The Hidden Room

by C S Joseph

  The women shared stories for a few hours. Reese was getting anxious, since she wasn’t prepared to serve dinner. She offered to take everyone out to eat in town. Enjoying the conversation, they agreed. They walked into the Italian restaurant and were seated. Everyone browsed the menu and made their orders.

  Emma grabbed her bag and brought it up to the table. “Reese, I brought this, just in case.” She reached in and pulled out a small, black book. “This is an important piece of history to our family, but you should know what happened. I can tell that you’ve become invested in their story. From what I’ve read, I can’t blame you. Please take your time reading this. I want it returned. This is Grandmother Emma’s journal. I have years of her journals. This one, you need to read. She wrote this a few years after the last journal you gave Joan. Clara wrote more journals, but they were lost over the years. You will never know how grateful I am that you brought me those treasures.” Reese accepted the book as though it were a priceless artifact. She studied it carefully.

  “Thank you so much. I will take good care of this. I promise.” She felt honored. The ladies enjoyed their dinner and conversation. Reese appreciated the company. It was a welcome distraction to help her deal with the first weekend away from Zachary. After dinner, Joan and Emma took their leave to head back to Portland.

  When Helena, Reese, and Julia made it back to the house, Reese practically ran inside with excitement over the new journal in her purse. She had talked the entire ride back about how she couldn’t wait to get home and read what had happened that night.

  Reese was lying on her stomach, diagonally across her bed, already engrossed in the journal. She glanced up when Julia entered the bedroom and started reading aloud to her.

  November 22, 1924

  ‘Grace’s fifth birthday. She’s such a happy girl. Although, if she does not stop sliding down the bannister, I think my mother shall have a heart attack. This little one has three women looking out for her.’

  “Wait a minute. This is obviously not when Emma explains what happened that night. I thought you were just going to browse until you got to that entry.” Julia interrupted Reese’s recitation. Reese moved over so Julia could lie down with her on the bed. Julia curled up on her side facing Reese, and Reese propped herself up against a few pillows.

  “I know. I just thought it was funny, because Emma told us that story too. OK.” She flipped a few more pages and read briefly. She flipped some more. “This passage talks about going to Portland. They all spent a weekend there. They stayed in a small hotel room at Emma’s insistence.”

  “Emma seems like she was a practical woman.” Julia watched Reese scan a few more.

  “Oh, I think this is it. I’m just going to read the entire passage.”

  Julia nodded.

  July 23, 1925

  “Something terrible happened. It’s been long enough. I need to tell my story. Clara refuses to speak of what happened that night. It has been difficult dealing with it for the past couple of years.

  Arthur came home and found Clara and I in our bed. He was very angry and collected us all in the parlor. He forcibly took my mother out of the house. I was worried for my mother and more concerned with taking Clara and Grace somewhere safe. Our daughter was crying. She was three years old at the time. We don’t speak of it, but we are grateful that she doesn’t seem to remember it at all. I only hope that it does not affect her.

  I threw some clothes into a bag, and I picked up Grace. I was ready to escape and never return to the house. We had a plan in place to escape to Agnes and Gregory’s house. Clara wanted to write in her journal. She was terrified that he had murdered my mother. I was aggravated with her and wanted her to hurry. She finally collected her journals and put them in the cellar, knowing he never went down there anymore.

  When she came back up, Grace and I were ready in the kitchen. We were leaving for good. That’s when the front door slammed shut. He called out to Grace. I held her to me and told her everything was going to be alright. Clara walked into the parlor to tell him that she was leaving him and taking Grace. He laughed at her. He called again for my daughter. She held me tighter.

  I heard the familiar slap. I put Grace down and told her to run to the carriage and hide and not to come out until she saw my face. She nodded and ran out the back door. I marched into the room, fully intending on ending this nightmare for good. He would never touch another hair on her head. He looked at me, as Clara cowered in front of the fireplace, holding her cheek. I felt enraged, and I pushed him. I yelled at him to leave her alone. He charged toward me and shoved me against a wall. I hit my head and saw stars for a moment. Clara attempted to save me, and I saw him turn toward her. His fist sliced the air and landed against her jaw. She fell onto the davenport. He picked her up by the hair and punched her again.

