“Perhaps,” Talbot responded thoughtfully. “I must admit we had a tiff yesterday and I stayed out all night. I returned to apologize and try to sort things out.”
“I see,” Timothy said. “I suppose she’s alright. Nothing she does surprises me any longer but you probably have felt that way yourself.”
“I’m terribly fond of her, you know. But yesterday I may have overstepped my bounds.”
Timothy eyed Talbot. “Your bounds? Maybe you better tell me what happened.”
Talbot cleared his throat. “I proposed marriage. I suppose I’ve gotten impatient with Louisa and I fear I have chased her off. That is it, simply put.”
Timothy rubbed his jaw thoughtfully. “Then you are really serious about her.”
“Quite!” Talbot responded.
“I’ll tell you son, Loo was the most stubborn child of all of them. And the one thing I have learned about her over the years is to never put her in a position where she feels cornered. She always comes to her senses sooner or later, but it has to be on her terms.”
“Ah,” Talbot considered his advice. “Then I suppose this situation requires more patience on my part.”
“I’d say so,” Timothy said. “She’ll be home tomorrow, I guess. Let her be and she’ll figure it out.” He slapped Talbot on the back.
Talbot sat at the family dinner table listening to everyone recount their day at the mills, pushing the large portion of meat and potatoes around on his plate. He would have to wait. Louisa likely left her notes in her room and he considered that he could go over whatever information she had compiled to busy himself until she returned home.
After dinner the family set about playing a parlor game. Talbot excused himself and slipped away upstairs. The sewing room door was open and he picked up the box where she kept her manuscript. He sat down on the bed and began to read silently.
Louisa had typed several new pages in her book that he hadn’t seen before. There was a new chapter detailing the relationship between Jude and Corissa with references to a secret passageway that he had used to enter the house without the family’s knowledge. She had written a rather racy love scene between them that took place in the very room he was sitting in now. It was clear she had answers to many of the questions she had been asking. After the love scene she described the train robberies and how Jude hid the stolen loot inside the house at Stavewood. She knew how he left the horses in plain sight at the stables. She mentioned cash and even diamonds.
Talbot wondered how much was speculation and how much was fact. How did she discover all these things since he had seen her last? Had she actually found a secret passageway, or cash, or even diamonds? He looked for the notebook, thinking that it would contain more specifics, but it was nowhere to be found. He knew she would have it with her along with several personal items that were not in the room. The watch he had given her was not there, and of course she always carried that tiny gun.
Forty-Eight
Talbot paced the hall long after the family had retired and then went downstairs. He felt restless and confined in the house.
“Hello,” Birget said and Talbot looked up to see her standing in her robe as she filled a teapot at the kitchen sink.
“Good evening,” he said. “Up late for a spot of tea?”
Birget looked into his blue eyes. “When you get as old as I am it’s not unusual for aches and pains to keep you from sleeping.” She smiled.
“You know,” he said, looking at the old woman curiously. “I might very much enjoy a nice cup of tea myself.”
Birget allowed him to pour as she sat at the table grinning. He was handsome and well-mannered and it had been far too many years since an attractive young fellow had waited on her. He was in his shirtsleeves and without his jacket he looked casual and pleasant.
“Thank you,” she said sweetly. “Young Loo is a lucky girl to have found a man willing to pour a good cup of tea, and one so handsome as well.”
Talbot chuckled and winked at her affectionately. “You make sure you tell her that when she returns. Perhaps an opinion like yours on my side will help me win her heart.”
Birget laughed. “She’s a slippery one, eh? Ah, Loo, she always went her own way. A strong willed child she was as well. You stick to it, Talbot, she’ll come around if your heart is strong.”
Talbot nodded his head thoughtfully.
“Are you helping her with her book then?” Birget asked as she sipped her tea.
“I’m trying my best, but as you say, sometimes it’s not so easy.”
“She was asking me about it.” Birget looked up at Talbot. “Asking about that man that came around making trouble when she was just a babe. He ought to be forgotten, I say.”
“Jude Thomas,” Talbot said.
“Ah, then she’s told you about him. Worst kind of man he was. I swear I still see his ghost around the place. He haunts the family to this day.”
“His ghost?”
“Yes. I’ve seen it, I have. Out there in the meadow.”
“Tell me about it,” Talbot said. It was clear to him the old woman was frightened.
“In life I know he was in here, right here in this house. I knew it for years, and now he’s out there waiting for her in the darkness. They may have hung him years ago but his ghost is still out there. Out there waiting.”
“Out where? Here, at Stavewood?”
“Yes,” Birget said. “I’ll show you if you don’t believe me.”
Talbot chuckled. “Alright. I’d love to see it.”
Birget scowled. “You laugh now, but you’ll see.”
She stood up from the table, took a lantern from the counter and handed it to him. They climbed up the first staircase and then the second unhurriedly, Talbot patiently allowing her to take the steps slowly as she lumbered up on her tired legs.
He helped her gently along the hall and pulled open the turret doors with a strong tug. The air rushed in with a soft cry. Birget looked up at him.
“The house whispers to me sometimes, sad like that.”
“I heard it,” he said.
