by Geeta Kakade
They all looked taken aback.
Andrew started unwrapping the other bottles.
“Single malts, Bowmore, Dalmore,” he called out as he removed the paper surrounding the bottles.
“Single malts are priceless,” Jacob said as he kept putting the names into his iPhone and announcing the approximate prices. “Collectors would kill to get their hands on these. Somebody paid 100000 for a single malt from 1930.”
Mark looked at the splints of wood anchoring the trunk to the floor that made such a great storage space for the whiskey.
“Should we tear down the rest of the house to see what else is hidden here?” Mark asked jokingly.
“I’ll have to get someone trustworthy to inventory all the china and you’ll have to help me decide what to do with the whiskey.” Christy sounded as if she was still in shock.
“Let’s open a bottle when Bridget’s father and sister get here,” suggested Mark.
“That’s too much money to spend on us,” Bridget protested.
“It’s an occasion worth celebrating,” Christy told her. “You have a father and a sister and I have an uncle and another first cousin.”
“Only fifty percent of us drink.” Bridget watched the men line the bottles up on the bottom shelf of the closet the wedding gowns hung in.
“Fifty one percent,” Laurel corrected her. “I don’t drink much but I will definitely try this. I don’t believe we’ve actually found this stuff.”
“Let’s not discuss any of the discoveries in front of the guests,” Mark dusted his hands as he put the last bottle away. “Or we’ll have a bidding war on our hands before we know what we want to do with these things.”
“The press will be on the doorstep too,” Andrew warned. “It’s not every day so many bottles of rare whiskey show up in one place.”
“And remember to keep the door of the attic locked.” Mark wiped a smudge of dust from Christy’s chin. “We’re going to have to get extra insurance.”
Christy nodded. She’d mentioned to Laurel a guest had tried to open the doll cabinet in the living room when no one else was around. Cody’s barking had brought Mark into the room and the would be thief had been foiled but it had been a warning to all of them.
From the bed Christy picked up the milk jug Bridget had admired and handed it to her. “For your table,” she said. “It will look great with some flowers in it.”
“I can’t take it. It’s too expensive.”
“I want to enjoy the stuff we’ve found,” Christy picked up three odd plates and handing a figurine of an angel that she’d admired to Laurel. “That’s what I would expect our grandchildren and great grandchildren to do too. Enjoy the stuff we leave them not just lock it up and admire it.”
“I hear you on that,” Mark approved. “And especially where the whiskey is concerned we fellas would love to help.”
They went down and Mrs. Kemp told them Moira and Holt had gone out. Frank was asleep. Toby and Mr. Kemp were watching a game of cricket and had eaten off trays in the garage. They washed up and helped themselves to the chili and bread Moira had made earlier. Laurel and Bridget said they’d had too much bread and jam to eat more but they would keep everyone company. All through dinner they discussed the china and how best to display some of it and what to do with the rest. Mark offered to put up a wall hutch in the kitchen and another in the dining room for the pieces Christy wanted to display.
“There’s no more place on the floor,” he said. “So we have to go up on the walls.”
“The figurines will look good in small curio cabinets in the foyer, landing and upstairs hallway. Plus there’s room in the pantry for another cupboard to hold the pieces we will be using.” Christy said. “It will be safe in there.”
“Grandmother Brianna was a serious figurine collector. She mentions that in the last diary. Grandmother Agnes loved fine china and her daughter in law Martha shared the interest. Grandmother Victoria loved jewelry and Grandfather James loved watches. Grandmother Christabel was into silver as her father was a famous silversmith and I’m sure all the men added to the whiskey collection.” Bridget’s recitation of facts ended. “There is such a detailed list in the third journal but Christy and I thought that was just lists of what they had at the time. We had no idea it was an inventory of what Grandmother Brianna had put away to keep it safe from Grandfather Stephen’s ‘give it all away’ rampage.”
