Finding Elizabeth

by Faith Helm

  While they ate they talked about the history of the beautiful home and James told them stories that had been relayed to him by his great grandfather.

  As they finished their meal James, Janet and Steve all said their goodbyes, so Claire decided she would explore the home. As she rounded the top of the stairs she noticed a balcony to the left that overlooked the foyer and a short hallway that extended beyond. To the right was a longer hallway with doors she knew must lead to the bedrooms.

  Peering into the first room, it was painted what once must have been a vibrant pink. The furniture was a rich light cherry double bed, a writing desk, an armoire and a vanity. It looked as though it had been untouched for more than a hundred years. She eyed the pretty little bottles and jars that sat on the vanity next to the hair brush and mirror set. She had seen these kinds of jars in the antique shops she loved to frequent. Tossed across the foot of the bed was a beautiful garnet velvet dress with waves of ruffles and adorned with cream colored rosettes. Sitting on top of the dress was a pair of delicate lace gloves. Claire felt like she was intruding, but couldn't help but reach down and touch the lace.

  With a yawn she continued her search of the second story, finding the other rooms looked just as untouched. Like the occupants had just stepped out for the day. As Claire entered the simple room with the single bed, she could almost picture a young boy playing with the checkers that sat on a small table near the window. Looking around she was struck by the thought that this had possibly been Adam's great, great grandfather's room.

  As she continued on, near the end of the hallway she found her suitcase sitting just inside the doorway of the most beautiful room she had ever seen. As she looked around Claire was overcome with emotions. This was a room fit for a Queen. The cream colored Victorian furniture was very ornate with golden highlights and adorned with graceful cherubs. Above the bed was the largest bronze and crystal chandelier she had ever seen.

  Claire put her few pieces of clothes into the wardrobe. Chuckling to herself, she thought of all the times she had seen pieces of furniture like this and dreamt of repainting them. Not on your life Claire, these pieces are too perfect to be painted, distressed and put up for sale in a store. These are the types of pieces that a family cherishes and passes down from generation to generation. Feeling exhausted from the days events and all the emotions from being back in Eureka, Claire decided it was time to turn in for the night. Exploring the rest of the house would just have to wait until tomorrow.

  ***

  Chapter Three

  Claire woke the next morning feeling more relaxed and rested than she had in months. Grabbing her robe she stumbled downstairs to the kitchen needing to find a cup of coffee. To her surprise Janet was a step ahead of her. The wonderful smells took over her senses and she couldn't help but smile, "Good morning Janet."

  "Good morning," Janet said with a smile. "I hope you don't mind but I decided I would cook breakfast for you this morning."

  "No, I don't mind at all, it smells wonderful. Will Steve be joining us?"

  "Not today, he got a call early this morning and had to go out. A pipe froze and burst at one of the properties and he had to go meet the plumber. This winter has been very hard on these old buildings," Janet said with a frown.

  "I'm sorry he had to go out so early in this cold. But if it's not too much trouble I wanted to see if he would give me a tour of the property," Claire said as she poured her coffee.

  As she pushed a stray curl behind her ear Janet said, "I am sure he would be happy to show you around, and I bet he will be back by lunch." With a sincere look she continued, "I am so happy the owner of the home has been found."

  Mindlessly stirring the creamer into her steaming cup of coffee, Claire thought for a moment before replying, "A person only dreams of owning a home like this. I keep expecting to wake up, back in my apartment in Bentonville." Reaching for a piece of bacon Claire said, "The home is in excellent condition. But I noticed the kitchen and bathrooms look like they have been updated, most likely in the 1950's. If I stay I would eventually like for someone to restore the home and use period pieces, but with modern conveniences."

  Janet smiled as she sat her coffee down, "Well it just so happens that I know the best darned contractor in all of Carroll county. I would be happy to call him and see if he could stop by and give you a quote."

  "That would be wonderful!" Claire exclaimed.

  "Well I hope you stay, this poor old house has been empty for far too long," Janet said.

  Where else would I go, my lease is almost up and it's time for me to get back to living my life. Smiling Claire said, "Yes, I am staying, at least for the time being."

  "Wonderful, I will give Daniel a call today," Janet exclaimed. "Now tell me about yourself."

  "Well there's not much to tell. I have lived a pretty simple life. I was born in Oklahoma, but adopted at birth by a family from Bentonville. My childhood was great, and my parents made sure that I was given every opportunity," Claire said.

  "My father passed away when I was eight and my mother just remarried. She is off traveling around the country with her new husband. He's a great guy, but there have been so many changes in my life lately. It just seems like everything I loved is gone."

  "How so?" questioned Janet.

