A Log Cabin Christmas (12 page)

A
s David ascended the steps of the two-story wooden-framed house at the address Gus had given him, his heart started to pound. What if the woman who lived here wasn’t Elizabeth’s aunt? What if she was but wasn’t willing to speak with him? If this was the right Lovina Hess, then he couldn’t return home without some answers. He simply had to know if what had been written in the journal was true.

Seeing no bellpull, he rapped on the door a few times and waited. Several minutes later the door opened, and a middle-aged woman with mousy brown hair worn in a tight bun greeted him.

“May I help you, sir?”

“Yes. Well, I hope so. I’m told that Lovina Hess lives here.”

The woman gave a nod. “That’s correct. I’m her housekeeper, Mrs. Cook.”

David shuffled his feet a few times. “Uh … if it’s all right, I’d like to speak with Lovina.”

“Please state your name and the nature of your business.”

“I’m sorry. I should have told you that right away.” David cleared his throat and loosened his shirt collar, which suddenly felt too tight around his neck. “I’m David Stinner. I make and repair carriages in Allentown.”

Mrs. Cook’s brown eyes narrowed as she shook her head. “Miss Lovina has no interest in having a carriage made. She’s ill and hasn’t been able to leave the house in some time.”

“I’m not here to sell her a carriage. I’ve come to speak with Lovina about Elizabeth Canning, whom I believe is her niece.”

Mrs. Cook tipped her head and studied David intently. “Miss Lovina has never mentioned a niece, and as I said before, she’s ill and isn’t up to receiving company right now.”

“Please, this is very important, and I promise I won’t take up much of her time,” he pleaded, in a desperate attempt to make the woman understand.

Mrs. Cook hesitated then finally said, “Very well. I’ll see if she’s willing to talk to you.” She closed the door, leaving David standing on the porch in the cold.

“‘Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding,’ “David recited. If ever he needed to trust God, it was now.

Dear Lord, he silently prayed as he paced from one end of the porch to the other, I hope I haven’t come all this way for nothing. I pray that Lovina will speak to me. Help me remember to trust You in all things
.

The front door opened, and David whirled around.

“Lovina will see you, but please don’t stay too long. She tires easily these days.”

Mrs. Cook held the door open and motioned for David to enter the house. Then she led him up a winding staircase and down a long, dark corridor illuminated by only the small oil lamp she carried. With each step he took, David heard his footsteps echoing on the polished hardwood floor.

As he entered a dimly lit bedroom, a sense of hope welled in his chest. For the first time since this nightmare had begun, he felt closer to finding an answer to the question he sought.

David halted inside the door. A feeling of pity tugged at his heart as he stared at the frail-looking woman lying in the canopied bed across the room. He stood like that for several minutes and then moved slowly toward the foot of the bed. A young woman dressed in a nurse’s cap, a long, white skirt, and a striped blouse stood off to one side.

“Is your name Rosie?” he asked.

The nurse nodded. “How’d you know?”

“My employee, Gus Smith, said he was your cousin.”

She smiled. “That’s right. I wrote to him not long ago.”

“May I speak with Lovina alone?” David asked.

Rosie shook her head. “You may say whatever you want, but I shall remain here in the room.”

David relented and moved to the right side of the bed, realizing that no matter who else was present, the important thing was having his questions answered.

Lovina, so pale and thin, with straw-colored hair and lifeless brown eyes, looked up at him with a curious expression. “My housekeeper said you know my niece, Elizabeth.”

David nodded as excitement coursed through his veins. So this was the right Lovina. “Elizabeth and I were engaged—until she read something in your journal.”

Lovina lifted a shaky hand and motioned for him to come near. “I can’t hear well and don’t know what you said.”

David leaned closer; so close he could feel Lovina’s warm breath on his face, and repeated what he’d said.

“Journal? What journal?” she rasped.

“Elizabeth found it in an old desk in the cabin where she was born.”