“She hoped and prayed her sons would return and enjoy these things,” Mrs. Kemp sounded moved. “With the return of your father, Bridget, a mother’s dream is finally coming true.”
Bridget’s and Christy eyes had tears in them at the thought.
On one thing they were all agreed. The generous gift from generations gone by definitely enriched the lives of those who came after.
Jacob surprised Laurel the next morning by being up and dressed before she awoke. She hadn’t been able to get to sleep, excited by the discoveries in the last treasure chest. They had all stayed up late after the Kemps and Toby had retired, going over the entries in the journal. Bridget had received a text telling her Brian and Emma would be in Silver Lake two days before Halloween.
The clock by her bed said 0900 hrs and Laurel knew she should have set an alarm.
Jacob came in with a tray as she opened her eyes and put it on a table by her bed.
“Breakfast in bed for milady.” He smiled at her.
She got out of bed the other side her heart racing. “I’ll be right back.”
There was something she told her reflection in the mirror about Jacob’s smile that got to her soul. Brushing her teeth and washing her face she ran a comb through her hair and tied it back with a band. Taking her pajama shirt off the hook in the bathroom she put it on over the tank top she always slept in.
There! She looked presentable for breakfast in bed.
Milady.
If only she was truly that.
When she went back to bed, he told her about the scene he had just witnessed in the kitchen.
The guests, a group from Seattle, had left by eight anxious to try out the slopes at Devil’s Run so the kitchen was empty except for family.
Moira had told them she had apologized to Holt about the ice cream incident. The man was a fool not to stand up for himself but she shouldn’t have told him off. She ought to know her son better. After she’d apologized they’d gone out and she’d asked Holt to take her to the man who’d sold him the Beetle. She’d told Ed Harper of Harper’s Autos that she was nominating him for Best Crooked Car Salesman of the year. Then she told him to take the piece of junk back and give Holt a full refund. She said she had connections that would see he never sold another car in Silver Lake and how would he like the radiator hose wrapped around his neck for cheating men who risked their lives for their country so he could safely sell his rotten cars that he had probably robbed in the first place.
They were all laughing at the picture her words drew when Holt had come into the kitchen, a rose in his hand, his face deadly serious. Toby had looked at the rose from his greenhouse but remained silent.
Holt had gone down on one knee in front of Moira in the middle of the kitchen, held the rose out to her and said, “I love you. Will you please marry me?”
Laurel’s heart lurched. This was better than anything she had anticipated.
“Moira looked at him and burst into tears,” Jacob continued. “And then she took the rose from him and said, ‘Yes I will. You need taking care of. Now get off my kitchen floor.’ That’s when we all left.”
Laurel sighed as her eyes misted over. “I love happy endings.”
Jacob smiled. He wished he could always bring her news like this.
Making Laurel happy was becoming a top priority with him. Being with her was giving his life new purpose. On his last visit to the Reservation, Ama had told him he had never looked happier.
He was going back there today but Laurel had said she was helping Christy and Bridget today.
Th
ursday afternoon Jacob found Laurel as she was showing Toby pictures of his garden and asking him to choose the ones he liked best for his calendar.
“Want to go for a walk?”
Laurel nodded. She’d missed her run as it had been foggy this morning but the sun was out now.
“Did you know Frank has three days off from school?” Jacob asked as they got on the path by the lake. “Friday, Monday and Tuesday. With the weekend in between that makes five whole days.”
“I didn’t know that.”
Frank was busy doing more chores in the hope of getting his tech time back.
“Some kind of mid-term teacher in service thing. Holt mentioned it a while back and I talked with Frank when he came home from school yesterday.”
Laurel and Christy had gone over to Bridget’s in the afternoon to help set up the two guest rooms.
“I thought we might take a trip to Sacramento and take Frank with us. We’ll be out of the way when Bridget’s dad and sister arrive and these few days will give Holt and Moira time together as well.”
Her eyes mirrored her surprise but after she had swallowed, Laurel said, “That’s not a bad idea. Christy’s put the Halloween Party off for the weekend after Halloween this year so Bridget can enjoy this weekend with her dad and sister.”
