Finding Elizabeth (14 page)

As they searched the wall Claire spotted one
of the wooden panels that didn't look exactly right. She tried
pushing it and it didn't budge. Daniel came over to help, and
together they would push it and then pull at it and nothing
happened. Just when they thought it wasn't there, Daniel gently
pulled in on a piece of wood trim that held the panels in place.
They stood there stunned, as the door creaked open.

Amazed Daniel said, "I can't believe there
really is a secret door.

I was expecting to find an attic crawl
space, but it is actually a hidden room."

Gazing inside Claire was overcome with
emotion, "This is where Elizabeth was held in captivity for God
knows how long. This is where she was raped by her father and where
she learned of Thomas' death, and then shortly thereafter gave
birth to her daughter Emma Olivia."

"Wait, what did you say? Her father raped
her?"

"Yes she revealed in her journal that he had
been forcing himself on her after he locked her away in this room.
It also said that Thomas had come for her and her father shot and
killed him."

Walking up beside her, Daniel put his arms
around her, "I knew you said she was confined. But I didn't think
you meant that she was really being held prisoner. Claire I am so
sorry I didn't take it more serious. I know how important finding
Elizabeth is to you."

"You don't have to go in there today if it's
too hard, we can wait and come back another time."

"No, I need to know. I have been hearing the
crying baby almost every night since I came here and I need to know
what happened. Daniel, I know it isn't a fox I'm hearing. Jen heard
it when she was here, but you have been staying for weeks and have
never heard it. I think it's Emma crying, and I think Elizabeth
needs me to know what happened to them. I think she wants her story
told. She was treated poorly and I need to find a way to right the
wrong so maybe she can find peace."

Stepping inside Claire felt the familiar
sensation of deja vu as every hair on her body raised. Continuing
on she walked over to the bed and turned around to see exactly what
Elizabeth had seen more than a hundred years earlier. She could see
the colors of the rainbow on the wall from the stained glass
windows all around her. Looking over the room she found a small
chair and behind a screen she found a chamber pot and metal
bathtub. These were the very items Elizabeth would have used
throughout her confinement.

Claire tried to imagine what it would have
been like to be imprisoned in this room. She could only imagine how
hot it would have been in the summer and how cold in the winter.
She imagined how long a day would seem if you only saw the same
things, with no one to talk to or nothing to occupy your
thought's.

"I don't know how she didn't go crazy,"
Claire said sadly.

Moving toward the edge of the room Claire
began looking at the wooden panels on the wall.

"What are you looking for?" Daniel
asked.

"Elizabeth had a secret hiding place. She
said it was a small space, but she could lift the panel from the
wall. She hid some of Olivia's things in there," Claire said as she
tugged on the panels.

Daniel and Claire continued to search, and
finally Daniel found it, "I think I found something."

Within seconds Claire was by his side, as he
lifted the panel up Claire looked into the space and gasped, "No,
it can't be. It should be empty," She gently pulled the items out
of the hiding space, as tears streamed down her face.

"What is it. I thought you would be happy to
have found Olivia's things. Why are you crying?" Daniel asked
softly.

"If Olivia's things are still here it means
that Elizabeth never left this room alive. Her chambermaid Annie
was stealing Olivia's things and bringing them to her so she could
hide them away. She was to sell the items so she would have money
to get far away from her father, and start a new life for her and
Emma."

"If She was never freed, I wonder what
became of her daughter Emma?" Claire cried.

As she remembered the two graves that only
had dates, the realization hit her, "I think I'm going to be sick,"
Claire said as she sat down and rested her head on her knees.
Taking deep breaths, "I think maybe the two graves just outside the
cemetery are Elizabeth's and Emma's. The dates on the graves are
the same as Elizabeth's birth year and the one for the baby would
have been about the time Emma would have been born."

"We don't know that yet," Daniel soothed as
he rubbed her back.

She sit for a while quietly thinking as
Daniel continued to rub her back. When the nausea had passed she
began looking through the things they had found. It was odd to
Claire to think that the last person who touched these things was
Elizabeth almost 130 years ago.

As Claire looked into the small wooden box
she found what must have been Olivia's wedding ring. It was a
dainty gold band etched with delicate flowers, and in the center of
each of the five little flowers sat a tiny little ruby. Gently
setting the ring aside, Claire picked up what she knew was the
charm bracelet that Phillip had given Olivia, after he gave her the
beating that killed her. She looked at each of the little charms
that surrounded the bracelet before setting it to the side.

Taking a deep breath Claire continued
looking through the contents of the box. She found a man's pocket
watch, a couple of simple gold bands, a few delicate pendants and
several pieces of silver flatware.

Claire picked up the last piece, which had
been lovingly wrapped in paper. As she gently unwrapped the
crumbling paper she found a delicate cameo, and a jewel encrusted
hair comb. Claire wondered to herself if these were the same things
she had seen in the portrait of Olivia, that now hung in the
library.

Turning her attention back to the box,
Claire spotted a folded piece of paper. She knew before she touched
it that it was William's letter. Claire thought for a moment before
picking it up. What if it crumbled in her hand? Deciding she needed
to look at it she gently picked it up and unfolded it. She could
see the faint writing of a young child. Sitting back comfortably,
Claire read the letter aloud.

July 13, 1886

Dear Elizabeth,

How I miss you. Father said that you stole
away, and he does not know where you are but thinks you must have
gone back to Boston. I wish that I could have gone too. How I miss
my friends and my school. If you come back and get me, I promise I
will be good, just please take me with you.