Lovina closed her eyes, and for a minute David thought she might have fallen asleep. Slowly she opened them again. “I—I did have a journal once. It was a birthday present from my parents.”

“Did you write something in the journal about Elizabeth’s mother and my father?”

Lovina blinked. “I don’t think I know your father. What’s his name?”

“Raymond Stinner.”

Lovina’s whole body trembled as she gasped and tried to sit up.

Rosie stepped forward and took her hand. “Relax, Miss Lovina. Rest easy against your pillow.” She turned to David with a scowl and said, “If she doesn’t calm down, I’ll have to ask you to leave.”

“I’m not trying to upset her,” he said. “I just need to know the truth about what she wrote in the journal.”

Rosie glanced at the clock on the dresser across the room. “I’ll give you five minutes, but that’s all.”

David leaned a bit closer to Lovina. “I’m Raymond Stinner’s son, David. In your journal you wrote that my father and Elizabeth’s mother … Well, you said that Cassandra was pregnant with Raymond’s child when she married Charles Canning. Is it true?”

Lovina’s pale cheeks flushed slightly, and she averted his gaze.

“Is my father Elizabeth’s real father?” he persisted.

Tears welled in Lovina’s eyes as she stared at the canopy above her head, seeming to let her memories take her back in time.

David bit his lip while waiting to hear the answer he sought.

After several minutes had passed, Lovina whispered something.

“What was that?”

“I made it all up. I never should have written that in my journal.”

A sense of relief swept over David, quickly replaced with a wave of anger. “But, why? What made you write such a horrible thing if it wasn’t true?” he shouted, straightening to his full height.

Lovina whimpered and trembled again.

“Lower your voice,” Rosie said, looking sternly at David. “Can’t you see how upset she’s become?”

“I–I’m sorry.” He drew in a deep breath and leaned close to Lovina again. “Please, tell me why you wrote what you did.”

Lovina’s tears spilled over and trickled onto her cheeks. “I wrote it out of spite and frustration.” She sniffed deeply. “I was jealous that my sister hadmarried the only man I’d ever loved.”

Stunned by this confession, David drew in a sharp breath. “You … you were in love with Charles Canning?”

“Yes, but he only had eyes for Cassandra. My heart was broken when he married her. I—I was angry because they loved each other and I was left out in the cold … forever to be an old maid.”

“I’m sorry about that, but what does it have to do with Raymond—my father? Why would you have said that he was the father of Cassandra’s baby if he wasn’t?”

“Raymond had been courting Cassandra, and just when I thought Charles might ask to court me, he turned to her instead.”

“So you wrote that Cassandra was pregnant with my father’s child, hoping Charles would read it and refuse to marry her?”

“I didn’t think anyone would read my journal. I only put my frustrated thoughts on paper in an effort to alleviate my pain. By pretending in my mind that Cassandra only married Charles because she was desperate and needed a husband, I was able to deal with the disappointment I felt because he didn’t choose me.” Lovina shook her head slowly, as more tears fell. “I—I truly never intended to hurt anyone.”

David stood several seconds, staring down at the pathetic, ailing woman. She’d had her heart broken once, and he didn’t think he should break it again by telling her what horrible pain the lie in her journal had caused. If he could find out where Elizabeth had gone and tell her the truth about the journal, he was sure she would agree to marry him, and everything would be all right. When he returned to Allentown, his first stop would be to see Helen. Maybe by now she would have heard from Elizabeth. If so he hoped to persuade her to tell him where Elizabeth had gone.

Elizabeth sat at the table in Grandma’s kitchen with a cup of tea and the letter she’d just received from Helen.

Tears pricked the back of Elizabeth’s eyes, and her hands shook as she quickly jammed the letter into her skirt pocket. She couldn’t believe Helen had betrayed her confidence and told David about Aunt Lovina’s journal. It was just a matter of time before Helen would tell David where she was, and then he would come here. She couldn’t face him—couldn’t discuss the horrible truth about who her real father was.

She pushed back her chair and hurried into the parlor, where Grandma and Grandpa sat on the sofa, reading.

