by Cege Smith
From what David could tell from his short acquaintance with Melanie Wilson, it seemed almost impossible for her to keep a rein on her tongue. He saw a look on her husband’s face that was a mixture of chagrin and exasperation.
If Linda heard the sarcasm, or sensed the tension at the table as everyone waited for her response, she appeared not to notice. “Of course,” she said, smiling at Randall.
At that moment Jeffrey and a female server appeared in the doorway carrying plates. They gently set a lush green salad in front of everyone and Linda seemed pleased. “Please, everyone, let’s eat.”
The tension bled away, and everyone was quiet for a time as the dinner began in earnest. David was feeling full by the third course, but the food didn’t seem to be stopping. Linda herself ate little, even with a gesture from Randall. She seemed more focused on the real estate agent at her side, and then ensuring that her guests were having a good time. Soon multiple conversations were going on again, and a comfortable buzz filled the air.
“Linda tells me you’re a doctor, David.” Randall’s soft voice cut through the din like a knife.
David cleared his throat and wiped his linen napkin across his lips. “Yes, that’s correct. I’m finishing my residency at the hospital downtown.”
“Excellent. Being a doctor is a fine profession.” Randall nodded appreciatively. He raised his wine glass and spun the rich liquid within for a moment, looking into its depths. “It is very demanding of you, though, I’m sure. I mean time and energy wise.”
“I manage.” David shrugged. “I enjoy what I do so that makes it all very worth it.”
David saw Ellie smile at him with a look of pleasure. David hoped that the person that he would ultimately choose to spend his life with would appreciate that. He knew it was a hard choice to be with someone who had a job that was practically a marriage itself. But he thought Ellie may be different given that she was a business owner and he was sure that required a lot of her time.
“Are you hoping for a family someday?” Randall persisted.
“Of course. Just because I have a demanding job doesn’t mean that I don’t want to have a wife, kids, house, the whole thing,” David said. He didn’t understand where Randall was going with his line of questioning. The rest of the table had quieted and everyone else was listening now as well.
“But being there at life’s crucial moments; now that’s the stuff that makes life worth it. Seems like it would be a shame to start a family and then not be able to be there when it matters,” Randall said, swirling the wine in his glass.
David saw that although Randall was trying hard to appear nonchalant, he was actually watching Ellie’s reaction closely. Was it possible that the man was trying to warn Ellie away from him?
“There’s no reason I can’t be there when I need to be.” David was starting to get annoyed. He didn’t understand why he had to justify himself to this man. Plus he remembered having a similar argument with his father. His father had said something about…sacrifices. And being willing to make difficult decisions.
“I don’t mean to offend.” Randall held up his hands in a mock gesture of peace. “I just know that when the demands of a career come knocking, other things will be…sacrificed.”
Randall’s word choice was strange, especially given David’s memory of the disagreement with his own father. “Are you talking from experience?” David retorted. He felt everyone at the table lean forward in anticipation. Ellie’s hand came from under the table and rested on his forearm, and he wondered if she thought he was going too far. But David didn’t like to be bullied, especially by someone he had only just met.
“The ramblings of an old man,” Randall laughed. “Feel free to ignore me. The energies of youth are beyond my grasp now.” He looked at Linda and smiled. “Other things are much more important to me these days.”
David shook his head. He should have expected Randall’s deflection. The intensity of the emotions the short conversation raised within him surprised him. He could tell that the time for questions had passed, and as the negative energy welled inside him he realized that he felt…yucky. It was exactly the feeling the group had been trying to explain to him.
“Is everyone enjoying their supper?” Linda asked, looking away from Randall. Her gaze settled on Joe Klein, although the question had been directed to everyone. Murmurs of approval came from around the table. David noted that Joe seemed annoyed about the interaction between Linda and Randall. Although no words were exchanged, he saw Linda pat Joe on the arm. He wondered if Linda’s natural exuberance had rubbed off a bit on the agent, and if he wasn’t a bit sweet on her. Everyone seemed sweet on Linda.
