Colder Than Ice (37 page)

“That’s
a lovely name,” Ella said. “Miss Charlotte has asked me to place you
in the east wing, so if you’ll follow me.” She turned and walked through
the doorway.

Michela
took her bag from the driver, thanked him, and hefted it onto her shoulder.
“I gather Ms. Finlayson’s not here. When is she due?”

Ella
lightly chuckled. “Just like people your age. Always the destination,
never the journey. Miss Charlotte’s here, but she’s at the family cemetery. She
asked if you could join her there.”

Michela
nodded. “You’re right. I’m sorry for being so direct. How about you show
me to my room and we’ll take it from there.”

Ella
gave her a brief tour, taking in what Michela surmised to be only the key rooms
of the magnificent home. As she looked at the treasures in the rooms shown to
her, she realized that Elizabeth’s descendants had followed in her footsteps.
The walls of more than one room were liberally dotted with collections from one
expedition or another, all with an obvious tale to tell. Ella finished the tour
in the kitchen and offered Michela a homemade glass of lemonade before pointing
her in the direction of the family cemetery.

Michela
crested a small hill and gasped at the view. On the forward slopes was a small
cemetery overlooking the wooded valley below. In the distance were mountain
ranges, their multicolored leaves reflecting in the twilight sun. Returning
her gaze to the small family plot, she spied a jean-clad Charlotte bent over a
headstone in the cemetery.

Michela
walked to a small gate that signaled the entrance to the plot. The gate creaked
as she pushed it open, and Charlotte rose to greet her, surprising her with a
hug.

“My
intrepid explorer returns,” Charlotte said. “By the looks of it, the
trip took a lot out of you. What have you been doing to look so awful?”

Michela
laughed at Charlotte’s bluntness. “I’ve been working too hard and not
getting enough food or sleep. But I finished the last of my presentations for
the Institute the other day, so maybe my life can get back to normal.”

“Maybe
it can.” Charlotte eagerly grasped Michela’s hand. “Let me show you
something.”

Charlotte
led Michela to a pair of gravestones. One was very old with corners touched by
the moss and lichen that had leeched into the old basalt. Michela knelt down
and read the inscription:

Here
lies Charlotte Louise Finlayson

Beloved
mother of Robert Finlayson

and
Beloved wife of Elizabeth Robyn Finlayson

Born
1866, Died 1949

Even
in Death I Will Not Be Parted

The
other headstone was of freshly cut basalt. Unlike the gilt on the older stone,
the gold inscription on the modern one was clear and bold:

Here
lies Elizabeth Robyn Finlayson

Beloved
mother of Robert Finlayson

and
Beloved wife of Charlotte Louise Finlayson

Born
1858, Died 1897, Laid to rest 2010

Together
at last - Even in Death I Will Not Be Parted

Overcome
with emotion, Michela dried her eyes with her handkerchief, then stood and
gazed at Charlotte. “You knew all along, didn’t you?”

“That
Eric was actually Elizabeth?” Michela nodded. “Of course I did.
That’s why I wanted you as the team leader. I knew I could rely on your
tolerance, given your own circumstances.”

Michela
blinked at Charlotte. “You know about me?”

“Of
course I know about your lifestyle choice; and don’t look so surprised. You
really didn’t think I’d have allowed you to lead the expedition if I didn’t
check your background first? In my wildest dreams, I never thought you’d find
my grandmother but I’m eternally grateful you did.”

Michela
shook her head. “I’m afraid I can’t take all the credit. It was the dig
team that made the discovery.” She gazed at the two stones. Thinking of
the many discussions about the two women she and Allison had shared during the
storm, she knew Allison would be grateful to see their final resting-place.
“I know this is a strange request. Would you mind if I took a picture of
the stones?”

Charlotte
smiled. “Not at all. But then we should head down to the house. It might
be spring, but the late afternoon chill settles quickly on these old bones of
mine. And, besides, I’m sure you’ve a number of questions you’re dying to
ask.”

