Choosing One Moment

by Marja McGraw

  Nothing.

  Having a sudden epiphany, I returned to the dresser and pulled out the box of candy. There was an art to this candy box. It was made of wood and the lid had the impression of an old-fashioned woman on the top.

  It might make a good hiding place.

  Chapter Twenty-nine

  I gently lifted the lid off and set it aside. Glancing at the top I wondered if the image was that of a Gibson Girl, which was supposed to represent the ideal physical attractiveness of women. I’d always been a fan of Charles Gibson, who’d created and illustrated the Gibson Girl. I’d even studied him when I took an art class in school, although I gave up before long because I didn’t have any talent. I painted a nature scene with a deer, but the deer closely resembled a mongrel dog.

  Turning to the contents of the box I saw a few pieces of candy and three wads of cotton. My suspicious nature leaped to the forefront and I picked up one of the cotton wads, gently squeezing it. Yes, indeed, it cushioned something. Removing the cotton, I found a pair of opal earrings. They were lovely and I wanted nothing more than to wear them, but I had an instinctive feeling that might be the wrong thing to do.

  Mama quietly entered the room and sat down on the bed. “Well, I’ll be. I’ve been looking for these earrings everywhere. Carrie? Why do you have them?”

  I didn’t know how to answer her. “I borrowed them?”

  “Please ask permission in the future.” She studied the other two wads. “What else do you have there?”

  Rather than reply, I pulled the second wad apart. It was empty, not wrapped around and protecting anything else.

  The third ball of cotton gave me hope. I gently squeezed it as I had the first one. Yes, there was something inside. Pulling the cotton apart, I found the missing brooch.

  “Carrie! What have you been up to?” Mama didn’t sound at all happy with me, or old Carrie.

  “I’ve been borrowing things, Mama. It seemed like…” I didn’t know what to say. There didn’t seem to be a good excuse for taking the jewelry. “I’m sorry. I really am.”

  Mama kept her eyes on my face for what seemed like a very long time. “Carrie, a week ago we would have had some ugly words to share about this. But I’ve seen such a change in you. You’re really trying to get along with all of us.” She sighed and closed her eyes for a moment. “Give Beth’s brooch back to her and, just this once, we’ll forget about what you’ve done. Do you have her locket, too?”

  “No, Mama.” I was pretty sure Carrie had given it to Ruth, so I wasn’t lying.

  “Let’s go downstairs now and see how Beth’s cake is doing.”

  I slowly descended the stairs, feeling small and dishonest, even though I wasn’t the woman who’d taken these things. I couldn’t help wondering if old Carrie had felt any guilt about what she’d done. I had my doubts.

  Mama headed for the front door. “You take Beth’s brooch to her while I see if the men are on their way back yet.”

  “Yes, Ma’am.”

  “And tell her you’re sorry.”

  “I will, Mama.”

  I found my aunt taking the cornbread out of the oven.

  “Your brooch was hidden in Carrie’s room,” I said, without preamble. “I’m so sorry, Elsbeth. I feel like a thief and I’m not even the one who took it. She had Mama’s earrings hidden, too.”

  “Where did she hide them?” She took the brooch from me.

  “In a fancy candy box that was in her dresser.”

  My aunt lowered her head before looking up and into my eyes. “Daniel gave Carrie a box of candy. He was trying to soften her up. I told him it was a mistake. He gave her the box about a month before you arrived, which would be around the time the brooch and locket disappeared. I guess my sister must be a kleptomaniac. I wonder what else you’ll find in her room.”

  “I’m pretty sure the locket that Ruth was wearing is yours. It fits your description. I understand that Carrie has asked Ruth to do a lot of favors for her. Maybe she figured it was payment and Ruth wouldn’t complain.”

  “Have you searched the whole room?”

  “No. I’ll take a closer look tonight.” I wasn’t sure if I even wanted to find anything else.

  The cornbread sat on top of the stove, staying warm, and the cake was still baking, so my aunt and I went outside to see if the men were back.

