by Неизвестный
When Elizabeth came back in for her tea, she could feel the change in the atmosphere. What was going on she thought. She made her way to the kitchen. As she came closer she could hear Jayne and Dayton talking. They seemed to be excited about something. When they saw Elizabeth, both stopped talking. It looked as if they were hiding something.
"Oh, Ma'am... I'm sorry. I forgot about your tea. Please let me bring it up for you." Jayne said.
"What is going on around here? First the phone rings, now the two of you look like the cat that swallowed the canary." Elizabeth said.
Both Jayne and Dayton looked away. They did not want anything to spoil this. So they said nothing.
"Very well then, don't tell me, just let me warn you both, I do not like change. No one is to leave without my permission." Elizabeth said as she walked away. Maybe now Jayne will think twice about running off and getting married.
Both Jayne and Dayton looked at each other. "She thinks one of us is leaving. This is perfect." Jayne whispered. "Father, this is it. It's meant to be."
After Elizabeth had gone to bed, Jayne started making provisions for the little girl. This sure changes things. She couldn't wait. She would go to town in the morning and pick up a few things for her. How old did Treece say she was? Oh, yea seven. Maybe I could pick up a doll or two while I'm out. "Oh, I think I need this as much as the Mistress does." Jayne said out loud.
Dayton, himself had been thinking a lot about the upcoming visit. It would be nice to have a few horses in the stable again. He would have to come up with a plan to get Elizabeth to give him permission and money. Maybe he could use the fact that Jayne would like ride or something. Oh, he would think of something.
Within the next few days Dayton and Jayne had accomplished everything they had planned and then some. It would be perfect when they arrived. Now all they had to do was wait.
Elizabeth found herself becoming more curious about what Jayne and Dayton was up to. There was no doughty an air of excitement was in the house. On one occasion she had caught Jayne coming out of the guest room singing. When Elizabeth asked what she had been doing in there, Jayne said dusting. No one had used that room in years, why would she be dusting now. And then there were the horses in the stable. Dayton seemed to be spending a lot of time at the stables.
Elizabeth could almost feel herself getting caught up in the excitement. No, she couldn't. She had spent far too long erasing all emotion from herself. Why would she throw it away for some unknown reason? "I'll just stay in bed until it passes." she thought. But no matter what she did, she couldn't. Well...maybe, just a little change wouldn't hurt.
Chapter Four
At last all the details had been finished. They had so many bags. Maybe it was too much. Treece just didn't know how long they would be staying. Grandmother had agreed to take care of things while they were gone. Treece still felt bad about leaving her Grandmother. "Are you sure you'll be all right." She kept asking her.
"I will be fine. I'll just miss the two of you so much." she would say while hugging Marisa.
Marisa didn't know what to think. She was excited about going on trip in an airplane. But, she didn't want to leave her GeeGee. She was also afraid. What was it like, would people be nice. Mommy worked so much that she hardly ever saw her. At least they would be spending time together.
Treece had managed to keep her fear of the upcoming flight out of her thoughts until she reached the airport. That's when it hit her. “I've never flown before” she thought to herself. “I'm scared.” No, she couldn't let fear take over now. She had to be strong for Marisa. Besides if she chickened out now how would she ever solve the mysteries. That's what has been keeping her going. Treece needed to know if her memories were correct.
Every since the night she received the letter, Treece had been dreaming of her Mother. Every dream would end the same way. The words her Mother spoke kept pushing her. She had to discover the truth.
As they walked towards the plane, Marisa grabbed Treece's hand. She seemed to be shaking , as she held her doll. Treece picked her up, though Treece's legs were weak , it seemed to help holding Marisa. As they stepped on the plane a tear fell from Marisa's eye. "What am I getting us into?" Treece asked herself. Now there was no turning back.
Treece recalled her conversation with Jayne. She seemed to be a very sweet person. She could only hope that she was. Now , the plan is to act like they didn't know Jayne or Dayton. I have to pretend I've never heard of them. Oh, I hope I can do this.