  "I... I am sorry, I just presumed Mr. Allen had told you." With a far away look and damp eyes, Claire said, "I lost my husband Adam in a car accident last summer."

  Reaching over to pat Claire's hand Janet said, "Oh dear, he didn't tell me. I am so sorry. You poor thing, and then your mother remarried?"

  Claire smiled, as she remembered her mothers wedding day, "Yes, she remarried just a few months ago. I have been so restless, like I don't belong anywhere."

  With a smile Janet said, "Well dear, I think you have found a place where you belong."

  "I will admit it is tempting to stay and try to make a life here in Eureka, but I am not sure what I want to do. My best friend and my mother have been wanting me to resume classes to finish my degree," Claire said.

  "Oh, what degree is that?" Janet asked with interest.

  Claire sat down the coffee cup she had been holding, "At the time of the accident I was in the last year of my masters program. My degree is in history and I hoped to become a historian, but my dream was to open an antique shop. I just lacked a few classes, but I cannot seem to focus anymore. I've had nightmares my entire life but after Adams death they have become much worse. There is just no way I can focus on school right now."

  "Well dear," Janet quipped. "Maybe you just need a change of scenery. Eureka Springs is a wonderful town. I know if you give it half a chance you will love living here and maybe you could finish your degree online. You know, you own a building that would be perfect for an antique store. The current tenants are moving out at the end of February. I can show it to you now if you don't have any plans."

  "That is perfect. I can be ready in about an hour," Claire said as she gathered the dishes. "Thank you for breakfast, everything was delicious. I hope you will let me repay your kindness. I would love to cook dinner for you and Steve sometime."

  Standing, Janet reached for the carafe, "It was my pleasure cooking for you. Steve and I would love to have dinner with you, it would give us all a chance to get to know each other better."

  ***

  Chapter Four

  Janet and Claire drove to town in silence. Janet could not quit thinking of their earlier conversation. She could tell Claire was holding back, and that there was more going on than she wanted to talk about. But she knew in time Claire would find peace with everything that was troubling her. Janet knew she shouldn't meddle. But this girl had obviously been through some trauma and needed to move forward and put the past behind her.

  She also knew her son, and Claire is just the type of girl Daniel likes. She was tall and slim with long brown hair. Her beautiful brown eyes were fringed with thick, long lashes that any woman would kill for. She had a polished, sophisticate
d look, but the soft features of her face combined with full, luscious, pouting lips made her look like an innocent young girl. Just one look at the golden tone to her skin, would make anyone think she had just returned from a tropical island. What man could possibly resist her? She knew exactly what Daniel needed, and that was a good, kind and beautiful woman. It was well past time for him to settle down and start a family. After all I am not getting any younger and would love to have grandbabies some day. Thinking back on her conversation with Daniel, she probably should have told him more about Claire. But she didn't want him to think she was trying to set them up. No, that would have looked like a meddling mother, and Daniel would just run the other way.

  Turning on main street, Janet pointed out which buildings the Van Whites owned and when they were built. She talked happily, telling Claire about their history and what the buildings were used for when they were new. Pulling into a parking space, Janet said, "The beauty shop on the corner is the one that will be available soon. It served as the towns general merchandise store and was one of the very first buildings in Eureka."

  Claire looked up in amazement at the century old two story building, "Can we go in and look around?"

  "Of course, you are the owner," Janet said with a laugh.

  As they entered the store, they were greeted by a young girl named Ashley. "Hi Ashley, this is Claire. She wanted to take a look around the shop," Janet said with an air of authority.

  Stepping to the side the young girl made a grand sweeping motion with her arms, letting them know it was ok to enter, before quickly returning to her beauty magazine.

  As they walked through the building, Claire was happy to see that the interior was all brick. And that it had never been painted like so many of the century old buildings she had seen. She really liked that there were windows along the front and most of the right side of the space. She loved that the windows let in enough natural light to keep the place from feeling like a dungeon. As Claire looked around, she could envision how the windows would look decorated with the beautiful old pieces she would select for them. From the outside the building looked like it was two stories, as Claire presumed it once was, but on the inside it was just one level. Even though Claire loved that you could see the ceilings exposed beams and rafters, she was a little disappointed there was no longer a second floor.

  Looking around Claire was surprised that many of the original counters and shelves were still there. Most held an array of magazines and hair styling products and tools. One counter served as the checkout separating the front sitting area, with the stylists work stations. They continued walking through to the back of the store where there was an amazing brick archway unlike anything Claire had ever seen. Stepping through the archway, they continued on as they found a small but cozy office, a restroom and a larger area that would be perfect for storage.

  Looking up toward the ceiling Claire asked, "I wonder how hard it would be to have a loft built so I could maximize the space?"