“Frank said he hasn’t been to Sacramento and he has to do a report on the state capital. He thinks a trip would be great and he wants his mom and Holt to have some time on their own. He said it would prove he isn’t a selfish thoughtless boy. He likes Holt since the ice cream incident.”
“So that turned out to be a good thing in the end.”
“Then he asked me what I thought of Holt.”
“What did you tell him?”
“That Mark, Andrew, Mr. Kemp and Toby would never let anyone who was not completely trustworthy come within a mile of Moira. I told Frank Holt had a reputation for being one of the most dependable people around and I trusted him 100%.”
“And…?” Laurel was amazed at the way Frank’s mind worked.
“He asked if Holt drank a lot and how he behaved when he did. I told him Holt did drink but he never exceeded his limit of two drinks, never drank if he was driving and we had never seen him lose his self control after having a drink.”
Mrs. Kemp had mentioned Moira’s ex husband’s drinking problem and his abrupt departure to them one day.
“Poor Frank.” Laurel couldn’t bear to think of how worried he must have been about Holt and his mother. “It must have been awful for him thinking Holt would turn out to be like his father.”
Jacob nodded. “That’s why I think the trip will be good for all of us right now. The Monarch butterflies are at Pismo Beach and that’s an amazing sight too. Pismo’s not that far from Sacramento. You’ll have a lot of photographic opportunities if we take the scenic route.”
The more she thought of it, the more Laurel liked the idea.
“Did you talk to Moira about it?”
“Yes. Christy and Mrs. Kemp told her it was a great idea. She seems a bit reluctant but she agreed a trip would do him good.”
“So when do we leave?”
“Hold on. Moira wouldn’t agree till Mrs. Kemp kicked Mr. Kemp under the table and said he’d been thinking of a trip just like that and would we mind if he went along too?”
Laurel’s eyes lit up at that. Frank got on well with Mr. Kemp and she wouldn’t have to worry about the twelve year old feeling awkward around them.
“What about Mrs. Kemp?”
“She says marriages are better after couples spend a few days apart. She’s got things she wants to do here. One of the guests is a keen shopper and she and Mrs. Kemp plan to do some serious shopping in the next few days. Mrs. Kemp said this way she could do it guilt free and Mr. Kemp told her she could have his wallet for the asking.”
“If I live to be their age I hope I’ll have a relationship that is just as sweet.” Laurel’s gaze met Jacob’s and then she looked at her plate. The huge muffin was gone.
“What do you think of the trip?” asked Jacob
“I think it’s a great idea. When do you want to leave?”
“Friday by nine thirty. I’d like to get to Sacramento before the freeways get busy at 3. Is that all right by you?”
“Perfect,” said Laurel.
She paused as the memory of her having a bet with three other female officers about who could get ready the quickest flashed into her mind. She’d won.
“I’ll get dressed and have a word with Moira about Frank.”
She was getting more and more flashbacks of little incidents the last few days but the big picture was nowhere in sight yet. Uncle Paul had told her a couple of days ago her unit would be returning the day before Thanksgiving.
Was that the reason she was having more flashbacks than ever before?
Laurel dressed, packed and went into the kitchen. Christy, Mrs. Kemp and Moira were there. The latter assured her that Frank had no special needs except the one to be told to calm down from time to time. Mrs. Kemp told her Mr. Kemp had to be reminded he couldn’t have junk food at every meal. Other than that they were pleased about the trip.
“I hope Frank won’t be a nuisance,” Moira sounded worried.
“He’ll be fine,” Laurel assured her.
“Mr. Kemp will help keep an eye on him,” added Mrs. Kemp. “And I told Frank he had to take care of Mr. Kemp for me. He takes things like that very seriously.”
“He’s really a good kid,” Christy told Laurel. “He won’t give you a hard time. He was worried the dogs would miss him till Toby promised to stay here and take care of them.”