“I appreciate you putting me up these last few weeks, but I can’t stay here any longer,” she said.

Grandma looked up. “Are you going home for Christmas?” Elizabeth shook her head. “I need to go someplace where I can be alone. I need time to think and work things through.”

“Have we been too intrusive?” Grandma questioned, her dark eyes full of obvious concern. “Because if we have, we can certainly keep quiet about things.”

Elizabeth shook her head. “It’s not that. I just need to be by myself for a while.”

“Where will you go?” Grandma asked.

“I—I don’t know. Maybe I can stay in one of the boarding homes here in Coopersburg.”

“But that would cost money,” Grandma said, “and why pay for a room when you can stay right here?”

“Say, I have an idea,” Grandpa spoke up. “Why don’t you stay in your cousin Marvin’s cabin? He and his wife, Isabelle, are in New Jersey right now, visiting her parents. They won’t be back until Christmas, so you’d have two weeks to be alone. Then your grandma and I will join the three of you at the cabin for Christmas dinner.”

Elizabeth thought about Grandpa’s suggestion and finally nodded. “There’s just one thing,” she said. “I need you both to promise that you won’t tell anyone where I’ve gone.”

Grandma’s eyebrows lifted. “Not even your father?”

Elizabeth shook her head.

“I’m sure he and Abigail will want to spend Christmas with you. Do you think it’s right not to tell them where you are?” Grandpa asked.

“I wrote them a letter saying I would be spending Christmas with you. Please promise that if David comes here looking for me, you won’t tell him where I’ve gone.”

Grandpa looked at Grandma, and when she nodded, he looked at Elizabeth and said, “We won’t say a word.”

“Thank you.” Elizabeth turned toward the stairs. “I’d better go upstairs and pack. I need to leave for the cabin right away.”

A
s David approached the Warners’ house, he quickened his steps. He could hardly wait to tell Helen about his visit with Lovina.

As he stepped onto the porch, the door flew open, and a very surprised-looking Helen stepped out, holding a large red bow and several sprigs of holly. “Oh, you scared me, David! I didn’t know anyone was on the porch.”

“I just got here.”

“Well, if you’ll excuse me, I was about to put these decorations on the railing, and then I have some more decorating to do inside.” She brushed past him and started down the stairs.

“I need to speak with you,” he said, matching her stride.

“I—I really don’t have time to talk right now.”

“It won’t take long, and it’s very important.”

She halted and turned to face him, lifting her chin a notch. “If this is about Elizabeth, I’ve already told you more than I should have, and I won’t tell you anything else.”

“It is about Elizabeth, but I think you need to hear what I have to say.” He motioned to the house. “Can we go inside where it’s warmer so I can tell you my good news?”

“What’s that?”

“I discovered that Elizabeth’s aunt Lovina lives in Philadelphia, and I went to see her.”

Helen’s face blanched. “You went there to ask about the journal, didn’t you?”

He nodded. “Can we go inside so I can tell you what she said?”

“Oh, all right.” Helen turned, and David followed her up the stairs and into the house, where he was greeted by the pleasant aroma of freshly baked apple pies.

“Let’s go in there.” Helen motioned to the kitchen. “Mother’s in the parlor, visiting with some of her friends from church, and I don’t want to disturb them.”

David entered the kitchen behind Helen, and after she’d placed her holiday decorations on the counter, they both took seats at the table.

“Tell me what Lovina had to say about the journal,” Helen said, slipping her woolen shawl off her shoulders and placing it in her lap.

“She said that what she’d written about my father being Elizabeth’s father was a lie,” David said. Then he went on to explain the rest of what Lovina had told him.

“Oh my!” Helen drew in a sharp breath and covered her mouth with the palm of her hand. “Elizabeth needs to know about this.”

“Yes, she certainly does. She also needs to see the note Lovina signed, admitting that she’d lied, and assuring Elizabeth that Charles Canning is indeed her real father.”