  He knocked me away as he pushed her hard once more, and she landed head first into the fireplace. She fell to the floor, and I saw blood starting to seep from her head. I no longer cared what happened to me. I attempted to grab him as he bent down over her. He kicked me in the stomach, and I fell.

  I got up and came toward him again. He held her down with one arm and grabbed my throat with the other. I looked at Clara, as I started to faint. I tried to tell her how much I loved her. I tried to tell her not to miss me when I was gone. She looked at me with horror in her eyes and begged for Arthur to stop. Clara was fading from my view, when suddenly I fell to the floor. I stayed there, gasping for breath. Clara crawled over to me. We held each other for a moment, then we saw Arthur. He was lying on the floor. A gash on his head was bleeding. The fire poker was sticking out of his chest.

  My mother was standing there. She was all out of breath. She asked where Grace was. I told her where I’d sent the child. She knelt beside us and held on to both of us. She told us that Arthur would never hurt us again. Clara clambered over to him and checked for a pulse. She could not find one.

  Mother instructed us to get cleaned up and take Grace away from the house. I went out and found my little one and told her she was safe. I sent her and Clara to town to stay with Agnes and Gregory for a few days. I went back inside to help my mother.

  She had not planned on killing Arthur. Having also been the victim of his anger on many occasions, she was terrified of him. She said that Clara’s father had never treated her in that manner. They had loved each other deeply, and she was fortunate to have spent the rest of his life with him. I was shocked. I never realized they had feelings for each other. Later, Clara told me that she knew that her father never loved a woman the way that he loved my mother.

  I looked down at the floor. There was so much blood. Mother and I dragged Arthur’s body outside. It was no easy task. With the aid of a horse and some rope, we drug him out past the house and began to dig a hole. It was late and dark. We dug until our limbs ached, but our work was not done when we buried Arthur. We carried the furniture from the room and made a pile in the yard. The rug, the davenport, and anything else that had any blood on it. We set fire to the pile and watched it burn. Even after several hours of scrubbing, there was a blood stain on the floor. We used another rug to cover it.

  Mother told me that he had ridden to the end of the gravel road and dropped her off. He told her to run far away, because he was going to kill his wife and her lover. He told her that we were disgusting and no longer deserved to live. She caught a horse in the field and rode the mile back to the house. She saw that he was true to his word. She grabbed the poker and hit him in the back of the head. When he landed on the floor, she shoved it through his chest.

  He was an evil man. Not fit to be wed. Not fit to parent. I am happy to be free of him. To be free to be with Clara, the woman I fell in love with. Everyone in town believed that he ran off. They had never liked Arthur, nor trusted him. No one has ever tried to look for him. Father Bronwyn checks in on us periodically. People in our town have embraced us.

  Julia watched as Reese closed the book. “So, the bones that you fo
und are Arthur’s?” Reese nodded. Julia rested a hand on her shoulder. “Elizabeth Hartley saved their lives. There would have been two bodies in that grave.” She noticed that Reese looked dazed. “Reese, are you okay?”

  “I’m relieved to finally know what happened. I just didn’t expect it to be him. I figured they escaped, and he went on to Portland and lived out his days. I didn’t see that coming at all.” Julia pulled Reese into her side, and they lay together thinking about the new information they had just learned. Julia was thankful that even though her situation with Reese was complicated, it was not nearly as bad as it had been for Clara and Emma. She knew that they had a lot of things to figure out in the upcoming months, but she felt hopeful that she was finally moving toward the future she had always wanted.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  After several weeks and a couple of holidays, they had a Zachary-free weekend. Julia knew it was the perfect opportunity to whisk Reese away on a getaway. She had it all planned out and was ready for the execution.