“Well, if everyone is finished, then, I’d like to give you the grand tour. We can finish with coffee and cognac in the library,” Linda said. “And if you are all very good, there will perhaps be a little sweet thing waiting as well for dessert.”
“Oh goody.” Kevin clapped his hands together in anticipation, and everyone laughed.
As they stood, Jeffrey and the server emerged from the kitchen and started clearing away the dishes. Linda led the guests back to the great hall where they had entered.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
“We are so fortunate that we actually have an expert in the history of the house and the neighborhood here with us tonight. Joe, do you want to share some of the history with us?” Linda looked expectantly at the agent, who blushed under her gaze.
“Certainly, Linda. I’m honored.” Joe cleared his throat and spread his arms out, taking in the front hall. “The original house, which was probably about the size of this hall, was built all the way back in 1886. It was only one level at that time, and quite small. Twenty years later, during the iron boom of the early 1900s, a wealthy man by the name of Joseph Bradford bought the house and tore it down, and built this lovely estate home that reminded him of his travels in Italy. Joseph hailed from Atlanta originally, but had made his fortune up north in the mines of Duluth. His young bride, Lillian, loved the landscape here on the shoreline of the lake, but abhorred the cold winters. So Joseph built the house in hopes that she would feel at home here year round, despite the temperature outside. You will also notice that every room has a fireplace in it because Joseph wanted to make sure that Lillian was never cold.”
David was fascinated. He knew that all old homes had a history and he wondered if the story would have a happy ending. He could tell by looking at everyone’s faces that the others were just as caught up in Joe’s tale. Melanie had pulled a small notebook out of her pocket and was scribbling notes.
“The new construction took over a year to complete, and finally Joseph and Lillian settled in to their new home. The Bradfords loved to entertain, and important folks from all over the country would come to visit. Lillian made sure that everyone who visited knew how successful Joseph was. Their dinner parties lit up the shoreline, and laughing and dancing music could be heard blocks away. The Bradfords were comfortable and happy, with just a small smidge of unhappiness that started to overshadow their wonderful life.”
As Ellie drew closer to Joe, David decided to be bold and put his arm loosely around her waist. She smiled up at him and he relaxed. The agent’s story was like a daydream of being born during a different era to a different life. Then he saw Joe glance at Linda, as if asking permission to continue.
Linda put her hand on Joe’s arm again. “Oh, it’s fine, dear. Not all homes are happy homes, after all.”
David found it odd that neither Randall nor Carol Klein were noticing the obvious connection between Linda and Joe. He looked at Ellie to see if she noticed, but she was staring up at the huge chandelier above their heads.
“Joseph had built this grand home for his bride and to start a large family. He wanted plenty of room for his children to run around in. But alas, Lillian was fragile and the doctors thought that perhaps she wasn’t meant to have a child. She suffered several miscarriages, and finally sunk into a deep depression. She refused to lea
ve her bed, and the wonderful parties that had made the Bradfords like celebrities in this town faded away like a memory. Then came the rumors that Joseph and Lillian were trying alternate, and very questionable methods to conceive. Their fairytale life had turned into a nightmare for them.”
“That’s awful!” Ellie exclaimed. “What happened to them?”
“The honest truth, dear, is nobody knows,” Linda said.
“What do you mean nobody knows?” Melanie demanded. She looked up from her notebook and David felt like they were at a press conference and Melanie was the aggressive reporter who wouldn’t take no for an answer.
“The Bradfords just disappeared one day. They were gone. Some say that Joseph took Lillian home to the South hoping that the change of scenery would snap her out of her depression. Others say that once the reality set in that children weren’t possible, the Bradfords sold the house and moved into a smaller home somewhere else. The one thing that did come out eventually was that Joseph Bradford had overextended himself financially. Even without the personal issues, they would likely have had to sell the place anyway.” The catch in Joe’s voice at that point told everyone that there was more.
