser, but slept much later than usual today. Come on Claire get up, you can't sleep all day. Dragging herself from the comfort of her warm bed, she looked out the window and noticed the snow had started to fall again. After a quick breakfast she decided she would look around the house. She had found the portraits of all members of the Van White family, except for the one of Elizabeth. She had even double checked every room downstairs, just to make sure she hadn't missed it.

  Claire reached into her pocket for her phone and dialed the number for James Allen. His secretary answered, and after a short pause she was connected with James.

  "Good morning James, I was hoping that you could help me with something. I am curious about the Van White genealogy that you worked on. I was hoping you
would be willing to share it with me." Grabbing a pen and paper, Claire jotted down the information that he gave her. Thanking him again she disconnected the call.

  After retrieving her laptop from her bedroom she set it up at the desk in the library. After a few clicks of her keyboard she found an open wi-fi network, which she presumed belonged to Janet and Steve.

  She pulled up ancestry and typed in the user name and password James had given her. The information was limited at best. Phillip and Olivia were on the family chart, along with Andrew and Rebecca, Elizabeth, William and Williams wife Alma. Other than the learning William had married Alma McKinney. She learned they had a son named Samuel which must have been Adams great grandfather. Otherwise there was no new information.

  There was nothing on when Elizabeth died, or if she ever married Thomas. Checking the census Claire located William in 1930, but a search for Elizabeth after 1880 found nothing. Deciding that maybe Elizabeth had married Thomas, she searched for Thomas or Elizabeth Campbell. Nothing that matched the time frame or the states where she knew they had lived. Feeling frustrated Claire closed the laptop.

  Hearing a knock at the back door, Claire ran to answer it, knowing before she got there that it was Janet.

  "Come in out of the cold, I was just getting ready to make another pot of coffee, would you like a cup?" Claire asked.

  With a shiver Janet said, "That sounds good, it's freezing out there. I think we have had nearly a foot of snow fall overnight and they are calling for more today."

  After starting the coffee Claire turned to Janet, "So did you have a good time on your trip?"

  "We had a wonderful time. The hotel at the casino is amazing and they have live music every day. We spent a lot of our time in the evenings just dancing. I even learned a new line dance," Janet giggled at the memory. "We tried several restaurants and of course we gambled a little too much, but it was worth it to just get away for a couple of days." Then with a knowing smile Janet asked, "So what have you been up to the last couple of days?"

  Carrying a tray with coffee and peanut butter cookies, Janet followed Claire into the small room off of the kitchen. Claire started a cozy fire before speaking, "Well I met a wonderful man who was kind enough to take me to dinner on Saturday evening. Then on Sunday he took me on a tour of the property. I can tell by your grin that you are hoping Daniel and I will be more than friends. He is a great guy, and if the circumstances were different, I would love to explore a relationship, but it's too soon for me. And I don't even know if Daniel is interested in me."

  Picking up her coffee, Janet took a long sip, "I'm sorry, I should have warned you that Daniel was a young, charming man. I can't imagine why he wouldn't be interested. I'm sure you have figured out the two of you have a lot in common. Claire, I don't want to offend you when I say Adam is gone, but you are alive. Please don't torment yourself with the what ifs and should haves. You are a young, beautiful woman and although you are not ready yet, you will be when the time is right. I don't even know Adam, but I know he would want you to live your life and be happy."

  Wiping away her tears Claire grasped Janet's hands, "Thank you for the kind words. I'm just not sure how to put this behind me. Adam has been a part of my life since junior high. I can barely remember a time without him. I see him in everything I do, and everywhere I go. I find myself pushing the memories away and burying them and I know that I should face them so that I can get past this."

  With a thoughtful smile Janet said, "If you ever need to talk, I'm a good listener. Now what is this that Daniel told me about you looking for information on Elizabeth Van White?"

  "Yes I am. It all started when I found Elizabeth's journal. It has been great getting to know her, through her words, but I have been looking for her portrait. I know she sat for one because she wrote about it, but I haven't been able to find it anywhere in the house. Do you know which room it's in?" Claire asked.