Michela
took three photographs with her PDA. The setting was just perfect, with the
rays of the evening sun reflecting off the polished basalt, bringing the gold
inscriptions into relief. Despite Allison’s reticence to answer her e-mail,
Michela knew she’d be eager to see this. After checking the pictures, she placed
the PDA in her pocket, and followed Charlotte down to the house and into the
drawing room.

After
light refreshments, they sat in the comfortable chairs, waiting for the other
to start.

“Do
you mind if I ask you a question?” Michela asked.

Charlotte
chuckled. “I’m sure you’ve got more than one. Ask away. If I don’t wish to
answer, I won’t.”

“Why
didn’t you tell me the truth about Elizabeth’s gender?”

Charlotte
pointed at Michela. “Ah, so you think I lied to you, but I didn’t. If you
remember when we entered the office, you looked at the painting of my
grandparents that hung behind my desk. I told you I was named after my
grandmother, both of them in fact. My name is Charlotte Elizabeth Finlayson. It
was only after you referred to Elizabeth as Eric that I saw no need to correct
the mistake.”

Michela
tilted her head. “But why?”

Charlotte
grinned. “People often see what they want to see and little else. You
chose to see my grandmother as Eric and I saw no need to change that. Truth be
told, I didn’t hold out much hope that you would find her remains and now that
you have, the secret is well and truly out in the open.”

“Does
that bother you?”

Charlotte
shook her head. “No, not at all.”

“You’re
aware we found her diary down there and it’s in Australia at the Flinders
Museum.” Charlotte nodded. “I know this next question is a bit
forward and you may chose not to answer, but were they lovers, or was their
arrangement more of a Boston marriage?”

Charlotte
chuckled. “Yes, they were lovers in the true sense of the word. My
grandmother Charlotte lost her husband shortly after the birth of her child. By
her diary accounts, she met my grandmother Elizabeth at a presentation she
attended on an expedition Elizabeth had conducted to China. What you have to
understand is that when Elizabeth was in the public eye she always dressed as a
man and no one knew the difference. By Charlotte’s accounts, when the two set
eyes on each other it was love at first sight. Elizabeth shied away, aware of
the precariousness of her own situation and fearful of Charlotte’s reaction. In
her diary my grandmother Charlotte speaks of the culminating event in their
relationship. Elizabeth had a dinner party here and invited a number of guests,
of which Charlotte was one. Throughout the night Charlotte was open with her
feelings, but Elizabeth still shied away. It wasn’t until late in the evening
that Charlotte managed to find Elizabeth alone in the library. She locked the
door and took the explorer into her arms. She whispered two words into
Elizabeth’s ear. ‘I know.’ She’d known Elizabeth’s secret all along, it was
just Elizabeth wouldn’t stand still long enough for Charlotte to tell her. They
married and lived as man and wife or, more correctly, wife and wife.”

Michela
sat back.
If only Alli could hear that. It’s a story worthy of a movie.
“What
a lovely story. It’s a shame they couldn’t live as two women in a loving
relationship.”

Charlotte
nodded. “Yes, it’s unfortunate how things turn out. But I think the thing
that hurt Grandmother Charlotte the most occurred when she was told of her
lover’s death.” She took a sip of tea.

“About
eighteen months or so after the expedition had departed, which was a good four
months after it was due to return, Charlotte was visited by the American
National Exploration and Philanthropic Society. They’d sponsored a great deal
of the expedition. The reason they visited was to tell Charlotte of her
husband’s death. Although they couldn’t be sure, given how he was overdue, they
felt he’d most likely perished on Antarctica. They reassured her, explaining
how he’d be lauded as one of the great explorers of his time. It was then that
Charlotte let the cat out of the bag so to speak, explaining he was actually a
she. As she records in her diary the group was shocked and disgusted, and left
shortly thereafter.”