  They were.

  “What happened at Jesse’s house?” Mama asked. “You look right proud of yourself, Clayton.”

  Papa grinned. “We had a talk. Uh, I did all the talkin’, he did all the listenin’, and it was a stern talk about the way he acts around the women in this town. Oh, and I reminded him that Nathaniel is a lawman and – “

  “Was a lawman,” Mama corrected.

  “I said is, not was. Daniel and Nathaniel stood behind me, quiet as church mice, with their arms folded across their chests. They’re both so much bigger than Jesse that he looked like he wanted to run away. I guess you’d say they were intimidating. Yes, I like that word. They intimidated him just by standing there so quietly. Even that mangy mongrel of his kept away from us.”

  “How did he take your stern talk?” Mama asked.

  “I’m telling you the story, Jane, so just hold your horses. I’m gettin’ to the good part. Anyway, ol’ Jesse just kept on noddin’, and I think we scared the wits out of him. He thinks he might just pick up and move to Vancouver.”

  The McGee men stood quietly and listened, giving Papa his moment in the sun.

  Papa looked just a tad full of himself. “Yes, the women of Little Creek won’t need to worry about ol’ Jesse anymore.”

  Daniel glanced from Elsbeth to me. “Your papa can be a tyrant when he wants to be. I think I’ll watch myself around him.” He grinned and patted Papa on the back.

  I tipped my head, motioning Nathaniel aside.

  “Did Papa ask any questions?” I wanted to know if they’d ruled Jesse out as a suspect.

  “No, but if he’s the one who’s been bothering you and Elsbeth, well, I don’t think he’ll do any more harm.” He bunched his lips together and sighed. “I don’t think it’s him, Carrie. He’s just a drunken ol’ sot and I don’t think he could have planned the things that have happened. At least nothing else has happened since we found that knife buried in the ground.”

  “Let’s hope that’s the end of it. Maybe someone thinks we’re asking too many questions and they’re afraid of getting caught.” I sincerely hoped I was right.

  Tess came running into the yard. “I’m going to set the table. How many will be eating with us?”

  Mama held up a finger. “Wait for me. I need to go ask Mother Possum if she still feels up to coming over.”

  She held her skirt up a bit and hurried across the street, returning shortly.

  “There’ll be eight of us,” she said, taking Tess’s hand and walking toward the house.

  Elsbeth and I followed them inside and left the men to jaw, as they liked to put it.

  My aunt made some chocolate frosting for the cake.

  Mama got out the dishes and silverware, setting them on the table.

  Tess began setting things out, but she didn’t seem to have her heart in the job. Some settings had a knife and a spoon on the right side and some had a fork and a spoon. They were tossed on the table, not straightened.

  Mama stopped her. “In the olden days, when I was a girl your age, my Mama showed me how to set a proper table. Now I’m going to teach you how to get ready for company.”

  I smiled to myself because here I was in the “old days”, and Mama was teaching Tess something from the really “old days”.

  I watched as Mama set one place setting, careful to line things up and straighten the silverware.

  Tess watched and followed her mother’s example with the next setting. “This seems like a lot of work for an ol’ dinner.”

  “Tess?” Mama had a note of threat in her voice.

  The little girl’s voice dragged when she spoke. “Yes, Ma
’am. I know I need to do this right. Someday I’ll be the lady of the house and I need to know how to do things proper.”

  I had a feeling she’d been given a talking to on more than one occasion.

  Daniel and Nathaniel walked over to Mother Possum’s house and brought her back for dinner. It wasn’t supper this time, but an honest-to-goodness dinner. What was the difference between supper and dinner? In this case it was attitude.

  “Why, you’ve set such a lovely table,” Mother Possum said. “Someone knows the right thing to do.”

  “I set it up,” Tess said, sounding like she was glad she’d followed her mother’s instructions.

  Mother Possum had made it worth the effort.