Treece tried to imagine what Elizabeth would look like. Was she a stern, rock faced woman, or a grandmother type. Had the past really made her so mean. It was hard to imagine after reading her letters.
That's when it hit her, they have my Mother's letters. I will get to read what my Mother wrote! She became more excited by the minute. My Mother's words she thought and began to cry. How she had miss having her Mother around. Treece was very young when Sharon died. But, she remembered her Mother as a caring, loving person. Oh, her life could have been so different.
Soon after takeoff, Marisa fell asleep. Yet, she knew when her Mother was crying and woke up. "Mommy, do you need a hug?" Marisa asked sleepily.
"Yes, honey, I sure do." Treece said holding her daughter. Soon they both fell asleep.
Before they knew it, their plane was landing. This all seemed unreal. In all her twenty- seven years, Treece had never been out of state and now here she was on in another country. It was great. Treece felt like a child again. Life had gave her another dream,
another chance.
Treece and Marisa stood waiting with their bags. The plan was for Dayton to arrange for someone to pick them up. So, that when they arrived it would look unplanned. After waiting a few minutes, Treece saw a sign with her name on it. It was just like in the movies. Then her heart began to race as she looked in the eyes of the man holding the sign. Oh, how handsome he was. Treece quickly shook her head. What was she thinking, she wasn't her to look at a man.
"Hi, I'm Treece Crumbly." She said shyly to the man.
"You are?... I mean ..I thought you would be much older... I'm sorry, my name is Simon Greenal. I'll be escorting you to Crumbly Manor." He said stumbling over his words.
"Nice to meet you." Treece said extending her hand. "And this is Marisa, my daughter."
"Your daughter?... Well, Marisa it is very good to see a child around here." Simon said.
Marisa just smiled and fell into her shy routine. She seemed to be especially shy around men. "How far is the Manor?" Treece asked as they walked out of the airport.
"From here it's about an hour's drive." Simon said. "If we hurry we can make it before lunch."
"That sounds good to us." Treece said.
"If you don't mind me asking, why would you want to come all the way over here to meet someone you don't know, ma'am?" Simon asked.
"How much do you know?" Treece asked.
"Well,... I know just about everything. You see Dayton in my Father and Jayne is my sister. But, I just don't know why you would come. I know I wouldn't have." Simon said.
"There is more than just one side to this story and my reasons are coming from the other side. You see my Mother was murdered and I think Elizabeth Crumbly knows a little about it. I'm here to find out what." Treece said firmly.
Simon was shocked, a murder mystery here. He thought the only mystery here was why Lady Crumbly became such a homebody. He might decide to stay around a little longer this time. His Father did have the stables up again, and if there was one thing Simon knew, it was horses.
Simon had always felt strange about staying at the Manor. He could not see why his father and sister didn't leave. What was even worse was his Mother had died there. No one ever talked about it. It was said to be complications due to giving birth to Jayne. Sometimes, Simon felt bad about how he had treated Jayne in their youth. He just couldn’t keep from blaming her for their Mother's death. Maybe if I stay longer, he’d try to make it up to her.
As t
hey drove up the drive, Marisa gasped at the sight of the Manor. It was huge. Treece thought "How could one person live in such a house?" Then she became worried. It would be impossible to fit in here. She would feel like a fish out of water. How could she ever pull this off?
"Mommy, are we going there?... It's so big" Marisa yelled.
"Is this the Manor?" Treece asked Simon , trying to hold back her fears.
"Yes, we are here. The old place could use a little work. You should have seen it in the old days." Simon said.
When they pulled up to the door, Jayne came running down the stairs.
"The mistress is sleeping now,... she doesn't know a thing. Isn't this exciting." Jayne said running all her sentences together.
"Calm down, Jayne. You wouldn't want to frighten your guest." Simon said.
