by Leona Fox
“What was her name?”
“It should be in there somewhere, everyone knew her. Amelia I think it was, I don't quite recall her surname. She left not long after that. Couldn't deal with the shame. People were unkind to her, and I suppose staying in the town was just too painful, too much to bear.”
“Thank you Martha, thank you so much for all your help. I think you might have just saved the mill!” Kelly exclaimed.
She and Matthew ran out of the house and into the car, then they drove at full speed to the library. They burst in, not caring about the sharp glares that were cast their way because of the noise they were making. Ellen looked up, surprised to see them. Kelly slapped the picture down in front of Ellen, along with the name.
“Please tell me you recognize her?” Kelly said.
Ellen herself was surrounded by as many records as Kelly and Matthew had been at Martha's. Indeed, she had seen the face before but never had had it confirmed that it was van De Lay's beau. Kelly filled Ellen in on the story behind the romance and why there were not many records of her. To society at that time she had been invisible, and the only reason she was anyone of note was because of her association with Michael van De Lay. But now they had a name and they could trace it all the way through. Hopefully they would find that there would be at least one living relative, and that they would see van De Lay's vision for the town, unlike Charlotte who was blind to it. Ellen, Kelly, and Matthew scoured the records, filled with a vibrant energy that came to them from knowing that hope was gleaming for them. They all remembered Charlotte's confidence. So all of them wanted to see the look on her face as they pulled the carpet from underneath her and pulled off an unlikely victory for the small town of East Pender. There was still a long way to go but it was within their grasp.
Meanwhile, Andy and Lisa had been occupied with other matters. After the meeting at the cafe the two of them had gone over some legal matters, just to make sure there was nothing else they could do to forestall the deal. They had returned to Andy's home and Lisa was sitting uncomfortably close to him, continually making references to their past and it was all Andy could do to keep the conversation focused on the present. At one point Ellen sent him a text to tell him of their discovery, and he relayed the news, but Lisa seemed unimpressed. She had made him dinner, just as she used to, and Andy wasn't blind to the fact she had made his old favorite. The plates were empty now, though, and they were trying to relax.
“Be honest with me Andy, what is it you even see in her? She's got a lot of spirit, I'll give her that, but she's small time, just like this town. You know you don't belong here? This place isn't you,” she said.
“It's become me. It's a good place, Lisa. I'm happy here. I'm happy with Ellen. You might not be able to see but I am, and there's nothing you can do to stop it.”
Lisa pressed her lips together and narrowed her eyes. “I know this isn't you. You miss the bright lights of the city. I still think of you, of our time together. No one ever has been able to replace you.”
“Yeah, well, you were the one who ended things.”
“Because I lost you!” Lisa exclaimed, then tried calming down again.
“You're such a frustrating man. I've tried to forget you, tried to move on, but it just hasn't worked. Come back with me. Forget this life. Is this what you really want to spend your time doing? Trying to save some old mill so a few people can keep their jobs? It's beneath you.”
“They're good people, Lisa. If you can't see that then I won't be able to make you understand. But that's the problem with you, with most people in the city. You see this place as an anachronism, as a place that has been lost in time, but it's not. It's a good place. It's a good home and a lot of people are happy here. The city isn't better just because it's bigger and flashier.”
“But that's where your life is, where you belong, with me. Come on, you know you miss it, all those nights we'd stay up talking, those long drives, looking out at the city from your porch. The world was ours. You can't say you don't miss that,” she said, running a hand over his chest.
For a moment he almost was tempted to give in. The temptation of the past was strong. There had been a time when it was perfectly natural for her to be running her hand over his body. Her lips yearned for his, but he loved Ellen. He grabbed Lisa's wrist and forced her hand away.
“I don't miss it. I'm happy, Lisa, and if you truly felt anything for me you'd understand that and let me be,” he said.
Lisa's face flushed with anger and she almost screamed. Rage lay within her eyes and she jerked her hand away. Then she gathered her things and stormed out of the house without saying a word, slamming the door on her way out. Andy exhaled deeply, closed his eyes, and pinched his nose.
He didn't know how long had passed when Ellen called him.
“Hey, I'm really sorry but I think I messed up the case,” he said.
“What happened?”
“It's Lisa. We...we had a fight and she's left. If there was any legal loophole, I won't be able to find it on my own. I'm sorry. I guess it wasn't a good idea to call her in the first place.”
“We can talk about that later, but you haven't messed up anything. We have a lead. I think we've found the heir, Andy. Her name is Emily Bright. We've called her and she's coming into town!”
Chapter 9
The following day Emily arrived. Ellen was there to meet her at the cafe. She was a waif of a woman, with big glasses and a button nose. When she spoke it was like a whisper and her eyes continually darted around. Ellen welcomed her in and offered her a drink, but all Emily wanted was tap water. She certainly wasn't the type of person Ellen could see running a mill, or anything else for that matter.