  Even though I was from the future, I felt like I fit right in with the people of 1909. They made me feel welcome, almost as though they knew… No, it was just the circumstances. No one, other than the McGee men, knew a thing about the real Carrie, meaning me.

  My aunt and I helped Mama set the food out before we sat down.

  Everyone was quiet while Mama said grace, after which Amens were said around the table.

  My aunt and I made a point of asking Mother Possum about her past life, and she was perfectly happy to tell us what things were like in her day. Besides working beside her husband to run a small farm, she’d been a midwife. Joseph had also worked as a blacksmith.

  Their son had helped with both the farm and the smithy business. That is, until he went to war. He never came home and Joseph seemed to be a “darker man” after that. She explained how he was, and although she didn’t use the word depressed, that’s what it boiled down to. She said it was several years before her husband began to perk up again.

  She then made a comment that seemed to hang in the air.

  Chapter Thirty

  Mother Possum looked at me. “You put me in mind of Joseph at times. There’s been a darkness in you like it was with him. Now you’re different, girl. I see more happiness in you lately.”

  Dead silence ringed the table while I swallowed my beans.

  My aunt looked down at her hands.

  Mama and Papa turned to face each other.

  Tess coughed and looked at the ceiling.

  Daniel and Nathaniel stared straight ahead, which meant they watched the opposing wall intently.

  “Did I say the wrong thing? Well, you know, at my age anything is liable to come outta my mouth. My age gives me privileges that haven’t caught up to y’all yet. Carrie’s growing up finally, that’s all.”

  Everyone started talking at once.

  I held up my hand asking for silence.

  “Mother Possum knows what she’s talking about. I’m finally growing up and realizing what’s important and what isn’t. I’ve made a lot of mistakes and I’m owning up to them now.”

  I glanced at my mother to see a worried look on her face. I don’t know if she thought I was going to confess to something horrific or what, but I couldn’t do that since I had no idea what might be in old Carrie’s past.

  “I borrowed jewelry from Mama and Elsbeth without telling them. I know I’ve been mean to everyone, but that’s a thing of the past. I’m trying to mend my ways.”

  Nathaniel smiled. “And a fine job you’re doing.”

  “Next time you want to borrow jewelry, ask first,” Papa said. “It’s very simple.”

  “I will.” I scooped up another spoon of beans and studied my plate.

  “These aren’t things we should be talking about at the dinner table.” Mama took a bite of cornbread.

  Papa patted her hand. “Now, Jane, sometimes we need to give things the air they need to breath, dinnertime or not. I’ve noticed changes in me, too.”

  “I know. You’re the dearest man in the whole town.”

  I’d swear Papa blushed.

  We finished eating and Elsbeth asked who wanted cake.

  Papa patted his stomach. “Make mine a man-sized piece. I worked up an appetite today between workin’ the orchards and jawin’ with Jesse. I have to admit, that made me a might uncomfortable, but at the same time I feel like I solved a problem.”

  Mother Possum raised her eyebrows. “What problem was that, Clayton?”

  While we cleared the table, Papa told her about the showdown with Jesse.

  The old woman smiled and her wrinkles took on new proportions. “I’m right proud of you boys. Jesse is nothing but a milksop anyway. Joseph woulda probably done the same thing. He always seemed to know how to handle things. I remember one time when the town drunk…” She continued to talk as I left the room with an armful of plates.

  Mama was in the kitchen cutting the cake into pieces. “Do you girls feel better now that Papa has taken care of Jesse?”

  My aunt held out one plate at a time for Mama to place pieces of cake on, setting each one on the table as it was filled. “Only time will tell, Mama. We just don’t know if Jesse was the troublemaker or not.”

  “How ‘bout you, Carrie? Do you feel safer?” Our mother set another piece of cake on a plate.

  “I think so, but I agree with Elsbeth. Only time will tell. By the way, what’s a milksop?”

  Mama laughed. “A milksop is someone who’s really just a cowardly person who tries to keep his weaknesses hidden.”

  “You mean spineless?” I asked.