“There’s something you aren’t telling us,” David said.
“Joe is being polite, David. He knows that I hate to speak ill of the dead. Even if it is just a silly rumor,” Linda said quietly.
“C’mon now, you told us everything else,” Melanie pushed.
Linda turned her head just a bit and looked up at Randall, who shrugged his shoulders. David was almost more fascinated watching the interplay between Randall, Linda, and Joe than he was in hearing the rest of the story.
“Some say,” Linda paused as if to make sure she had their full attention, “that Joseph and Lillian ran away to escape the debt collectors, which is probably what happened. But the more morbid say that Joseph killed Lillian and went off hoping to find a wife who could give him children, because a friend of the couple, a young widow, also disappeared around the same time. She was supposed to be very good friends with Lillian.”
“If that was the truth, you’d think that someone would have heard something or seen something odd,” Melanie said.
“That’s the strange part,” Joe said. “I heard that some of the neighbors claimed that they would hear noises, something that could have been screaming, in the middle of the night shortly before it was discovered that they were gone. Given their visibility in the community, it caused quite a stir when they disappeared.”
“What do you think of all of that, Linda?” Ellie asked.
“The house went up for sale and passed through different owners before Lloyd and I found it. Joe tells me his grandfather supposedly met up with Joseph Bradford after the ‘disappearance.’ When his grandfather asked why Joseph sold the house, he just murmured something about life not always working out the way you want it to. That’s all he said. That seems to lend itself more to the idea that they left because of his misfortune.” Linda’s voice was sad. “It must have been so difficult for him, loving someone who couldn’t give the one thing he had truly ever wanted.”
“Rubbish!” Melanie’s disdainful voice immediately shifted the mood. “You can love someone even if you don’t have any children. You can make a marriage work just as well without that distraction. Hell, Herbert and I decided a long time ago that if we wanted to stay married, the best way to do that would be not to have them at all and good riddance!”
“Well, times are very different now,” Randall said, coming to Linda’s defense. “Back then, a man’s family was as much a symbol of his status as the dollars he had in the bank.”
Suddenly Linda let out a sharp breath and David could see tears in the corners of her eyes.
“Linda! What’s wrong?” Ellie said, moving from his side to peer into Linda’s face.
“It’s really nothing, dear. I mean, Melanie’s right, I suppose. Lloyd and I…we were never able to have children. We had a good marriage all the same, I guess, but I always felt like I had failed him.” Linda’s voice fell to a whisper.
Randall pulled Linda from Ellie’s grasp into his arms. “It might be better if we called it a night,” Randall said, staring pointedly at Melanie, who looked completely baffled.
“I didn’t mean to offend you, Linda, honestly, I had no idea,” Melanie apologized.
Linda’s hand just waved from Randall’s chest. She looked fragile and as if she had aged a decade in just those few moments.
“Jeffrey!” Randall’s voice was commanding. The butler instantly appeared in the hallway.
“Our guests will need their jackets,” Randall said. At the butler’s questioning glance, Randall sighed and added, “Mrs. Jordan isn’t feeling well. Why don’t you box up a dessert for everyone to take home? No need for that to go to waste.”
“Of course, Mr. McGinty. Is there anything else I can do for Mrs. Jordan?” Jeffrey asked.
“No, no.” Randall waved him away. “I’ll take care of her.” He turned his gaze back to the group standing in the entryway. “Thank you all for coming. I’m sure you understand if I take Linda upstairs now. Jeffrey will show you out.”
Linda’s shoulders were shaking against his chest and David could hear her sobs. Randall turned her to face the staircase, and he slowly helped her climb the stairs. At the top, they turned to the left and were out of sight.
It was clear to David that no one knew what to say or do.
“What the hell just happened here?” Kevin was the first to speak. Everyone looked at each other, dumbfounded, although Joe Klein was staring up the stairs with a thoughtful expression on his face.
