Suddenly, she heard a male voice outside. As she quickly wiped the dampness out of her eyes, she strained to make out who it was. She heard her mom and aunt laugh and then the voice again. It was Donald. She heard the voices move away from the door and then some hammering against the house. He must be fixing the clamps on the downspout. He sure showed up often these days.
A little twinge of jealousy touched her and then was gone. Donald was a nice man, and Emily was confident her mom wouldn’t do anything so rash as to bring him into their lives any time soon. He was a good friend to them all, though, and they were fortunate to have him around to help. Especially if they were going to open a bed and breakfast! Emily smiled at the thought, and was just about to join them outside, when she suddenly remembered the key. Where had she left it?
As she headed upstairs again and made a pit stop in the bathroom, an idea struck her. She dove over to the garbage can in the corner. She lifted the dripping mass of bedraggled clothes from it and felt in her pants pocket. There it was! She hadn’t remembered putting it there. Nevertheless, she rinsed it off, and leapt up the stairs to her room, taking them two at a time. Eagerly, she inserted the key into the lock. Yes! It fit!
Emily hesitated before opening the carved box. Should she call her mom and aunt first? Would they be disappointed if she didn’t wait? She heard their voices down below. They must have come into the house again. Donald must have left. Perhaps she’d just take a little peek. Flipping up the clasp, she edged the lid open.
A small hand mirror, beautifully carved with inlaid stones in the handle, nestled in blue satin. It looked Old World to her, as if it belonged to some ancient time. She didn’t know the names of all the stones, but she did recognize garnets and topaz. She had the same stones in some of her jewellery, which her dad had given her as gifts when he returned from his various trips. Shutting the lid gently, she carried it downstairs.
When she found her mom and aunt, they were sitting in the living room, trying to find a decent show on the television set. They took one look at her face and what she held in her hands and they turned it off. Emily presented the box to them, opening the lid carefully.
“Wow,” Aunt Liz stared in awe at the striking stones embedded on the back of the mirror.
“It’s beautiful,” said her mom. “But this doesn’t look like something your great-grandfather would be passing on to you.”
“It looks way older than something he would have bought, too,” agreed Aunt Liz.
“That’s because it wasn’t meant for me,” Emily said.
“Well, I know it’s not mine, either,” said Aunt Liz.
“No, it’s not. I’m sure it belonged to Emma.”
Aunt Liz and Kate were speechless.
Emily drew it out of the box and turned it over in her hands. She felt a current of power and connection running through her. As she held it, she saw Emma’s face in the mirror, and beside her, she could see Gran Renfrew, and they were both smiling. Emily could also see other women from times gone by, and sensed a feeling of bonding warmth and goodness.
“I don’t know that it was ever meant to be found,” she said.
“Just by the very fact that you have it in your hands, I think it was,” said Aunt Liz. “And by you.”
Her mom seemed subdued and when she spoke, she said, “Yes, I agree. I know your gran would have wanted you to have it.”
“I wonder what its history is?” Emily said.
“No doubt, it’s a Scottish relic, or at least of Celtic origin, but there’s no telling how old it is. Although I’d venture to say it dates back to very early times,” Aunt Liz guessed.
“Well, however old it is, I will treasure it.” Emily gently laid it back in the box.
The phone rang then, and when Aunt Liz answered, she passed it over to Emily.
“Hi, Emily,” her dad said from the other end of the line.
“Hi, Dad,” Emily replied, her fingers trembling slightly. What was he going to tell her now? That he didn’t want to see her at all? Was he angry? She felt her throat tighten.
“Em, I was just wondering, do you have any plans for the next couple of weeks?” he asked, sounding optimistic.
“Not really,” she answered, as calmly as she could. “Just hanging out with my friends, going to the pool and the mall. That kind of stuff.”
“Would you consider coming on a little research expedition with me to Scotland? I’ll have to work some, but I thought you might like it in the highlands. We’ll have a cottage to stay in, and there are horses and trail rides, and castles to explore and...”
“Dad, Dad!” she cut into his description. “It doesn’t matter what it has. I’d love to come.”
“You would?”
“Yes!” Emily was at a loss for words. Her dad wanted to see her, right away.
“Can I speak to your mom, then, and we’ll make your flight arrangements?”
“Sure, Dad. Thanks. See you soon.” She handed the phone to her mom.
Emily took the mirror out of the box and studied her face. Her eyes shone with delight. There were so many things to be happy about; she didn’t know where to begin to count them.
No, her parents weren’t getting back together again, and no, she probably wasn’t going to travel back in time again to see Geordie and the rest of the Elliott family, and no, she knew the days ahead with her mom wouldn’t always be smooth sailing, but for all of that, she was content with her life. There were many possibilities, and she felt certain that somehow they’d figure out how to keep Grandmother Renfrew’s house.
She could appreciate the hard work and the way of life of her ancestors more because she’d experienced some of it, but she didn’t want to live that way. The modern conveniences, indoor plumbing, going to the movies, and travelling with her dad from time to time, would be just fine.
When her mom replaced the receiver, Emily went over to hug her. Surprised, her mom wrapped her arms around her. Emily said, “I’m so glad we live here, in this time, right here, right now.”