  “That’s a good way to put it, Carrie. Kind of like a cooked noodle that just falls when you try to stand it up.” Mama looked proud of herself for her analogy.

  My aunt’s cake was a success and Mama offered seconds. The McGees and I took her up on it, but everyone else said they were full.

  While we cleared the table again, Mother Possum said, “I hope you girls will come see me again. Maybe tomorrow?” She sounded lonesome, but she shouldn’t be since Daniel was going to stay with her for another night. Maybe she was enjoying the attention she was receiving thanks to our stalker, or whatever he was.

  “We’ll stop by,” I said.

  “Good. Then it’s time Daniel and Nathaniel helped me home. I’m full of good food and I just might sleep all night for a change. I have to say that having Daniel stay there gives me courage.”

  The last comment kind of surprised me.

  After she left and my aunt and I were alone while we washed and dried the dishes, and she surprised me, too. “I know just how Mother Possum feels. When you’re older and you live alone, there are moments when your worry. What if something happened to you and there was no one around to help?”

  I watched her for a moment. “Are you saying you felt that way sometimes?”

  “I did, and more often than I care to admit. Now that I’m with Daniel, I feel whole and full of hope, and he makes me feel safe.”

  For a brief moment, sadness took a front seat for me. Not only did I feel bad for realizing how my aunt had felt, but Nathaniel made me feel the way his brother made my aunt feel. I knew I’d miss him, and I wasn’t sure if anyone else could ever measure up to him.

  I shook my head, mentally. I’d only known him for a few days, but it felt like years. I needed to let go of the way I felt and get on with business and life.

  I was here to prevent a murder, not to become involved in a romance.

  I sighed.

  My aunt glanced at me with a question in her expression.

  I shook my head at her and headed out to the porch. I didn’t want to explain myself.

  Elsbeth walked to Mother Possum’s house to keep Daniel company for a while.

  Papa went into the house to join his wife in their parlor, where they’d read for a bit. I was happy to find out my ancestors enjoyed reading, especially since I’m a writer. I wondered if they’d enjoy mysteries. Probably. They were pretty engrossed in what was happening in their own family.

  Nathaniel and I sat on the porch and listened to the frogs. I never would have dreamed that the sound of a frog could be so relaxing.

  “What’s next?” my friend asked. Boyfriend? I couldn’t make up my mind.

  “Toni
ght?”

  “I mean with our investigation.”

  “You’re the lawman,” I said. “You tell me.”

  His voice sounded far away, as though in deep thought, when he answered me. “If nothing else happens, then I guess it’s about time for you to go home. Unfortunately for me. On the other hand, since you’re still here, I have to reckon there’s more to come.”

  “Well, that’s a cheerful thought.” I rolled my eyes at him, but it was dark and he probably didn’t notice.

  “Who’s left on our list of suspects?”

  “Actually, everyone. We’ve been making assumptions about the people we’ve talked to, but that doesn’t mean they’re innocent. Take that silly actor. He’s a milksop just like Jesse.” I’d found a new word and I liked it – milksop. “The thing is that we don’t know what’s in his heart and mind. We can only guess it’s not him. Inside he could be – “

  “Dastardly,” Nathaniel interrupted. “You’re right. We can’t cross anyone off the list yet. Eugene Hoover might be lily-livered, but let’s face it. He is an actor. It could all be an act.”

  “We’re no closer to the truth than we were in the beginning,” I lamented. “Plus we have a list of suspects, but who knows? Maybe we’re missing someone.”

  “I sure as shootin’ hope not.”

  We returned to listening to the frogs croak.

  Mama came to the door. “Are you coming in soon, Carrie?”

  “Yes, Ma’am. I’m pooped.”

  “Excuse me, young lady. You’re what?”

  “Uh, tired. Ready to get some sleep.

  She hmphed and went back inside.

  I yawned. “Let’s pick up where we left off in the morning.”

  “I’ll be over early.” It was catching and Nathaniel yawned, too.