  "I'm not sure, but when Daniel comes to the house we can ask him," Janet said. "So does this mean you are going to open an antique store?"

  Smiling Claire said, "I want to, but I need to check out the local auctions and see if I can find enough merchandise. I have a storage building full of antiques and vintage treasures, but that won't be enough to even get started on a space of this size."

  Janet nodded, "But you know, I am sure the Van Whites have an attic and a basement full of treasures. Maybe you could start there."

  With an apprehensive smile Claire said, "I was wanting to explore the house, but somehow it just feels like I am intruding. I didn't even know the Van Whites existed and now they have given me this amazing gift."

  "You are not intruding. You are a Van White, maybe not by blood, but in your heart you know you belong. Besides the house needs you. It has sat empty long enough. It just needs someone to love and appreciate it, and breathe fresh life into it," Janet said.

  They walked around, taking measurements and making notes of window sizes and jotting down ideas on how Claire could display merchandise. Feeling more confident this was what she needed to do, Claire said, "I know it will be a lot of work. But I think it's just what I need to put the past behind me. And then maybe I can focus on making a future for myself."

  With a broad smile, Janet nodded in agreement.

  As they stepped out into the cool afternoon Janet said, "Are you hungry? maybe we should pick up lunch. I don't think I have time to fix anything before Steve gets back."

  Shaking her head in agreement, Claire said, "I am so excited. I can't wait to get started on looking for merchandise for the store. And I don't want to take any time away from my scavenger hunt."

  ***

  Chapter Five

  As they were eating lunch Steve announced that he had a surprise for Janet. She took the card and opened it. With a huge smile, she hugged him and announced, "It looks like Steve is taking me to Oklahoma to a casino for Valentine's day."

  Claire sat in stunned silence, how could you have forgotten that it's Valentines day.

  Noticing the sadness in Claire's eyes, Janet gave her a hug, "I know this has to be very hard on you. We will cancel our trip if you want us to stay. Oklahoma isn't very far and we can go any time."

  Wiping away a stray tear, Claire said, "No please don't cancel. Go and have a good time. I just need to get passed all the first's without Adam and then maybe I can find peace. Besides I have phone calls to make and I still have not looked at most of the house."

  Janet nodded in agreement before giving her one last hug for support, "If you need anything while we are away, please don't hesitate to call us."

  After lunch Claire decided it was time to look around the house. She knew if she stayed busy the day would go by more quickly. And maybe ... just maybe she could find something to distract her from her thoughts of Adam.

  Heading up the stairs, Claire decided she would start in the attic. Not knowing where the entrance to the attic was she decided to explore the short hallway to the left of the stairs. There were four doors on that hall, one of which was the turret room. Peeking in, she noticed it had been decorated with the familiar feminine touches that many of the rooms shared. This room looked so inviting, Claire could imagine herself sitting there for hours reading a good book by a blazing fire. Noticing the beautiful tea set sitting on the small table, she walked in to get a closer look. Sitting next to the tea set was a book, picking it up she traced the faint outline of the gold lettering, Little Women. The book was old and the brown leather showed signs of wear, indicating that it had been well loved. Carefully placing it back on the side table, she shivered at the odd feeling of deja vu.

  Shaking it off, she continued down the short hallway. Like the rest of the house, most everything looked pristine. Like the occupants had just stepped out for the afternoon and would be returning any moment. At the end of the hallway was another set of platform stairs. Working her way up the dark staircase Claire felt more nervous with each step. Come on Claire, this isn't a scary movie, this is your new home. Squaring her shoulders she continued.

  At the top of the stairs sat a long hallway with several doors. She noticed the beautiful runner that lined the wood floor and the elegant tables that sat gracefully along the wall on one side. Above each of the tables, mounted to the wall was the same pair of bronze and crystal sconces she had noticed in the other hallways throughout the home. Reaching toward the wall, she switched on the lights. To her surprise the sconces clicked on, the light comforting her enough to allow her to continue down the hallway. Peering into the rooms she found them sparse but comfortably decorated, but noticed they didn't have the same grand appearance as the rest of the home. Oh duh Claire, this must have been the servants quarters.

  Continuing on she noticed a small bathroom that looked like it had never been updated. Claire was amazed. She had seen movies with bathrooms from the Victorian era, but she had never seen an authentic free standing water closet in perso
n. On the far wall, next to the water closet sat a claw foot tub, and on the wall to the right was a wall mounted sink. Attached to the wall above the sink was a soap dish and toothbrush holder and to the right was a simple towel ring. Claire was certain of one thing, as long as she owned this home, this bathroom would never be changed. Although she preferred modern conveniences for her own use, there was something so charming about feeling like you have stepped back in time. You are definitely going to keep the house as original as possible.