Scottish Vocabulary
•bairn - a child
•cannae - cannot
•feart - scared
•hen - term of endearment
•lass - a girl, a young woman
•lassie - a young lass, a term of endearment
•kirk - church
•wee - little, young
•Geordie - short for George - pronounced jor’-dee
Scotch Oatcakes
•1 cup flour
•1/2 tsp salt
•1/4 tsp baking soda
•2 cups rolled oats
•1/2 cup shortening
•1/2 cup cold water
Sift flour, soda, and salt into a mixing bowl. Add rolled oats and mix well. Rub in shortening, add cold water, roll thin. Cook on top of the stove or griddle. They can also be baked on a cookie sheet in the oven at 350°F until they are lightly browned.
Bibliography
Holt, Faye Reineberg, Out of the Flames: Fires and Fire Fighting on the Canadian Prairies, Fifth House Ltd., Calgary, AB, 1998.
Long, Charles, The Stonebuilder’s Primer, Firefly Books Ltd., 1988.
Parley, Kay, “Remember Assiniboia,” The Wolseley Bulletin, Friday, February 18th, 2005.
Parley, Kay, They Cast a Long Shadow: The Story of Moffat, Saskatchewan, Desktop Publishing by Root Woman & Dave tm, Saskatoon, 1965.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Thank you to Kay Parley for her assistance in my “getting things right” with the Moffat area and the people who settled there and for forgiving the liberty I have taken in skewing the time somewhat to make my story work. Thank you for the wonderful material in your book, They Cast a Long Shadow: The Story of Moffat, Saskatchewan, which I used extensively to ensure that my facts were accurate. Any errors are my own.
The actual Moffat area was settled much earlier than when my characters came to Canada and I have therefore set my story on the nearby eastern fringes of the Moffat community,
in what was settled later as the Glenavon area. The settlers from Glenavon identified with Moffat, associated themselves closely with the people of Moffat, and were often related to them.
I am proud to be associated with the Moffat and Glenavon communities, and to have spent several early years living there. I appreciate the many stories my relatives shared about our pioneering families. I really did have a great-uncle Geordie, just like Emily.
Thank you to my son, Aaron, for his patience, assistance, and support, which is encouraging and reinforcing.
I wish to express my sincere gratitude to my editor, Barbara Sapergia, whose gentle steering and thoughtful resourcefulness brought so much to this book.
As always, I appreciate the valuable team at Coteau Books: Nik, Karen, Duncan, Joanne, Deborah, and Melanie for their excellent attention to detail, resourceful promotion, creativity, and continued support.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Judith Silverthorne is the author of five previous books, including the prequel to this one, The Secret of Sentinel Rock, which received the Saskatchewan Book Award for Children’s Literature in 1996. The books in her Dinosaur series, Dinosaur Hideout and Dinosaur Breakout, have also been listed for several awards.
Judith Silverthorne works as a writer, film producer, and cultural administrator in Regina. For more information on Judith and her work, consult her Web site at: www.judithsilverthorne.ca.
Coteau Books began to develop the From Many Peoples series of novels for young readers over a year ago, as a celebration of Saskatchewan’s Centennial. We looked for stories that would illuminate life in the province from the viewpoints of young people from different cultural groups and we’re delighted with the stories we found.
We’re especially happy with the unique partnership we have been able to form with the LaVonne Black Memorial Fund in support of From Many Peoples. The Fund was looking for projects it could support to honour a woman who had a strong interest in children and their education, and decided that the series was a good choice. With their help, we are able to provide free books to every school in the province, tour the authors across the province, and develop additional materials to support schools in using From Many Peoples titles.
This partnership will bring terrific stories to young readers all over Saskatchewan, honour LaVonne Black and her dedication to the children of this province, and help us celebrate Saskatchewan’s Centennial. Thank you to everyone involved.
Nik Burton
Managing Editor, Coteau Books
Lavonne Black
My sister LaVonne was born in Oxbow, Saskatch-ewan, and grew up on a small ranch near North-gate. She spent a lot of time riding horses and always had a dog or a cat in her life. LaVonne’s favourite holiday was Christmas. She loved to sing carols and spoil children with gifts. People were of genuine interest to her. She didn’t care what you did for a living, or how much money you made. What she did care about was learning as much about you as she could in the time she had with you.
We are proud of our LaVonne, a farm girl who started school in a one-room schoolhouse and later presented a case to the Supreme Court of Canada. Her work took her all over Saskatchewan, and she once said that she didn’t know why some people felt they had to go other places, because there is so much beauty here. LaVonne’s love and wisdom will always be with me. She taught me that what you give of yourself will be returned to you, and that you should love, play, and live with all your heart.
LaVonne felt very strongly about reading and education, and the LaVonne Black Memorial Fund and her family hope that you enjoy this series of books.
Trevor L. Black, little brother
Chair, LaVonne Black Memorial Fund
LaVonne Black was a tireless advocate for children in her years with the Saskatchewan School Boards Associa-tion. Her dedication, passion, and commitment were best summed up in a letter she wrote to boards of education one month before her death, when she announced her decision to retire:
“I thank the Association for providing me with twenty-three years of work and people that I loved. I was blessed to have all that amid an organization with a mission and values in which I believed. School trustees and the administrators who work for them are special people in their commitment, their integrity, and their caring. I was truly blessed and am extremely grateful for the opportunities and experiences I was given.”
LaVonne was killed in a car accident on July 19, 2003. She is survived by her daughter, Jasmine, and her fiancé, Richard. We want so much to thank her for all she gave us. Our support for this book series, From Many Peoples, is one way to do this. Thank you to everyone who has donated to her Memorial Fund and made this project possible.
Executive, Staff, and member boards of
The Saskatchewan School Boards Association
The Secret of the Stone House Page 15