Helen’s face broke into a wide smile. “That’s wonderful, David! Elizabeth will be so relieved to hear this news. I should write to her immediately.”

“So you know where she is?” he asked.

Helen’s cheeks turned pink as she gave a slow nod. “I got a letter from her a while back.”

“And you didn’t tell me?” David’s voice was edged with the irritation he felt.

“Elizabeth asked me not to tell anyone, and since I’d already broken my promise and told you about the journal, I felt I had to respect her wishes and not tell you where she’s been staying.”

He leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. “Things are different now that we know the truth. I feel it’s important that I be the one to tell Elizabeth what her aunt had to say.”

“I suppose you’re right,” Helen said with a nod. “She’s been staying at her grandparents’ house in Coopersburg.”

David snapped his fingers. “Of course! Don’t know why I didn’t think to look for her there.”

“Do you have the address?” Helen asked.

“Yes. I went there with Elizabeth several months ago to tell her grandparents that we were engaged.”

“When will you leave?”

“As soon as I can secure a train ticket and line out some jobs for Gus to do while I’m gone.” David pushed back his chair and stood. “I’m headed over to the shop right now.”

Helen smiled. “May God be with you and grant you a safe trip.”

Elizabeth had been staying in her cousin’s cabin for two days, and despite her desire to be alone, she was lonely and more depressed than ever. Besides missing the sights and sounds of Christmas, being in her cousin’s cabin made her think about David and the little cabin they would have shared if they’d been able to get married. Maybe she’d made a mistake leaving Grandpa and Grandma’s. She missed Grandpa’s cheerful smile and Grandma’s tasty cooking. She missed thetimes she’d spent with them around the fire each evening. At least in her grandparents’ house she’d been surrounded by their happiness, making the days a bit more pleasant.

As hard as Elizabeth tried to fight it, the loneliness became heavier, surrounding her like a burdensome piece of clothing. She shivered and tossed another log onto the fire.
If Grandpa were here, he’d be tending the fire, and Grandma would probably be baking
.

With a sigh she took a seat in the rocking chair and pulled a lightweight quilt across her lap. It was cold outside. She could hear the wind whipping through the trees.

Snow could be coming soon
, Elizabeth thought.
I wonder if I should go outside and bring in a few more logs for the fire
. Looking up, she noticed a ladybug creeping along the wall as though desperately searching for a warm gap to crawl into until spring. She remembered reading that in some countries they believed a ladybug was a sign of good luck, and although she didn’t believe in folklore, this one time she wished it were true.

As she stared into the fire, she thought about Aunt Lovina’s journal and how on the day her grandparents had gone Christmas shopping she’d tossed it into the fire. As she’d watched the flames consume the journal, it had done nothing to alleviate her pain.

Elizabeth leaned her head back and closed her eyes, feeling drowsy from the heat of the fire.
I’ll just sit here and rest awhile before I go out for more logs
.

Sometime later, Elizabeth was roused from her sleep by the whinny of a horse. She leaped to her feet and raced to the window, surprised to see her cousin, Marvin, helping his wife, Isabelle, down from their carriage. As they walked toward the cabin, Elizabeth opened the door.

“Elizabeth, what are you doing here?” Marvin said, a quizzical expression on his face.

Elizabeth quickly explained, adding that their grandparents had said she would be alone until Marvin and Isabelle returned for Christmas.

“My mother is doing better, and so we decided to come back earlier than planned,” Isabelle explained. She smiled up at her handsome, dark-haired husband. “We’re looking forward to spending our first Christmas together in this cozy little cabin.”

“But if you don’t mind sleeping in the loft, you’re welcome to stay with us for as long as you want,” Marvin quickly added.

Elizabeth glanced out the window. It had begun to snow, and even though she felt like an intruder, she knew she couldn’t go anywhere tonight. Besides,where would she go? There was some measure of warmth and solace to be found living under the same roof with family.

“Very well,” she said. “I’ll stay through Christmas, but then I’ll need to find someplace else to go.”