  Reese walked up to Julia, wrapped her arms around her neck and kissed her. Julia smiled down at her. “Are you gonna be okay with him being gone this weekend?” Reese gave a small nod. She had mentioned that it was getting easier each time he visited his dad and that she was starting to look forward to the break. Julia kissed her. “Ready to hit the road?”

  “We’ve been packed for this trip for a week. I am beyond ready to get on the road.”

  Julia loaded her one bag and Reese’s four in the back of the car and went back inside. She looked around for her phone and grabbed it off the counter. “Okay, let’s go.”

  Reese nodded. They closed and locked the door behind them.

  †

  The light dusting of snow on the roads swirled, as the cold wind blew across the car. Inside, Reese was a bundle of nerves. They talked about the holiday season they’d shared with family, laughing at a few memories of Zachary and Alexander. Reese wanted to know where they were going and what Julia had planned for their first official weekend. Asking was futile. Julia was tight-lipped about the entire weekend. Reese knew only that they were driving a few hours south of Portland. She knew that she needed to pack warm clothes. That was the extent of it.

  She kept talking while Julia drove. Julia had to know that her nerves were causing her to ramble.

  “We’re almost there. The lodge is just about ten miles up the road.”

  “Which lodge? We are clearly going skiing.” Reese was finally quiet, with a grin plastered across her face.

  “So that’s all it took for you to know where we’re going?”

  Reese turned her head. She leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. “An idea formed as soon as you asked me to pack warm clothes. My suspicions were confirmed once I saw the direction we were going.”

  Julia handled the check-in, and a concierge put their luggage into the back of a golf cart. They climbed into the tiny vehicle, and he drove them up to their cabin. The salted driveway took them down and around a hill. Reese looked out of the cart and saw the mountain rising above the already tall, snow-covered trees. The crisp, cold air hit her in the face, and she slightly shivered. Julia put her arm around her, and Reese leaned into her a bit.

  Snow blanketed everything. The cart followed the path around a corner. In the clearing, a large cabin was set perfectly within the majestic mountainside. Expansive windows peeked up from beneath the snow. A large balcony swept around the upper floor to the far side of the house. Strong columns looked as though they were pulled right out of the landscape. The heavy timbers of the cabin were holding up a thick shelf of snow on the roof. The cart pulled up, and they used their key to go inside. The interior was full of all the modern conveniences and eco-friendly upgrades one could ask for. The man brought in their luggage and placed it in the front room, next to a large, river rock fireplace. A thick log hoisted above the hearth served as the mantle.

  Reese smiled, as Julia quickly handed the man some cash. He nodded to both women and headed back out. Once the door closed, they looked around. Reese noticed stairs leading up to a lofted area that overlooked where they were standing. She walked up and inspected the bedroom. Another fireplace filled one wall, while across the room was a large, sliding-glass door that opened the length of the balcony. Behind the headboard, a quiet grey colored the wood running along to an opening in the wall. Two round bowls sat on top of a stone counter. The contemporary soaking tub for two was an invitation to enjoy the long fireplace it sat beside.

  “Julia, this is beautiful.”

  Julia smiled. “Well, we got here with plenty of time. Let’s change into warmer clothes and get out on the slopes.”

  Reese nodded and went downstairs to retrieve her luggage.

  †

  The new outfit Reese found in the ski shop was perfect. She tried on a set of matching goggles. She turned around and Julia laughed.

  “You look great.”

  Reese picked out a coat with fur lining the outer rim of the hood. She also found snowpants, boots, and skis. While her bindings were being set to her boots, she walked over to the register. She paid for her gear and bought two ski passes for the weekend.

  Julia was sitting on a bench, getting fitted for her skis.

  “It’s really not fair that you couldn’t tell me we were skiing.” Reese gave a little pout. “I have the cutest outfit at home for the occasion.”