Laurel asked Moira for a signed letter authorizing the three adults to make decisions about any emergency care Frank might need and another saying they had her permission to take Frank on vacation with them. She asked for a complete list of medications Mr. Kemp was on and the names and numbers of both his and Frank’s doctors in Silver Lake and told them Jacob had a good first aid kit on hand that covered every emergency.
Christy said it was a good idea to take the letters, as one never knew when that might all come in useful and having all the stuff on hand would make everyone feel easier. She offered to type all the letters up on her laptop right away.
Mrs. Kemp put together a basket of snacks that would last them a month as Laurel went back to the apartment and she didn’t hear the remark she made to the others.
“Wonder if she’ll go back to the frontline when her memory returns? She’s so smart and intelligent I can just see her wanting her job back right away. And what will Jacob do then without his Laurel?”
CHAPTER TWELVE
Agnes knew suspense heightened uncertainty but it also threw feelings into sharp relief. She couldn’t change what Laurel had waiting for her but she could make sure she had a break first.
She was very pleased at the way Holt and Moira’s romance had turned out.
Laurel had surprised her by thinking up the business to build Moira’s self esteem and then matchmaking so successfully. That girl was so intelligent it was amazing.
One down, one to go.
Stephen was anxious. He relied heavily on Bridget to set his mistakes right. He knew Brian and Bridget’s meeting would be crucial but he was more relaxed now that he’d seen the way Bridget was with Brian. In Bridget he saw glimpses of the daughter in law he had refused to know and again he apologized to Lucy’s spirit and asked her to forgive him.
Phillip was so happy since the family had opened up the last trunk, he whistled a lot these days. The trunk wasn’t the last of the things they could have. He’d gone over his gun collection. Mark hadn’t catalogued it or had it valued yet but it would fetch a great deal of money. Nothing, he had told Ma, made him as happy as giving his family things. Agnes had kissed him on the forehead and told him he was getting closer to the light, whatever that meant.
Before they got into the car Laurel gave Frank an old digital camera of hers and told him he could take as
many shots as he liked on the trip. She didn’t know why she had three digital cameras but photographic equipment next to clothes seemed to be her weakness. She made a mental reminder to herself to go through the stuff in her kit bag and see what she had there. She’d avoided looking at it since she got back.
Mr. Kemp had brought his camera along and he challenged Frank to a wager. If he could take a unique picture on the trip Mr. Kemp would take over his chore of raking the leaves in the yard for a week.
They took Highway 50 from Truckee, the scenic route to Sacramento and stopped for lunch before they went to the amazing California State Railroad Museum. Laurel loved the interest on Jacob’s face as he talked about the old steam locomotives with Mr. Kemp. She let Frank take her from engine to engine on display asking her to pick the one she liked the best. She picked the Huntington, the smallest and he picked the Sonoma. Laurel was fascinated by the history of the railroad that had opened up the Wild West to the rest of America.
Jacob had booked them into a suite with a sitting room in between the two large bedrooms and Frank asked if he could sleep on the pull out bed in the sitting room. Mr. Kemp, he told Jacob and Laurel when the former was taking a shower, snored. Mrs. Kemp had warned Frank to bring ear plugs.
The next day they drove around Sacramento so Frank could photograph and pick up pamphlets about all the government buildings. Jacob surprised them with tickets for a ride on the diesel powered Spookomotive at four. The train was decorated with skeletons on the outside and skeletons, spiders and other scary things inside. The crew had on costumes too.
Out of a bag in the trunk Jacob produced a cloak and mask for Frank, a witch’s hat for her, a black kerchief for Mr. Kemp with an eye patch. He put on a cowboy hat with a noose knotted around his neck and they were all set for costumes on the ride.
“Where on earth did you get all this?” Laurel asked him.
“Christy packed a bag for me when I told her what I had in mind for today. A guest told her all about the train ride last week. The costumes are optional but I thought it would be fun to get into the spirit of the thing.”
