The Treasure of Christmas (31 page)

Esther pushed herself to her feet, left the Bible on her desk, and slowly made her way back to her bed. But before she went to sleep, she made a feeble attempt at prayer. Just in case God was really there and actually listening.

“I’m a foolish old woman,” she said. “I don’t even know how to say a proper prayer. But if what I just read in that black book is true, and if there really is some sort of life that goes on after death, then would you please show me what I must do to have it?” She wondered if she should add anything else, then finally said, “Amen.”

Of course, she felt skeptical and slightly childish. But, she reminded herself, it might be better to ask the question and be wrong than to never ask at all.

15

Christine slept later than usual the next morning. Feeling guilty, she jerked on her clothes and then jogged through the snow, hurrying to her grandmother’s house. It was close to nine, and she hoped she hadn’t been missed yet. Although it seemed unlikely.

She knew Felicity was especially counting on her help today. Not only with the party preparations but also with Aunt Hattie’s visit. Christine wondered if her grandmother’s activities yesterday might have made her more tired than usual. Perhaps she’d decided to sleep in today. Otherwise, she’d probably be upset that Christine was late.

Christine let herself into the house and hurried into the living room.

“About time you got here,” Felicity said as she set a cup of coffee next to her mother-in-law. “I already took care of Mom for you.”

“I’m sorry,” Christine said as she took off her coat. “I didn’t sleep very well last night and I woke up late and – ”

“Oh, don’t worry about it,” her grandmother said. “Felicity is just getting herself too worked up over this confounded Christmas party. She thinks everything has to be picture perfect.”

“Not perfect,” Felicity said as she jotted something down on her ever-growing list. “Just nice.”

“Have you had your breakfast yet, Grandmother?” Christine asked.

“No, she hasn’t,” Felicity said quickly. “And neither has Aunt Hattie. You take care of that, Christine, and I’ll make a quick run to the store. Then I want you to start on that list that I’ve left for you in the kitchen. Okay?”

Christine nodded and went into the kitchen to discover that Felicity had initiated some sort of major baking project that had left bowls, measuring utensils, and various ingredients strewn across every countertop. Christine located her list in the midst of this mess and, blowing off the flour, read the first chore: “Clean the kitchen.”

Christine shook her head as she cleared enough space on the counter to begin fixing breakfast. First things first. She found ham in the refrigerator and cut some slices, then poached enough eggs for the two older women as well as herself. If Felicity planned to work her like a dog today, she would at least fortify herself with a good breakfast.

She decided to serve breakfast in the dining room for a change, and searched until she found three placemats that matched the blue willow dishes she’d admired in the cabinet. When the food was done and the table was set, she went out to announce, “Breakfast is served in the dining room,” as if she were an English butler.

Her grandmother chuckled. “Does that mean I have to get out of my chair?”

“Do you mind?” Christine asked tentatively. “I thought since we had a guest . . .”

“I think it would be lovely to eat in the dining room,” her grandmother said. Christine blinked in surprise but said nothing.

Aunt Hattie came into the room. “We’re eating in the dining room?” she asked in a cheerful voice.

“Yes,” Esther said. “My granddaughter thinks we should dine in style this morning.”

And so they did. Christine had already opened the drapes to reveal the beautiful white blanket that had turned the backyard into a sparkling winter wonderland.

“This is lovely,” Aunt Hattie said. “What a nice treat.”

“Christine is a good cook too,” Esther said as she leaned her crutches against the table and maneuvered herself into the chair at the head of the table. “She used to cook and clean for her father after her mother passed away.”

“And your father?” Aunt Hattie asked. “Is he still alive?”

Christine explained about Brazil, and Aunt Hattie smiled. “Oh, that must be wonderful. I’ve often wished I could go do something like that.”

“Why don’t you?” Christine asked.

“Don’t you think I’d be too old?”

“My father is sixty-four,” Christine said. “You can’t be much older than that.”

Aunt Hattie laughed. “Well, now, aren’t you a sweet thing.” She winked at Esther. “If you ever get tired of her, just feel free to send her my way.”