"Oh, I'm sorry... Hello, I'm Jayne and you must be Treece ...and Marisa." Jayne said extending her hand towards each of them.
"It is good to finally meet you, Jayne... You didn't tell me it was so big." Treece said looking up at the mansion.
"Please come in and we will get the plan started." Jayne said eagerly.
When Treece and Marisa stepped in they were lead to the sitting room to wait. Jayne said she would announce to Elizabeth that she had visitors. "It may be awhile before she comes down, the shock alone may kill her." Jayne laughed as she left the room.
Elizabeth jumped when she heard the knock on her door. "I told them not to disturb me." she thought. "What is it!" She shouted through the door.
"I'm sorry to disturb you ma'am, but .....you have visitors." Jayne said relieved that Lady Crumbly couldn't see her face through the door.
"I have what?" Elizabeth asked pulling the door open.
Immanently Jayne covered the expression on her face. "You have visitors." Jayne said again. "A young woman and a child...They say they are from America." Jayne could not read the expression on Elizabeth's face. It was a look that Jayne had never seen before. It seemed to be a mixture of horror, curiosity and a little delight. For a moment Jayne thought Elizabeth would faint.
What in the world was Jayne talking about, visitors here. That just couldn't be. For more than twenty years Elizabeth had managed to keep everyone away. Who could these visitors be and why would they come to see me. Oh, I don't even remember how to act. This isn't real. I know, I'm having a nightmare. Elizabeth thought to herself.
"Are you sure, Jayne? Of course your sure, why else would you be disturbing me." Elizabeth babbled to herself.
"Jayne, you have to help me dress! Wait first go down and tell them I'll be with them in a few minutes, then hurry back! Go!" Elizabeth blurted out.
Jayne ran down stairs smiling , trying to conceal her laughter. This was all just too exciting. Lady Crumbly already seemed years different.
Back upstairs, Elizabeth was desperately searching though her closet. She finally settled on a simple, but elegant, blue dress. Elizabeth didn't want to seem too anxious, but at the same time she didn't want to offend her guests. Who were they and how did they find her. Jayne said they were from America.
All at once Elizabeth's face lit up. Could it be, could Sharon's daughter really have come. Oh, if it was her, how should she act. What did she know? Elizabeth soon grew worried, does she blame me? She couldn't know she was only a baby when Sharon died. Oh, how she missed Sharon.
Jayne softly knocked on the door. Elizabeth rushed over and pulled Jayne in. Immediately she had Jayne fix her hair and straighten her clothes. The curiosity was killing her. Finally Elizabeth said "That's enough, I'm done. Jayne please go down and announce my coming. Also please make some drinks and snacks."
Jayne rushed into the library. "She's coming, and she is excited,.. I know it." she said smiling.
When Jayne said those words Treece's knee's went weak. This is too much. Why had she come? Her heart began to beat faster. Marisa sensing something was wrong, walked over to her mother and held her hand." It's O.K. Mom, I'm here with you." She said as the door slowly opened. Both women stood and stared at each other. Neither knew what to say.
"You look just like your mother." Elizabeth finally said. "If I didn't know any better, I would think you were Sharon standing there." It was almost too much for Elizabeth to handle. But she smiled as she regained her strength. It was like stepping back in time.
"Thank you, it means a lot to meet someone who knew my Mother." Treece said. "Oh, I'm sorry Lady Crumbly, my name is Treece and this is my daughter Marisa." she said extending her hand , while pointing to Marisa.
"I know you Treece, since the day you were born. But you, I don't know." Elizabeth said as she walked over to Marisa. Marisa shyly smiled and extended her small hand also. As Elizabeth took her hand tears started to form in her eyes. Then pain opened up deep in her heart. Oh, how she loved children. Elizabeth had forgotten how much until this moment. She had to sit down. It was just too much.
"Are you all right, Lady Crumbly?" Treece asked.
