The Critchfield Locket (3 page)

Before Ms. Dornacher arrived,
Nicholas felt like he had finally reached a point of normalcy once again. He had finally felt like he was able to move on with his life. The loss of his dear wife Emily had devastated him. When she died, he felt as though someone had ripped his heart right out of his chest, torn it to shreds, then placed the broken, tattered pieces back inside. To lose her so suddenly as well as the unborn child she carried was more than he could bear. Without the support of his family and friends, he can’t imagine how he would have gotten through it.

Emily’s illness had seemed harmless at first. It began with some noticeable swelling in her ankles, and hands, then came the headaches. One morning, she had awoken early with an unbearable headache. Concerned, Nicholas sent Mr. Baxter to the doctor’s home with instructions to come at once. Dr. Preston Granville being a sensible man, always kept a set of clothing laid out in case of an emergency. He had dressed and arrived at Critchfield Manor within fifteen minutes time. As he began his examination of Emily, he noticed the color of her skin was different. Her skin was not its usual fair tone, but reddened as if she had spent too long of a time in the sun. He felt her pulse and listened to her heart. Something about her condition did not sit well with him.

“When was the last time you felt the baby move?”

“I, I do not recall. This headache has been my whole focus since I awoke.”

“Hmm.
Nicholas, would you please join us?”

Nicholas
quickly entered the room, moving to the other side of Emily's bed.

“Is everything all right?”

“Well, it appears that Emily’s heart rhythm is elevated. I would like to admit her to the hospital, perhaps until the baby is born.”

“
Nicholas, no, the baby is not due for another eight weeks. Please, could I not just stay here at home?”

Nicholas
had never been able to deny Emily whatever she wanted. This time was no exception.

“How about it Preston
, what if we were to hire a nurse who would look after Emily? She would get the care she needs while in the comfort of her own home.”

“That is your choice, of course. However, if her condition worsens, she is to be taken to the hospital immediately. Agreed?”

“Most assuredly. Now, could you recommend a nurse who would be able to perform such a task?”

“I will do more than recommend, I will see to it that the best nurse arrives here before the day is out.”

“Dear Preston, you are a good man and a wonderful friend.” Emily squeezed his hand, her trusting smile etched into his brain.

Nicholas
walked him to the door, confident that everything would be fine. Less than an hour after the doctor left, Emily heard a knock on her bedroom door. It was Preston’s wife Alice. She was the best nurse he knew and she would be a great comfort to Emily.

Alice had been unable to have children of her own and delighted when she was able to attend births. Emily was in and out of sleep for a few hours before she finally seemed to settle
in. Alice felt like her limbs had begun to stiffen, so she left Emily to sleep while she went to the garden to stretch her legs.

While
she walked, she found the fresh air and cool breeze to be invigorating. It was just what she needed to help carry her through the dull hours of sitting by the bedside. As she sat down upon a bench, she closed her eyes and listened to the sounds of a cardinal calling to his mate. She was so relaxed she barely noticed Nicholas approaching the spot where she rested.

“Good afternoon Mrs. Granville, I see you are enjoying the garden this fine day.”

“Indeed Mr. Bennett. A fine day in one of the nicest gardens I have enjoyed.”

“How fares your patient? I do hope she is not giving you too much trouble.”

“She is no trouble at all, sir. In fact she has been sleeping for most of the morning. Poor dear, she even slept through lunch. I know she needs to keep up her strength, especially for the baby. As soon as I return, I will wake her and try to get her to eat. Perhaps if you are there, she will not be so cross with me for disturbing her rest.”

“I shall join you then for I am in need of a
distraction from my work. I can think of no lovelier diversion than her fair face and sweet voice.”

When they returned to the house, Alice went straight to Emily’s room while
Nicholas briefly spoke with Mrs. Thompson regarding Emily’s lunch. As Nicholas reached the doorway to Emily’s room, he sensed tension in Alice’s voice.

“Emily, it is me, Alice. Emily darling, it is time to wake up now.” Alice had been lightly patting Emily’s face, but now her pats were more forceful. Emily would not rouse.

“What is it? What is the matter? Why will she not wake up?” Nicholas’s voice squeaked as his breath caught in his throat. He felt like he couldn’t breathe, his racing heart seemed to tighten in his chest.

“We need to get her to the hospital now! She has a pulse, but it is faint.”

“I, I do not understand… what is wrong?”

“
Nicholas, get the carriage ready. We have to take her to the hospital!” Alice’s words were strong, slightly harsh, like a slap in the face. It was what Nicholas needed to help him focus on the task at hand.

Mr. Thompson, Mary’s husband, readied the carriage while Mr. Baxter left to alert Dr. Granville of what had transpired. Preston hurried to finish with his patient, arriving at the hospital only moments before
Nicholas, Emily and Alice.

Alice conferred with the doctors what she had observed, then waited with
Nicholas outside of the examination room.  She replayed the days’ events over and over again in her mind, wondering what she had missed. She chided herself for being selfish, for going to the garden. Perhaps if she had stayed, she could have gotten help sooner.

The doctors began their extensive examination.
Her blood pressure was registering very high; her vital organs were shutting down. Emily was dying. Frustrated, the doctors did not understand the cause or how to cure it. With Nicholas’s permission, the baby was surgically removed from her womb in hopes of saving his life.