“Humph.” Esther grunted as she reached for a second piece of toast. “You don’t need to worry yourself about that, Hattie. Christine and I get along just fine, thank you very much.”

Christine tried to keep the chatter light after that. She didn’t like the idea of the two women getting riled up about some old offense during the breakfast she had so carefully prepared. Fortunately, they didn’t. Perhaps Jimmy had been right after all. Maybe Aunt Hattie had simply come to help bury the hatchet.

She left the two women to their coffee and returned to her task of cleaning the kitchen. She was just finishing up when Felicity came blasting through the back door with a full load of groceries. “There’s more in the car,” she told Christine.

Christine restrained herself from saluting her drill sergeant aunt. Instead she turned to dry her hands, then went out to the garage to retrieve several more bags of groceries from the open trunk. How many people was Felicity expecting anyway?

“But why do you need to call your lawyer
today
, Mom?” Felicity was asking when Christine came back inside.

Christine set the bags on the counter and paused to listen. Not that she really wanted to eavesdrop, but Felicity’s voice sounded more aggravated than usual.

“I have my reasons,” Esther said in a sharp voice. “I only asked you to bring me the phone and my phonebook, Felicity. I didn’t expect you to put me through the Spanish Inquisition.”

“I just wondered,” Felicity said. “Hang on, Mom, I’ll go get the cordless for you.”

Christine continued unloading the groceries from the bags, taking time to sort things a bit and putting the cold things in the refrigerator.

“Is that it?” Felicity asked when she came back into the kitchen.

Christine nodded. “That was everything in your trunk.”

“Did you get that box from the backseat too?”

Christine wondered if Felicity thought she was her personal slave. “No, I didn’t know there was any – ”

“It’s the napkins and plates and things,” Felicity said. She glanced over her shoulder to the dining room. “Can you get them right now, please?”

So Christine returned to the garage to retrieve the box. She suspected that Felicity wanted to get rid of her for a minute or two, and when she returned she noticed Felicity standing motionless next to the swinging doors that led to the living room, where Grandmother was talking on the phone, presumably to her attorney. It seemed that Felicity was listening. So Christine dropped the cardboard box on the counter with a loud thud that made Felicity jump.

Christine smiled at her aunt. “Anything else?”

Felicity seemed momentarily stumped, but she quickly recovered. “Yes. We need the walks shoveled. There’s nearly three inches of snow out there.”

This time Christine actually did salute. “Aye-aye, ma’am,” she said in what she hoped would be taken as good humor.

Then she headed to the closet for her parka and to search out a snow shovel. She actually felt relieved to escape the house and Felicity’s never-ending list of demands. Outside the air was fresh and brisk, and Christine felt that nothing was more invigorating than shoveling snow on a crisp, sunny day. She took her time to carefully clear all the walks and the sidewalk and driveway before she finally went back into the house. She was just hanging her parka back in the hall closet when she heard voices coming from the guest room where Aunt Hattie was staying.

“I just don’t get it, Aunt Hattie,” said Felicity in an urgent tone.

“What’s that, dear?” Aunt Hattie asked in her usual cheerful voice.

“Why Mom suddenly wants to change her will.”

“Most likely it’s because she knows she has a granddaughter now.”

“But why just two days before Christmas?”

“I don’t really know, dear. Perhaps she’s worried about her health.”

“But we don’t even know that Christine is really related. I mean, she hasn’t done a blood test or anything.”

“Oh, Felicity.” Aunt Hattie’s voice was an odd mix of frustration layered with patience. “We can all see that Christine is Lenore’s daughter. I realize that you never knew Lenore, dear, but believe me, we can all see it plain as day. It’s right there in Christine’s eyes . . . and in her spirit. Oh, the two of them may not look that much alike, but she is definitely Lenore’s flesh and blood. I have absolutely no doubt of that.”

“Even so,” Felicity persisted, “it just doesn’t seem fair.”

“What’s that, dear?”

“That Mom should suddenly change the will. I mean, everything she has, this house and, well, whatever . . . didn’t it all come from Jimmy’s dad in the first place? The way I understood it was that the Daniels side had all the money.”

“All the money . . .” Aunt Hattie sighed.