Annie helped me write this letter and then
she said she would send it in care of Miss Elizabeth Van White to
the Boston general post. She said should you be there my letter
would surely find you.

But I know you loved me dearly and would
never have left me here alone. I wonder if you have gone to be with
mother.

I think of you and mother each day as I sit
in our garden spot. I wish you were here to see the beautiful
flowers we planted. Sometimes I pretend that it is a magical garden
and that you and mother are actually here with me as I play.

I have not entered my secret room, but if
you come back I promise I would share it with you and it could be
our secret room. We would have so much fun, like all the days
before when we danced and played in there.

I have found a creek nearby and I found the
strangest shaped stone. Father said that is was an arrowhead from
one of the Indian tribes that must have passed through this area.
My teacher, Miss Cotton has read stories of the Indians to us. It
is very frightening to think of the things they have done.

I pray each night that wherever you are you
will know that I am waiting for you to return and take me away.

Love,
William

Wiping at her tears Claire could only
imagine how much these words would have hurt Elizabeth. But they
would also have given her comfort of at least finally hearing from
her baby brother. Claire knew this letter would have been one of
Elizabeth's most cherished possessions and that she would have read
it hundreds of times if not thousands.

Putting the hidden treasures back in the
box, Claire stood. As she looked up at Daniel she thought she saw
tears in his eyes, but he quickly turned his attention to the
wall.

As Daniel tapped on the wall Claire asked,
"What are you doing?"

"I wanted to see if there were any more
hidden doors," Daniel said.

"That's impossible. Elizabeth kept searching
for a way to leave. If there was a door she would have found it and
the items hidden in the wall would be gone," Claire said.

With a thoughtful smile Daniel said, "I'm
not so sure. Do you hear the difference? When I tap on this panel
it sounds solid, but when I tap on this one it sounds hollow."

Claire began tapping on the panels. As she
tapped Daniel pulled at the wood holding the panels in place.
Almost instantly the door creaked open as a new cloud of dust
entered the room.

Claire gasped, "I can't believe this. There
was another exit all along. Surely if Elizabeth had known, she
would have been able to escape."

Daniel turned on the flashlight on his cell
phone, as he started to make his way into the dark, musty stairway.
Claire followed close behind, but Daniel cautioned her to stay, "I
don't think it's a good idea for both of us to be in here. I'm not
sure where it leads to or what could be in here. Besides, what
would we do if the panel was to close from the movement on the
stairs, and we couldn't get it open again. We could be trapped."
With Claire's nodded approval, Daniel carefully turned and walked
down the dark staircase alone.

Claire couldn't help but be struck with
sadness at the thought of Elizabeth having been locked away. And
the entire time there was a secret stairway that led to her
freedom.

While Claire waited for Daniel, she re-read
Williams letter, gently tracing the delicate paper with her
fingers.

Feeling new hope about the hidden door,
Claire couldn't help but think that maybe Elizabeth had found the
door, and her freedom. Maybe she left her mothers things there for
safekeeping in hopes she would return one day to get them.

Hearing Daniels heavy footsteps coming up
the stairs, she quickly stood, "What was down there?"

"Nothing, just a stairway. There's a door at
the bottom, but it's blocked. The best I can tell it would have led
to somewhere near the kitchen, or maybe the butler's pantry,"
Daniel said as he brushed the dust off of his shirt.

Claire gathered Olivia's treasures as her
and Daniel headed downstairs to see if they could find the door to
the stairs.

As they reached the kitchen they began
opening every door they could find. The only stairs were the ones
they knew led to the upper floors and to the basement.

Moving the search into the butler's pantry
Daniel said, "This room was updated, probably in the 1940's or
1950's. It's possible that the stairway was covered since it only
led to the attic. Do you see how the cabinets on the other two
walls match each other? They are most likely original to the home.
This set of cabinets is newer. I believe these were added when they
remodeled."

"What do you think we should do?" Claire
asked.

Daniel smiled already knowing what her
response would be, "It's up to you, but the only thing I can do is
remove the cabinets."

"Then I say remove them. We plan to remodel
anyway and I want to find the door," Claire said firmly.

As Claire removed the various pieces of
cookware from the cabinets, Daniel went to get a crowbar and
hammer.

When Daniel returned he began pulling at the
cabinets with the crowbar. Within minutes the cabinets were in a
pile behind them and in front of them was the door. Daniel grabbed
a screwdriver from his back pocket and gently put it into the hole
where a door knob had once been. Using the door frame as leverage,
he pulled until the door slowly creaked open. Claire gasped. She
could not believe that they had found it.

As a sense of grief and sadness washed over
Claire she said, "I think I'm done for the day. I will get this
mess out of here tomorrow, but tonight I just want to soak in a hot
bath and go to bed."

***

As Claire slept she continued to be awoken
by the sound of the crying. As she lie in her bed she was aware
that this was no longer the baby crying, this was a woman sobbing.
Claire didn't even have to think about what it was. She knew in her
heart it was Elizabeth. She knew Elizabeth was spurring her on,
wanting her to find the truth. It's not that it scared her, it was
just unnerving.

Finally giving in to Elizabeth's sobs,
Claire set up in bed and began to read.

November 1, 1886

Dear Diary,

The last few weeks have passed so quickly. I
spend most every day and night staring into the angelic face of the
most beautiful baby I have ever seen. She has brought me so much
comfort and joy. I would think that I could never bore of looking
at her. I can not believe how much the tiny bundle has grown in
such a short time.