The baby, a boy, was stillborn. As a doctor, Preston Granville had born witness to many patient deaths. But this time, it caught him off guard. This time it was personal. He fought back stinging tears as he
told the grave news to Nicholas.

Nicholas
collapsed into a heap on the floor. Sobs wracked his body, churning his stomach to the point of nausea. Groans of anguish, and despair flowed from deep within him. His beloved Emily was gone. His only son was gone. He felt his pain was too great to bear.

Yet, he did. Life went on for
Nicholas, even when he had not wanted it to. Days turned into weeks, weeks into years.

Now, nearly three years later, this bewildered woman is found on his doorstep. His dear Emily, with her open, loving heart would want him to help Ms. Dornacher. She would have gone out of her way to secure a safe life for this
troubled woman. Nicholas felt that by doing all he could for Ms. Dornacher, he would be honoring Emily’s memory.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Kate changed into a pale yellow tea gown that fit her as well as if it had been made specifically for her. Margaret began to busy herself with Kate’s new garments. She examined each piece individually, praising their many attributes before neatly placing them in their proper places.

             
Once both women had finished their tasks, they made their way to the kitchen for lunch. Mrs. Thompson was going over dinner preparations with Ms. Husk when they arrived.

             
“Ms. Dornacher, you are looking refreshed. Is there something you are in need of?” Although her question was directed towards Kate, Mrs. Thompson was looking at Margaret with a stern expression on her face.

             
“I, well, I am hungry and believe it to be time for lunch.” Kate’s eyes darted back and forth from Margaret to Mrs. Thompson.

             
“Yes, of course, but as a guest of Critchfield Manor, it would be more proper for you to take your breakfast in the morning room and your meals in the dining hall.”

             
“I, I did not… I did not want to presume…” Kate turned and looked at Margaret, her eyes full of questions.

             
“If it pleases you ma’am, I can show you the way to the dining hall.”

             
“Thank you Margaret, I appreciate your help.”

             
Kate followed Margaret back up the stairs, past the entrance hall, down another hallway that mirrored the one to the library and into the dining hall. As far as Kate could tell, the ceilings were around twenty foot high. The room itself was oversized, adorned with tapestries, candles and a large dining table. She began to mentally count the number of seats around it when Margaret spoke up.

“The table can seat twenty-four guests when all the pieces are together. Right now
, Mrs. Thompson has it set up for only half of that.”

             
“So, I am to eat in here… by myself?”

             
“No.” The male voice caught Kate off-guard. She quickly turned to see Mr. Bennett standing behind them. “If I am home, we will dine together. However, this room is too large for small dining parties. For times when we are few in number, we shall eat in the morning room.”

             
Kate could feel the heat rise to her cheeks. She felt so out of place here, yet he had tried to make her as comfortable as he would any guest. Such generosity from a stranger was to be admired.

             
“Are you often at home for your meals?”

             
“In fact I am. Years ago a fire wiped out many of the businesses downtown. Although most owners rebuilt, I chose to build my office here within my home. Yet I tend to do most of my work in the library as it is my favorite room in the house. If you like, I could give you a proper tour of Critchfield Manor after lunch.”

             
“Yes, thank you, a tour sounds lovely.”

             
Lunch was eaten quickly, as they were both eager to proceed with the tour - he because of his pride, she because of her curiosity.

             
Nicholas walked Kate through the main level rooms that included a Billiard room, Office, Dining Hall, Morning Room, Sitting Room, Music Room, and Library. Nicholas’s face lit up as he proudly introduced each room and the design choices made for each. Kate admired the architectural details, furnishings, and the artwork of each one.

             
The last room they entered was the Library. Nicholas had Kate join him in front of a specific set of books. He then reached his hand inside the bookcase and pulled back. As he did, that section of bookcase opened up to reveal a spiral staircase.

             
"A secret passage?" Kate gasped with child like glee. "Where does it go?"

             
"To a few of the bedrooms." Nicholas smiled and proceeded up the steps. At the top was a small hallway with four doors, each one painted a different color than the next.

             
“Does one of these lead to my room?”

             
“Yes, it is the first door on the left, the blue one. Go ahead, try it.”

             
Kate complied, opening the door onto a narrow passageway. It made a few twists and turns before she arrived at another blue door. She turned the handle and walked into her guest room. After Nicholas entered, she shut the door so she could unveil its secret. She could not hide her excitement.

             
“It blends right into the wall!  How do I open it from this side?”

             
“See the sconce there are the wall? You simply pull down on it like so, and it pops open.”

             
“Will you show me the other ones as well?”

             
Nicholas was having so much fun, that he readily agreed.

             
“Can you guess which one leads to my room?”

             
“I will say the red one.”

             
“Right you are!”

             
“What rooms do the green and yellow doors lead to?”

             
“They both lead to bedrooms as well. The yellow to another guest room, the green to Em…” Nicholas’s voice trailed off as he realized what he was saying. His brows furrowed as he stood in silence.

“Mr. Bennett?”

              “Hmm? Oh, do forgive me. I just remembered some business I must take care of.”

             
“Of course, I understand. Thank you for sharing Critchfield Manor with me, it has been most enjoyable.”

             
Kate returned to her room allowing Nicholas his privacy back in the library.