"Yes, ..and please call me Elizabeth. It's just I haven't had visitors in over twenty years. It's a little overwhelming." Elizabeth said.
"I'm sorry... It's just that... I found these letters," Treece said opening her bag with all the letters, "and since I didn't know my Mother,... I thought maybe you could help me know her."
"Oh, child don't be sorry. You have always been welcomed here. I didn't mean for it to sound as if you weren't." Elizabeth said. "I think I was just a little scared when I found out someone was here."
"You were scared, I was horrified about coming." Treece said letting out a little nervous laugh. Finally the tension had been broken. Jayne soon appeared with the refreshments and was delighted to see how well it was going.
Marisa was the one who broke all the barriers. She started asking a million questions about the house." Why is it so big?... Are there any kids around here?"
"Well, Marisa when this house was made all houses were built big. And I don't know if there are any children around, but we just received new horses in the stables... Do you like horsed?" Elizabeth said.
Then Elizabeth began to think about it. Did Jayne and Dayton know something about this? It would seem maybe they did. That would explain the new horses and Jayne's sudden interest in the guest room.
"Yes, I like horses, but I've never rode one before. Can I Mom?" Marisa asked.
"I don't know, honey, I don't know how long we will be staying here." Treece said.
"Please, you must stay awhile. We have plenty of room." Elizabeth said before she could stop herself. Did she really just ask them to stay? How could she after all she has done to keep people out. It just seemed right, almost as if Sharon was back at the manor again.
Treece tried to hide the relief that she felt. It would have been impossible for her to afford a place to stay. So far the plan seemed to be working. Treece could see Jayne and Dayton grinning though the window. I was apparent that they agreed.
The two continued to talk, while Marisa kept herself busy around the library. Jayne came in and announced that lunch was ready to be served. Elizabeth said after they had lunch, Jayne could show them to the guest room. Dayton came in to take their bags up, smiling from ear to ear.
As Treece looked at the table, her heart began to sink, again. She had feared this may happen. Treece didn't know which fork to use for which dish or which spoon to use for the soup. Marisa was the first to say anything. "Why is there so much silverware?" She asked. "At home we only get one fork."
Treece smiled at Elizabeth trying hard not to spoil this event. Elizabeth remembered Sharon had this same problem the first time they sat down to eat together. Quietly Elizabeth took all but one fork and one spoon off the table. Treece looked up gratefully and said "Thank you." At that moment an understanding was reached between the two women.
Chapter Five
After lunch, Jayne took Treece and Marisa up to the guest room. The moment the door open both guest gasped. It was absolutely gorgeous! Marisa ran to a little bed in front the windows
. It was filled with stuffed animals, dolls and many other wonderful things. Marisa turned to her Mother smiling. "Look at all this stuff. This is great." she almost yelled.
Treece turned to Jayne with tears in her eyes. "How can I ever thank you, Jayne. This is more than either of us could have hoped for." She said.
Jayne smiled through her own tears. "Just having you two here is thanks enough. I have never really been around children before. It was a wonderful feeling going to the toy store and buying these things." She said. "You know Treece, if you don't mind, I would like to spend time with Marisa, if you would let me?" Jayne asked feeling like she never had before.
Jayne thought that if she spent time with Marisa , it may help her change her mind about having children. She was so confused on the subject. When she was little, Simon's attitude towards had convinced that she never wanted children. Yet, all that seemed to be changing. It had started the moment Jayne found out a child would be coming to the manor.
"Of course. I think spending time with Marisa is a wonderful idea." Treece said. "I think this trip is going to be an answer to a lot of prayers." she added.
"You may be right." Jayne said as she left the room.
Now that they were alone, Treece asked Marisa what she thought about everything. Marisa just kept smiling, and said "God wanted us to come, Mom."
"It certainly seems like it, Marisa." Treece said. There is more going on here than we can possible image Treece thought to herself.