“I know this must have come as quite a shock to you,” Ellen said.
“It has. I mean, this is for real, right? It's not one of those TV shows?” she said, looking around as though she expected to see some cameras.
“No, it's nothing like that,” Ellen said, chuckling, then relaying the story to her.
She told Emily all about Charlotte and James, and van De Lay's diary. She also told her about the town. Emily was silent as she listened intently to everything Ellen had to say. It was a sharp contrast to Charlotte’s behavior when she had been in conversation with the cafe owner. It took a while to tell the whole story and by the end of it Ellen's throat was dry, but she could tell the woman was daunted.
“I know it's a lot to take in,” Ellen added, “but we're only trying to do what's best, and what Michael van De Lay would have wanted. This town is special and the people here are part of a community. I don't know how much your parents told you about your history but Michael van De Lay poured a lot of money and resources into making this town great, and now there is someone who wants to rip it away. We're just hoping you follow in his footsteps.”
“My parents mentioned something but the family history is all very vague. I only heard rumors. I never really investigated my ancestors. I suppose I should have,” she said, pushing the glasses up the bridge of her nose.
“Well, I have his diary, which I suppose is as much a part of your inheritance as the mill. I think this will give you some insight into the man,” she said.
Ellen also took her to the library to show her the clippings from his memorial service. This also gave Ellen the opportunity to talk to Emily about the town as a whole, and show her the place they were trying to preserve. She decided not to talk about Charlotte too much, although naturally Emily inquired about the person who currently was laying claim to the inheritance. All Ellen would say was that that particular person did not have the town's best interests at heart. Emily gazed in wonder at the information offered. She saw the picture in the paper of the pregnant girl, and asked who she was. Even in the old picture there was a clear family resemblance between her and Emily. Kelly retold the story that Martha had told them, and all present were moved by the lengths that Michael van De Lay had gone to for his love.
“Why don't you take a few
moments to read the journal and process this all?” Ellen suggested.
“I can't imagine what you're going through right now, so just take some time.” Emily moved away and the other three had a quick discussion.
“She seems nice,” Kelly said.
“Yes, but whether she'll want to help us or not is a different story. It's a lot to dump on someone,” Ellen replied.
However, about an hour later, after Emily had been engrossed in the reading material provided, she walked up to the group and announced she would help them. Ellen hugged her, which seemed to take Emily by surprise, but they all were overjoyed and relished seeing the look in Charlotte's eyes when she eventually received her comeuppance. Ellen returned to the cafe to find that Ray and Charlotte were there, among other people, and as always between those two, sparks were flying.
“I only came here to get a drink. Can't you people leave me alone?” Charlotte cried out.
“Only when you see the harm you're causing!” Ray exclaimed.
Ellen quickly intervened and dragged Ray aside, around the corner so they were out of earshot. In a frantic whisper she told him everything was going to be alright, that Emily was in town and the true descendant was going to make things right. However, little did she know that Charlotte had crept close by and overheard every word.
The next day Ellen was feeling smug, but when Emily came up to her she immediately knew something was wrong. Emily looked haggard, as though she hadn't slept at all.
“What's wrong?” Ellen asked.
“I'm s-sorry, but I c-can't help you,” Emily stammered out, on the verge of tears.
Ellen placed a reassuring arm around her shoulder and led her indoors, where she offered tea. Scampy came and nestled against Emily's feet and this seemed to calm her down. Her breathing slowed to a normal rate and it didn't take long for Ellen to get to the truth. Emily recounted how two people had accosted her late in the night when she had been making her way back to the bed and breakfast in which she was staying. Although they had stayed in the shadows, Ellen had no doubt it had been Charlotte and James. She smiled, although Emily didn't see why.
“Because it means they're worried. They spent so long thinking they had things under control but they didn't count on us finding you, or your willingness to help us.”
“I'm not sure I can, Ellen. You've been so kind but I don't want to be attacked. This is all so new to me and I'm not sure I like it. I live a quiet life, you know; I don't want this kind of thing to happen. I don't want to be a target. Michael van De Lay...he didn't mind the public eye but I'm not like that, I'm not like him...” she said despondently.
“You are like him, Emily. You have his blood in your veins. He was willing to risk everything for the love of that woman, and because of that you're alive. He loved this town. He endured the ridicule of his family for the sake of his dream and in his lifetime he saw it come to fruition. Ever since then the people of this town have tried to honor his memory because we know all that he did for us. It's our home, and we treasure it, just as much as he treasured it, and now people are threatening to take that away from us. Good people have poured their hearts and souls into that mill and we've all done our part to see that that doesn't happen.