“I really didn’t mean anything by what I said,” Melanie said. She was finally starting to look abashed.
“It’s okay, Melanie, I think we all agree that Linda’s reaction was completely unexpected,” Ellie said. “I know you meant to be funny.”
David looked at Ellie and thought that he was one of the luckiest men alive. He decided he didn’t care what had happened in her past. In the last five minutes he had seen how much she cared about her friends’ feelings and how she wanted to make them feel better. Maybe other people couldn’t see it, but he thought that she was hiding the soul of a saint.
They all stood in the hallway in silence. Within minutes Jeffrey was back, handing each of them their jackets. The woman who had helped with serving dinner appeared with a small white box for each of them.
“Please, let Linda know we’re truly sorry that we upset her,” Ellie said to Jeffrey as they were leaving.
“If I see Mrs. Jordan before I leave, I will pass that along,” Jeffrey said.
David could tell that the man didn’t expect to see Linda again that evening.
Outside on the patio, everyone started to say their goodbyes. Joe Klein looked up at the house, and David thought he was looking at the windows on the top floor.
“You know, when I was growing up, all the kids said this place was haunted,” he said. Immediately he had everyone’s attention again.
“Haunted?” Melanie asked sharply. She shook off Herbert’s hand on her arm. “Haunted by whom?”
“Some say Lillian. Some say the young widow who disappeared around the same time. Over the years, it’s been hard to keep folks living here, it seemed, at least until Linda moved in.” Joe finally looked at the group. David thought he looked angry.
“Linda and Lloyd,” Melanie corrected.
“Of course. I never had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Jordan myself,” Joe said. Finally his wife tugged on his sleeve.
“I think it’s time to go, Joe,” she said. David thought it may have been the first time she had spoken all night.
Joe nodded, and then the group slowly dispersed.
David fell in beside Ellie as she walked to her car. “That was certainly an odd evening,” he said, pushing his hands into his jacket pockets to keep them warm. “Not my idea of an ideal first date either.”
Ellie smiled at him but look
ed distracted. She kept looking back up at the house. “I’ve never seen Linda like that,” she said. She pulled her keys from her jacket and unlocked the car door. “It just seems so out of character for her.”
“I think she started identifying a bit too much with the story,” David answered. “I’ve seen that kind of thing happen before; emotions just get the better of you.”
“Sorry about Randall, by the way,” Ellie said, suddenly changing the subject. “He was bordering on rude there for a moment. That was out of character for him too. Usually he is the ultimate gentleman, although a bit…”
“Yucky?” David finished for her.
She laughed. “Exactly.”
“It’s good to see you laugh, Ellie. I’d like to see that again, if that would be all right with you.” David reached out and took her hand. “I’d really like to see you again and have a proper date.”
“Really?” Ellie said quietly.
“If you aren’t completely opposed to the idea,” David said, looking deeply into her eyes.
“I’d love to,” she said.
David grinned and felt a tightening in his chest. “That’s great! I’ll have to give you a call, though; my schedule can be a bit hectic.”
“Of course.” Ellie pulled a slip of paper out of her purse and wrote down her phone number. “I’m pretty much free when I’m not at the coffee shop.”
David took the slip of paper and leaned over, kissing her forehead. He slowly put his arms around her and pulled her close. He felt her relax into his embrace.
“I had a good time tonight, despite the drama, because it gave me a chance to spend more time with you. And that’s all I’ve wanted to do for a while now,” he whispered into her ear. “I promise I’ll call you soon.”
He reluctantly let her go, and then he opened up her car door for her. He thought she was going to say something else, but then she decided against it. She climbed into the car, pulling the door shut behind her. She waved at him and then started the car.
David watched the car disappear into the darkness. As he pulled his keys out of his pocket, he felt the hair rise on the back of his neck. Someone was watching him. He turned and looked back up at the house. He thought he saw movement in one of the third-story windows, but he couldn’t tell for sure in the gloom.