Birget walked over to the edge of the turret and put her hands on the railing. “Let me have the lantern,” she said. “The moon is full. Good for seeing ghosts.”
Talbot handed it to her, watching her curiously.
Birget lit the wick and held it high for a moment, then turned it down quickly. The flame went out and she set it on the floor beside her. Then she leaned over the railing, looking out into the yard.
Talbot stood silently, watching her peer into the darkness.
“Oh, my Lord. There!” she exclaimed as she pointed. “Jude’s ghost! He’s there in the field. Do you see him?”
Talbot looked out into the night and waited as his eyes adjusted. A man in a black poncho with a broad, black hat upon his head was riding a black horse across the field towards the house. “That’s the ghost?” he asked quietly.
“As I live and breathe.” The specter drew closer and, as he entered the yard he removed his hat. “Heavens!” she gasped.
“What is it?” Talbot looked down into the yard.
“That’s no ghost! That’s Victor Leach! I’d know him anywhere. What’s he doing here at Stavewood?”
“Victor Leach, you say?” He looked at her with concern. “Are you sure? You know him?”
Birget leaned over the railing and looked down at the man in the yard, just as he looked up at her. “Plainly,” she said.
Talbot Sunderland put his hands firmly on the small of Birget’s back and shoved as hard as he could. She toppled over the railing and hit the hard packed dirt in the yard far below with a sickening thud.
The rider dismounted, walked over to her lifeless body and squatted beside her.
“Damn you, Victor,” Talbot said under his breath. He quietly hurried down the stairs.
“Well, Victor? Is she dead?” he asked.
“Dead as a doornail. I’d say she broke her neck in the fall.”
; Talbot turned Birget’s face into the light, her lifeless eyes staring up at him. Her expression was one of pure terror.
“Why’d you do it, Clayton?” Victor asked.
“This is your fault, old man.” Talbot’s face was red with anger but he kept his voice hushed. “She not only saw you, she recognized you! Why did you ride up to the house?”
“You gave me the signal. So, do you have the diamonds?”
“You old fool.” Talbot looked up at Victor standing over him. “I didn’t signal you. That was her with the lantern.”
“Who is she anyway?”
“Nobody, just the cook. Let’s get out of here.” Talbot stood and turned to leave.
“Are we just gonna leave her here? Don’t you think we oughta hide the body?”
“It’s not a problem. They’ll all think it was an accident. Let’s go before anyone hears us. I’ll meet you back at the hotel.”
Victor Leach mounted his horse and rode off across the field. Talbot headed up to the mills to his roadster.
In the yard of the beautiful Victorian estate, Birget, the longtime cook of the Elgerson family had taken her last breath. Her breathing had stopped the moment she hit the ground. The light went out of her eyes and was replaced with the shadow of death.
Forty-Nine
Timothy Elgerson set his empty mug onto the long counter in the kitchen, put his big hat upon his head and stepped out the door into the early light. The morning was clean and crisp and he took a deep breath, pulling the fresh air into his lungs. He surveyed the yard, as he did every day. Behind the hedge along the back of the house he spotted some clothing, possibly something that had blown off the clothesline. He walked over casually and then froze. His heart nearly stopped in his chest.
He fell to one knee, took off his hat and set it down beside him.
“Birget,” he said reverently. A deep sob racked his chest and he looked up to the turret. He had told her a hundred times. He put his hands up to his face and pushed away a tear. “Birget.”
He knelt there for several, long minutes alone in the yard. The life of the one person he had known the longest was now done. He pulled off his jacket and laid it gently over her. He did not move or leave her side. Soon enough the family would rise. His dear wife, his sons, his household, and Mark, who would be hit the hardest of them all, would all be there. Soon enough they would know of this terrible accident and the business of death would take over all of Stavewood. Timothy Elgerson knelt there beside her and whispered his goodbye, alone in the yard as the sun rose over the pines.
“You rest easy, old gal. You held my children and welcomed my Rebecca into my home. You were always there, my old friend. Thank you, Birget. I will miss you. Oh, how I will miss you.”
He got to his feet as he heard the sounds of the household awakening and beginning their day. He set his hat back onto his head and walked wearily to the back door and stepped inside.
Rebecca Elgerson looked up at him and stood perfectly still. “Timothy?” she whispered softly.
“It’s Birget. She fell from the turret,” he said, his voice low in the big room.
“Oh, Tim,” she gasped. “Oh, no.”
Timothy broke the news to the family as gently as he could and gave everyone a moment for quiet reflection. Then he sent Phillip to the telegraph office to wire Birget’s family saying that they would be bringing her home to be laid to rest. Birget’s body was wrapped and prepared for the trip. The family quickly packed.
Mark stood in the parlor, his arm around Colleen’s shoulders. He spoke in low tones to her as Timothy passed the doorway. All of Stavewood was quiet with grief. Timothy stepped into his study and closed the door behind him. On a small sheet of paper he wrote his note:
Dear Loo,
Birget has met with an accident. We are taking her remains to her brother’s home and the services will be held there. We do not expect to return until later in the week. I do not know what your plans are at this point. Catch up with us when you can or we will see you when we return.