Michael van De Lay would do the same if he was here. He left a legacy behind, not just in this town but in you as well. You are his descendant and it is not only your right to carry on his vision but your duty. You may not think you're special but you are. You have his blood in you. You are as much a part of this town as any of us and, like it or not, you belong here. East Pender is a good town, a hardy town. It's been the beneficiary of your family's love for a long time, and now it's asking for just a little more. Please Emily, please don't walk away from this,” she pleaded, and how could Emily refuse?
The following day the papers were signed. Ellen and Emily walked into the mayor's office with all the official documents to prove she was a direct descendant of Michael van De Lay. Charlotte protested, of course, loudly, but it fell on deaf ears, and she was forced to leave the town hall with her tail between her legs.
“Guess she never reckoned you'd be so formidable. Once again your sleuthing skills found the right person,” Kelly said as she stood beside her friend.
“No, it wasn't just me. I couldn't have done it without you or the rest of this town. We're all in this together,” Ellen said, smiling at her friend. Once the deal was done Emily came up to Ellen, looking a little perturbed.
“I'm glad all this is over but I have to say I'm kind of worried about this. I never have owned a mill before and I don't really, I mean...I have a life of my own. Am I expected to move here? I don't think I could just uproot myself like that,” she said. Ellen laughed joyfully and put her arm around the nervous woman.
“Don't worry about that, I actually thought of a solution. Let me introduce you to Ray, and as for moving, well, I'd hope that at some point you'd like to come back and visit us. Oh… and there's one more thing left. Come to the park later. The whole town is going to be there,” Ellen said, and then walked her over to where Ray was standing.
“Now, this is Ray Finn. He's worked at the mill for a long time and if you were looking for someone to be in charge of it I can't think of anyone who is better qualified.” She left them to discuss the future plans for the mill, and Ray seemed happier than he had been ever since this whole thing started.
In fact, the entire town was uplifted by the news, and Charlotte was jeered as she left the town, never to return. Ellen was also the recipient of many apologies from people who had taunted her and accused her of being a traitor, which made her feel good. She was relieved her efforts had not gone unnoticed.
Speaking of going unnoticed, later that day she went to the park where the entire town had gathered to say farewell to Michael van De Lay. Everyone was there, from Martha, who already had attended his first funeral, to Scott and the other children who had discovered the skeleton. Emily was the guest of honor, and after the mayor gave a short speech about how grateful they were for all that van De Lay had done for the town, he introduced Emily. She hadn’t been prepared at all for such an introduction, but after a smile from Ellen she rose to the podium and leaned into the microphone.
“Thank you for this wonderful gesture. I have to admit I never knew much about Michael van De Lay. My parents didn't delve into the history of my family. It's been only in the past couple of days that all this has come to light, and believe me, I'm going to have a lot to talk about with my mom when I get back home.” This brought a laugh from the crowd, and Emily seemed to relax.
“I have, however, been getting to know Michael van De Lay from this journal, which Ellen gave me.” She paused for a moment as she attempted to find the right words. “From this I can see he was a man of high ideals. He had many plans for this town, and I am pleased to be carrying on his legacy. I have been in this town only for a short time but I already can see the strong sense of community and spirit. It warms my heart to know you have thought so highly of my ancestor all this time. I never was expecting something like this to happen to me but I'm happy it has since you've given me a part of my history. I will cherish this. Thank you so much, to all of you. And I'm sure that, wherever he is, Michael van De Lay is happy, too, because you've all proved him right.”
Everyone cheered, and for a funeral it was a surprisingly joyous occasion. After all, it was done mostly to honor van De Lay's memory and to celebrate the fact that the town was going to remain as it always had, and would hold onto what made it so precious. Ellen and Andy stayed for a while but they had their own issues to deal with, and slipped away to return home.
“I'm sorry about what happened,” he admitted, “I should have handled it better and told you from the start that Lisa was my ex.”
“Yes, you should have, but I shouldn't have reacted like I did. This is...being so close to you is unfamiliar to me and I suppose I was just a little scared of it ending, but I have to trust in you, and trust in us,” she said
, taking his hand.
“I'm glad you feel that way, but you have to know that nothing would have happened. She's from my past and I've let go of that completely. My life is here now, with you, and I'm perfectly happy with it being that way,” he said. Ellen smiled at him.
“It's like Michael van De Lay said,” he added, “this place brings people together, it's a true home, and I am completely happy here.”
He leaned in to kiss her and they lost themselves in the sweet taste of each other’s lips. Years ago, Michael van De Lay had loved a woman and their child followed a path to where Emily was born, and she came back to East Pender to save the day. Andy and Ellen's love was still in its infancy but who’s to say where it would lead them? Only time would tell, as the stars twinkled above East Pender and all the people it held close to its bosom. All of them were happy, but of course there were still mysteries to be solved. Even though the town’s soul had been protected, there always would be disreputable people ready to take matters into their own hands, but Ellen, with the help of her friends, would get to the bottom of the case.
Find out what Ellen discovers in book 6 of The East Pender Mysteries here: http://amzn.to/2aZNwou
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