  “You love to shop for new outfits.” Julia buckled the second boot, snapped it into the binding, and stood up. She leaned forward and side to side. She hopped and landed. “These are good.”

  “Nice moves.” The lady helping Julia was flirting. Reese noticed and felt a twinge of jealousy.

  “Ok, let’s get you out of the ski then.” The woman grabbed a pole and released the binding. Julia pulled her foot out. The woman looked up at Reese. “Are you two sisters?”

  “No, we are not sisters,” Julia corrected. “We don’t look remotely alike. We don’t have the same hair or eye color. Our bone structure is completely different.” The woman ignored her and put her hand on Julia’s arm.

  “Is there anything else I can do for you?”

  Reese immediately caught her drift. She could tell by Julia’s face that she also got the gist.

  “Yeah, is there a place my girlfriend can change into her new ski gear?”

  “Oh…um. Yes, we have a changing room in the back over there.”

  Reese nodded and headed in that direction.

  “I’m pretty sure she gave her ski specs to the girl at the register. If you could get those for her, that’d be great.” Julia grabbed her poles and skis. The woman nodded curtly, and Julia walked to the front.

  They headed out to the slopes and put on their skis. Julia looked sleek in her snow gear, with long limbs and tapered waist. Julia cocked her head. “What?” When Reese didn’t immediately answer, Julia shrugged her shoulders and put on her goggles. “I hope you’re hungry. You’re going to be eating my powder all day.”

  Reese punched Julia in the shoulder and chuckled. “We’ll see about that.”

  “Ready to get on the lift?”

  The line was fairly short, and Julia mentioned how nice it would be to take a few runs without the wait. Sitting on the bench, with their legs dangling, they watched the world around them and gave commentary on the gorgeous scenery and people falling on the slope. Reese saw a child about Zachary’s age making her way down with remarkable ease.

  “You know, Zachary loves to ski. We first took him when he was five.”

  Julia looked shocked.

  “He was so cute, making his pizzas and French fries. The first time he fell, my heart stopped. I thought he was going to cry. He just got back up on his feet and said, ‘Mom! Did you see that? Awesome.’ Then he continued down the hill.”

  Julia laughed. “That boy is so athletic. I know it’s been hard on you, letting him go with Aiden on the weekends.”

  “The new schedule is getting easier each time.”
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  Julia looked up and saw the end of the ride was near. “Are you ready?” Reese nodded, and both women scooted to the edge of the bench. When their skis touched the ground, they stood and slid down the small hill. Julia slid to the right, and Reese followed her. They made their way down the hill quickly. Julia made it to the end and spun around, as Reese slid up beside her.

  “Ready to go again,” Julia said, as she pushed her way off toward another lift. Once they were at the top, Julia shoved off and began flying down the hill. She headed for a small mogul. Knees slightly bent, she jumped off and landed on the other side. Reese followed behind and avoided the berm. Julia was driving herself back and forth, jumping from anything that she thought would give enough of a boost. Reese enjoyed Julia’s athletic side. Suddenly, Julia spun herself around and was moving down the hill backward.

  “You okay back there?” she called out. Reese cut over and sped to catch up. Once Reese reached her, Julia jumped back around and really started showing off. Reese gave a quick push with her poles. She leaned forward and breezed past a laughing Julia. The race was on.

  At the bottom of the hill, they smelled something delicious grilling at the ski lodge. Julia’s stomach was growling loudly, so they took a break to have lunch out on the patio. The conversation was easy and comfortable, but Julia looked at her watch throughout their meal. “Why are you so worried about the time?” Reese asked.

  “I’m not worried, just wondering how many runs we can get in today. I need to use the restroom. I’ll be right back.”

  They decided to get a few more runs in before they called it a day. On the ski lift, Reese spotted a pile of sticks in the top of a tall tree. “Oh! I wonder if that is a bald eagle nest!” The end of the lift was coming again, and Reese readied herself. They set off down the hill for their last run of the day, then made their way back to the cabin.