Christine suddenly felt guilty for listening in. Why, she’d just gotten irritated after catching Felicity doing the same thing with Grandmother’s phone conversation. And here she was doing it herself. Just the same, she couldn’t seem to make herself leave.

“I know, I know,” Felicity continued. “And I know I probably sound petty and greedy to you. But does it seem fair to you that a perfect stranger should walk in and claim to be a relative and then Mom goes off changing her will?”

“Oh, Felicity,” Aunt Hattie said.

Suddenly Christine couldn’t take it anymore. Not only did she know that it was wrong to eavesdrop, but she realized it was painful too. She turned and walked toward the living room.

“There you are,” Esther said as she hobbled toward her.

“Grandmother,” Christine said in surprise, hoping that her face didn’t look too guilty.

“You look flushed, Christine. Are you all right?”

She forced a smile. “I’ve been outside shoveling snow.”

“Good for you.” Her grandmother struggled to balance on her crutches as she fished around in her sweater pocket for something. Then she held out a closed fist as if she had a surprise in her hand. “Something for you.”

Christine held out her open hand and waited as her grandmother dropped a small brass key. “What’s this?”

Her grandmother glanced up the staircase. “It’s the key to Lenore’s room. Second door on the left.”

Christine nodded.

“I never changed a single thing after she left. I guess I always thought she’d come back someday, and I wanted it to look just the same as before she left. As if I’d been expecting her to come home. I even had a deadbolt lock installed years ago. Just to make sure no one could go in and disturb anything.” She shook her head sadly. “I’d go up there with you now if I could just handle those stairs – ”

“Oh, no, you don’t need to do that.”

“Yes. It’s probably better that I don’t.” She sighed. “Anyway, I thought you might want to see her room and her things, you know, perhaps get a better idea of who she was. I suppose we should eventually clear those old things out. It’s not as if I want it to become some sort of shrine or anything. I just wanted it to be there for her . . .”

Christine sensed her grandmother’s pain. “Maybe I could help box her things up for you, Grandmother.”

“Yes, that would be good.”

“Maybe I could do it after Christmas. I know our church is always looking for clothing items for our homeless shelter.”

“Good.” Her grandmother nodded. “I figured you might have some ideas. And then, Christine, once it’s all cleared out . . . Well, I thought maybe you’d like to use it for yourself. I mean, it’s really a lovely room, with its own bath and a balcony that overlooks the backyard and pool.” She smiled in a sad way. “Of course, I don’t expect you to live here. Goodness only knows why anyone would want to stay with a decrepit old woman like me. But I want you to know that you’re welcome to use that room anytime you like.”

“Thank you.” Christine was trying to think of adequate words to describe how she would be perfectly happy, thrilled even, to live in this lovely house with her grandmother, but before she could speak her grandmother turned away.

“Now I’ve got some business to attend to.” She started moving down the hall again. “I’ll be in James’s study if anyone needs me.”

Christine wondered why her grandmother still called that room “James’s study.” Perhaps it was simply out of respect for her deceased husband. Christine had peeked in to admire the dark-paneled room with its floor-to-ceiling bookcases one day. She’d always thought it would be so lovely to have a library like that. Yet the room had such a rigid formality to it, so much so that she hadn’t felt quite welcome in there. She’d also noticed that her grandmother seldom used the room and kept her own desk in a corner of the living room. Perhaps she didn’t feel quite welcome in there either.

16

Christine began to climb the stairs, careful not to disturb the evergreen garland she’d so painstakingly draped there the other day. She’d been upstairs a few times before. Just to vacuum and dust, and once to look for an old book her grandmother had thought was in one of the bedrooms up there. She’d noticed that closed door with the deadbolt lock and wondered. But she hadn’t asked. Even so, she’d figured it had something to do with Lenore.

She slipped the key into the lock and turned it. Feeling like an intruder, she went inside. She stood by the door, looking around and simply taking it all in. It’s not that she believed in ghosts or anything like that, but it was as if she could feel a presence or an aura or something almost tangible. She actually held her breath for a moment as she listened to the silence and tried to imagine an eighteen-year-old Lenore moving through this pretty room.