  "Come to think of it, I don't remember seeing a painting of Elizabeth," Janet said.

  "Then when Daniel was showing me around, I noticed that she wasn't buried in the cemetery with the rest of the family. Neither was William, but I just discovered that he married and moved away. He was on the 1930 census in Oklahoma, but I can't find any mention of Elizabeth. Except for the 1870 and 1880 census, but nothing after they moved here from Boston," Claire said.

  Janet nibbled on a cookie, "Have you looked for the painting in the attic?"

  Claire grinned, "Oh, I didn't even think about that. That's where I found the journal, but there is just so much stuff. I barely got started on a small corner of the attic."

  Smiling Janet said, "I have never been in the attic, and I have always been curious about what is up there. I would be happy to help you look."

  That was enough convincing for Claire. They took the back staircase to the second floor and made their way to the attic, double checking each of the rooms as they went. When they reached the attic door, Claire remembered that she was going to bring a better light. Not wanting to waste another minute, she pulled out her cell phone and used the flashlight. Shining the cell phone light, she began looking in wardrobes, behind boxes and discarded furniture. Just when Claire thought the painting wasn't there, she heard Janet yell.

  "Here it is, I found it!" Janet said enthusiastically. "Let's take it downstairs where the light is better."

  "Thank God, I was afraid it might be gone forever," Claire said.

  By the time they reached the first floor Claire was so eager to see it. She leaned it against the wall in the foyer while Janet turned on extra lights.

  Elizabeth was stunning with her beautiful red ringlets falling down past her shoulders and a dainty baby blue ribbon tied in a bow on top of her head. The dress she wore was the same blue as the ribbon in her hair. On the bodice was a long row of tiny buttons surrounded by beautiful crewelwork and a large bustle in the rear which only accentuated her tiny waist. She had her mothers delicate features and her fathers sky blue eyes, but instead of sadness or hatred Elizabeth's eyes showed of love and hope.

  Like Claire, Janet couldn't to take her eyes off of the painting, "Wow she is beautiful."

  "Yes she is, and she looks exactly how I pictured her. But I wonder why the painting isn't hanging somewhere down here like the rest of the family?" Claire asked.

  Janet looked up for the first time, "Your guess is as good as mine, but it's your home now and you can hang it wherever you like."

  Picking up the painting Claire carried it into the kitchen. Looking for something to clean the dust off with she said, "I will ask Daniel if he can help me hang it tomorrow. I'm sure he has an anchor in that big tool box on his truck."

  Janet looked puzzled, "Do you and Daniel have plans tomorrow?"

  Claire spoke as she continued to clean the portrait, "Yes we are going to look at the building I want to use for the antique store. He is going to check and see if a loft can be built so I will have extra space."

  "Well if anyone can do it, I know Daniel can. I know you probably think I'm just saying that because he is my son. But he has done work on many of the buildings in town and there just isn't anyone else I trust. He is very good at his job," Janet said with pride.

  Glancing down at her watch, Janet said, "Oh no, look at the time. Steve will be home soon and I need to start dinner," and with a quick hug she was gone.

  After eating dinner, Claire grabbed the journal and headed upstairs to her room. She had been worrying for days about finances and wondered if she would be able to afford the remodel of the home and shop. Or if she could even support a home like this at all. The utilities and taxes were probably astronomical on a home of this size. She had money tucked away from Adam's life insurance. And there was a sizeable amount from the insurance of the drunk driver who hit them, but that was supposed to be her safety net.

  After getting under the covers on the bed, she picked up the envelope James had given her when they met. She looked over the forms that would make the home hers. She decide
d she would find an impartial attorney to look at them. Turning to the pages of information on the investment properties, she was astounded as she scanned the pages. She found 138 properties as well as the estate. Most of the properties were the old buildings on main street that housed businesses on the main level and loft apartments on the upper floors. There were a few other buildings in the newer part of town, just beyond main street and several single family homes. She quickly looked through the banking information. Are you kidding me? I have never seen that many zero's.