Michela
sadly shook her head. “That’s disgraceful.”

“Yes
it is, but there’s more. Doesn’t it strike you as strange that you’ve never
heard much about the failed expedition?”

“Come
to think of it, yes, it does,” Michela said.

“That’s
because there was very little publicity about Elizabeth’s death made by the
Society, given that it would be scandalous to announce that the first explorer
on the continent was not only dead but a woman who lived with another woman
under the veil of marriage. The memorial service was small and I’m being
generous when I say that. Since then there’s been little recognition until now.
And I have you to thank for that.” Charlotte patted Michela’s hand.

That
would explain why Alli had such difficulty finding out information. It was
covered up by a group of men who couldn’t bear to think they’d been hoodwinked.
“Even though I led the
expedition, it was the archaeological team, led by Dr. Shaunessy that really
did all the hard work.”

“What’s
this Dr. Shaunessy like?” Charlotte asked. “Can she be trusted? I
only ask because I’m looking for someone to possibly oversee any future digs I
might finance.”

Michela
sat back as thoughts of Allison filled her mind. For the past month she’d done
a very good job of trying to forget her, but the floodgate of memories was
broken. “I don’t think you could ask for a better woman than Alli. She’s
committed to Finlayson. Part of her Doctoral dissertation was on his
expedition.”

“Yes,
I know. I have a copy of it in my bookcase if you’re interested.”

Michela
looked around. “I’d be very interested in reading her work. Thank you for
the offer. As I was saying, she’s very committed.” Michela’s eyes shone
and a small smile of reminiscence graced her features. “Sometimes she can
be passionate and hard-headed about her work, but her heart’s always in the
right place. I don’t think I could recommend anyone more highly.”

Charlotte
gazed at Michela. “Do you mind if I asked you a question?”

Michela
graciously tilted her head. “That’s only fair.”

“Did
something happen between the two of you? Were you more than just friends?”

Michela
knew her pain was evident on her face, although she tried to look as
expressionless as possible. “Yes, we were, but for a very short time. It’s
over now.”

“I’m
sorry to hear that. You speak so highly of her.” Charlotte looked around
as if searching for something. “As a matter of fact, I’m expecting a call
from her tonight regarding the arrangements for grandmother’s body. It’s been
in the damned hands of Australian customs for the past month now. Do you know
that the Patron of Flinders Museum called me and asked if he could show the
body?”

“No,
I didn’t,” Michela said. “But having had dealings with his daughter,
his actions don’t surprise me at all.”

Charlotte
slapped her knee. “I can tell you one thing, that’s not going to happen.
And if I have my way, I’m going to buy the complete Finlayson artifacts from
him, once they’ve spent a reasonable time in his Museum. That’s my
grandmother’s history he’s hawking and I want it home. And besides, her final
resting place is waiting for her.”

“When
are you going to be able to take charge of the body?”

“That’s
what Dr. Shaunessy’s going to let me know.” The visual-phone rang.
“That should be her now.” She walked across the room and pushed a
button on a console and an image of Allison materialized.

As
Charlotte discussed the matter of her grandmother’s body, Michela stayed out of
Allison’s view. Her heart ached at Allison’s gaunt features, and how exhausted
she looked.

“In
fact, I’ve someone here you may wish to talk to,” Charlotte said.
“Michela come here.”

Michela’s
eyes widened and then she tried to relax. She walked to the visual-phone, heart
beating in double time. Charlotte patted her arm, stepped away from her, and
left the room. She met Allison’s eyes and, for what seemed like forever, they
stared at each other. “Hello, Alli. How are you?”

Allison
wanly smiled. “Okay, I suppose. I’ve been very busy with the Finlayson
artifacts and trying to clear Ms. Finlayson’s ancestor through customs. And I
thought getting out of Australia was bad when you’re alive; this is
horrendous.”

They
laughed although Allison looked as awkward as Michela felt.

“So
how are things at the Museum?” Michela asked.