With love,
Dad
He folded the note neatly and set it on the kitchen table.
“We can’t leave without Louisa,” Rebecca insisted. “When she comes home then we will go.”
“We can’t be sure when that will be, Rebecca. I have no idea where Talbot is either. I don’t even know if they are together. Birget belongs with her family now. We can do that for her. Louisa is a grown woman and she makes her own choices.”
Rebecca sighed. “I know, but when she came home with that nice gentleman I hoped she might stay.”
Timothy took a deep breath. “Talbot has proposed to her and I don’t think he wants to stay here. He’ll want to go back to the city. Think about it, Rebecca. He doesn’t belong at Stavewood and maybe Loo doesn’t any more either. Her career is there.”
“He proposed? Why didn’t she tell me?”
Timothy took her hands. “She has her own life, Rebecca. We have to let go. And right now we have to take care of Birget.”
Rebecca agreed reluctantly and, more than once as they prepared for their journey, Timothy saw her looking out across the yard for their daughter. He understood. He missed her as well.
They left Minnesota, a line of wagons pulling away from Stavewood, one bearing a black draped casket. Mark had insisted on driving the wagon with Birget’s body and Colleen sat beside him, her soft curls reflecting the sunlight. As they pulled away a gentle breeze blew, ruffling the ribbon of the black bow that hung on the front door of Stavewood. Inside a single note lay upon the kitchen table.
Fifty
When the train pulled into the station in Billington, Louisa stood at the door of the car and saw big Luc Almquist there, his hands on his hips waiting for her in the bright sunlight. For a moment she considered staying on the train and pretending she had not seen him. She could get off at Elgerson Mills and return for Romeo afterwards. But she knew that sooner or later she would have to face him. She felt for the Old Maid in her waistband under her sweater, took a deep breath and stepped from the train.
As soon as he saw her he approached her. “Louisa,” he said.
She looked up at him with disdain. Luc knew she had found out about him.
“Louisa, I need you to listen.” He followed her as she stepped quickly across the platform and into the street. “Please,” he said. “Let me explain.”
Louisa turned to face him. “Who are you?”
“You know who I am,” he said.
“No, I don’t think I do.” She turned and walked away.
“Yes, you do,” he said insistently, keeping close behind her.
“I know you’re a liar.”
“Louisa,” he tried again.
She stopped walking and looked straight ahead. “I don’t want to hear anything you have to say. Leave me alone.”
“No, I will not. Not until you’ve heard me out.”
Louisa spun around. “There cannot possibly be anything you can say to me that I care to hear right now.”
“There are a lot of things I could say.”
She turned away and stomped towards the stables. She saw Avalanche and her heart sank as she realized he would try to follow her home. He was stubborn and determined and she reminded herself that he was likely dangerous. “Go away,” she said.
Louisa paid at the livery stable, all the while watching Luc as he sat upon Avalanche waiting for her. She knew Romeo could never outrun the big stallion and suddenly Louisa was terrified. She kicked the bay to a gallop and rode past Luc and Avalanche, fighting her fear. When he pulled up beside her on the deserted road out of town she felt for the derringer in her waistband.
“You have to listen to me,” he said. “Louisa, please.”
She stopped Romeo in the road.
“Why?” Louisa’s voice faltered. “So you can lie to me again? No! There is nothing you can say to me. I know the truth now and you are not the man I thought you were. You lied to me!”
He dismounted and firmly took hold of Romeo’s reins. “Listen to me.”
“Let go,” Louisa said, her voice threatening.
“Not until you listen!” Luc reached up, lifted her from the bay and set her on her feet in the road.
Louisa began to shake and looked up at him. “Let me go, please,” she pleaded.
Luc looked down into her eyes. He could see she was frightened and the look on her face was heartbreaking. “Louisa,” he said softly. “I would never hurt you.”
“Then why are you here? Why are you watching my house and my family? What do you want from me? I trusted you, Luc. I trusted you more than you could possibly know. I can’t do this. Please, let me go.”
Luc tried to imagine how he could possibly explain himself. It was exactly what he had feared would happen the moment he had first seen her.
“Why? Why me? You let me fall in…” Louisa could not say the words out loud. How could she tell him that she waited her entire lifetime to feel what she felt when she was in his arms and at his side? She had trusted him with the one thing she had always withheld from any man. She’d been a fool and he did not deserve to know that.
“I can explain,” he said. “Please.”
Louisa brought her knee up into his groin as hard as she could and he staggered back in pain and surprise. She pulled the derringer from her waistband and pointed it directly at his chest.
“Leave me alone!” she demanded.
Luc took a deep breath and tried to steady himself. “Fine. Go.”
“Do not follow me!” Louisa leapt onto Romeo’s back and kicked him hard towards home.
In the kitchen at Stavewood she locked the door behind her and called out, “Hello?” An eerie silence hung in the household. Louisa called out again and again there was no reply. Her heart pounded in her chest and she listened for Avalanche’s hooves in the yard. He hadn’t followed her. The look on her face when she had pulled out the Old Maid had told him she meant business.
The Secret of Stavewood (Stavewood Saga Book 4) Page 16
