A Collinwood Carol--Chapter 5
From: Julianka
Date: Mon, 10 Dec 2001 00:30:51

Carl came and stood beside Elizabeth. Tears quietly rolled unheeded down her face.  

"I had forgotten how much Carolyn looks like my Mother. She is so lovely."

"She's beautiful." agreed Carl and softly patted Elizabeth shoulder. "Why are you crying?" he asked.

"My Mother is pregnant with my brother Roger." Elizabeth said, her voice barely above a whisper. "After this party, when they had tucked me into bed, she'll go into labor. She had been telling my Father for days, that she was sure she was going to have the baby in time for Christmas. And she did. B b but she- she ...it was too hard for her. She died minutes after Roger came. My Father was never the same. It was like he died too. All the softness was gone from him. My world became a cold and lonely place. This was the last Christmas we ever had."

Elizabeth watched her Mother lean her head against her Father's shoulder as he held herself, as a child and smiled up at him. Sobbing heartbreaking now, she couldn't see through her tears.

Carl took her hand and led her away.

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In the space of a single breathe Elizabeth found herself sitting in the gazebo. Watching a courting couple walking hand in hand.

"Who is that?" inquired Carl.

"Oh my god!" moaned Elizabeth "This is too cruel!"

"You may as well resign yourself to it my dear. Your are set to play out this little drama. Now tell what is happening."

"That is Bryon Hanscombe, he's the butler at Collinwood. His daughter Betty works as a maid for us. God! Look at him! He is the most handsome man I had ever seen." Hair so dark a brown as  to be mistake for black.  Tall with wide shoulders, narrow waist and slender build. And the heart of a poet.

"Go on."  Carl prompted.

"I was so lonely. Bryon seemed to understand me and he made me feel loved for the first time in years."

"What ever became of him?"

"I never knew for sure. I think Father got wind of our relationship maybe or perhaps one of the other servants told him. All I knew then was one day Bryon and Betty were gone. The housekeeper told me they were dismissed by my Father. I never heard from him again. I found out years later that Father had been making payments to Bryon after he dismissed him. I didn't try to find out why."

Elizabeth didn't think she had any more tears left in her, but she began crying afresh.

"A couple of months later, I discovered I was carrying his child. I was in a panic! One afternoon when Father was at the Cannery, my Aunt Nora called. I broke down and told her everything. She told me to keep silent. She would try and think of something. You see I was so afraid of telling Father. My Father didn't tolerate immoral behavior. I had witnessed several maids being fired just for getting caught necking! My own Aunt Nora had been banished for marrying a man from, what my Father called, the lower classes. Aunt Nora's husband died in the war leaving her penniless. My Father agreed to support her as long as she never came to Collinwood or Collinsport again. Strangely he did let me visit her from time to time. But he never spoke to her again as long as she lived. The next day Aunt Nora called me with a plan. She would write Father a letter and tell him she was ill and beg him to let me come to care for her. We would wait to do this until just before my pregnancy began to show."

"And he agreed to let you go?" Carl prodded.

"Yes. I was lucky, I guess. I was six months along before my clothes started to become tight. I went to stay in Boston with Aunt Nora. I gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. Aunt Nora and I talked and planned all during those months. We thought the best thing to do was for Aunt Nora to take care of my baby. But the best laid plans of mice and men often go astray. You see, Aunt Nora was sick and didn't know that she only had a few months to
live."

Carl looked sad and hugged Elizabeth.

"Then we, she and I came up with another plan. Father had been pushing "eligible" young men at me for some time. We placed Victoria, I named my baby Victoria, in a foundling home. I would marry and hopefully in a few months would be able to persuade my husband to adopt Victoria. It was all we could think to do."

"So I married Paul Stoddard. He was the first one to ask me. I tried and thought I was successful in falling in love with him." Elizabeth sighed.

"Aunt Nora passed away two weeks after we were married, then Father only a few short months later. By then I was going crazy, plotting to get Paul to let me adopt Vicki. I found out on Vicki's first birthday, that I was pregnant again. This time it didn't go as well. I was ill most of the time. And when Carolyn was born..well..she was such a tiny little thing. She had colic for months. Paul was hardly ever home and when he was, he didn't have much time for her or me. I knew the marriage was over even before I found him getting ready to leave Collinwood, with a suit case full of money, bonds and jewerly! I thought I killed him that night and that began eighteen years of guilt, fear and misery. I felt bad enough having Carolyn living under such a cloud. You see, I knew Collinwood was cursed! No one ever lived happily here." Elizabeth casted her eyes down and continued. "So I left Vicki where she was and started sending money to the home for her care. I fought the urge every single day for eighteen years to send for her. I longed to hold her. Then I finally thought I could bring her to Collinwood, but never reveil who she was. Maybe this would keep her safe from the dark shadows Collinwood casts over the family. I don't
know....I just don't know!" Elizabeth broke down completely after this.

She came to shortly after to find herself lying alone on her bed in her room.

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