Subj: Christmas Tears
Date: 12/22/98 12:50:48 PM Central Standard Time
From: Lynn

Christmas Tears
By Lynn

Angelique stared at the dusty object she held in her small hand, as hot, painful tears ran down her cheeks. The floodgates opened and let all the old, unwanted memories back into her overwrought mind. Images began to form, as she sat down heavily among the dusty antiques of the west wing. Still she stared at the bronze music box. Her fingers unwillingly found the key, and wound it. She sat listening to the tinkling of its sad song as her heart was again, pierced with pain.

It was Elizabeth's fault, her mind screamed, how dare she die at Christmas time!

Christmas is hectic in any family, as was it at Collinwood this year. Elizabeth had been ill, and was no longer capable of managing the house and servants. Caroline and Willie were on their way from Boston to help Angelique with the festivities. David's ship was in the Mediterranean on Navy operations, so Collinwood was host to his wife Nancy, and their new son. Roger's drinking had made him reclusive, keeping him confined mainly to the east wing of the house, with his large Irish setter. Maggie and Joe were staying there before beginning their honeymoon cruise to England. Joe, turning the running of Collins' Shipyard over to Nicholas Blair for the duration.

And, with so many people, children and assorted animals at Collinwood for Christmas, the usually cool Angelique had her hands full! The cook had refused to cook on the antique stove, and another could not be ordered until after the holiday, sending Joe on a statewide search for a repairman to fix it. Maggie was busy with Nancy and the baby, leaving
Angelique and the nurse to attend to the failing Elizabeth. Then came the snow that stranded Caroline and Willie in town. Rousing Roger from his hangover, Angelique sent him into town to get them with the horse and sleigh, taking with him, the nurse who was going home for the holiday.

It was then that Elizabeth became decidedly lucid, asking for Nicholas to bring her will up to date, demanding to see Joe about the business, and complaining about the ill repair of the house. "Get Willie to fix these windows, there is actually snow in here", she accused. As Angelique prepared to put her back into bed, and explain that Willie and Caroline were due in shortly, Elizabeth stood straight up, pointed at Angelique and screaming, "YOU", she fainted into a coma. While
Angelique scrambled for help, Caroline and Willie came through the massive front doors, their arms loaded with gifts, their clothing full of fresh snow. "Mother" called Caroline, "hope you're feeling better…we've a surprise for you", as she ran up the stairs, and into a disheveled Angelique. "Caroline", she began, but it was too late, for Elizabeth had slipped away.

So there they were, Christmas eve, at a funeral. Caroline had been sobbing pitifully, mumbling incoherently about her mother never knowing about the surprise, which was the news that Caroline and Willie were going to have a baby. Roger never made it down to the funeral. His current binge was to last indefinitely. Maggie and Joe left for England on a somber note, promising to look up some of Elizabeth's relatives while there. Nancy and the baby went to her parents, deeming that Collinwood was too sad to celebrate Christmas. Leaving Angelique to finish the details with her husband.

Christmas day, she found herself in the attic of the west wing, with an armload of Elizabeth's personal property to be stored with the other antiques of the house. Noticing an open door on the third floor, she went in. Angelique was never shy about spying on the Collins', and this was a room that she had never seen. It seemed to be a room frozen in time. Her heart pounding, she bent to look in one of the ornate boxes on the floor. Opening it, she picked up a shiny object wrapped in a silky pink cloth, and in her horror, she realized what it was….Josette's music box! As she looked around with a sinking in her soul, she saw that she was in a replica of Josette's old room at the old house. The pink cloth was none other than Josette's wedding gown! It was then, that Angelique lost control of the emotions that had been building for several hundred years, and it was then, she knew what Elizabeth meant when she had pointed to her, and screamed "YOU" on her deathbed. It was then, that Angelique knew that she had been found out. "But who", she asked the twilight. There was only one other person in the world that knew her secret, and she was married to him!

As the memories flowed, the heart wrenching sobs continued. Who could have done this? And why would this room be preserved? After all this time, why did the pain still exist? So long ago…. Slowly the sobs stopped, and her thinking became clear. Angelique needed answers. She began to explore the room, seeing that it wasn't just Josette's room, it was a room full of old furniture, trunks and mirrors. Mirrors…seeing into the past, seeing into her heart.

Still holding the music box, she noticed her own carved box on a discarded dresser. Opening it, she read the note, "A silver ring, for the piercing of my heart", and she sat down hard again, fresh tears coming to her eyes. She looked at her hand, the wedding band gleaming in the half-light "I'm loved….loved by the one man who will spend eternity with me" she said tearfully. Taking the music box, and putting it back into the ornate box with the pink wedding gown, she knew
she would never again look at it, or spill tears over a long past love. And, unless those relatives from England wanted some of Elizabeth's things, she would not be in this room again. Smoothing her hair, shaking the dust off her denim dress, and wiping her tear stained cheeks, she returned to the foyer, just as her still handsome husband walked in from putting the horses in the stable.

"Hi Quentin! You look cold! Elliot got the stove fixed, so there will be Christmas dinner after all!"

Epilog

Nancy and the baby couldn't get the train to Chicago because of the snow, so Quentin brought them back to Collinwood, just as a taxi pulled up. Roger's dog met the unloading passenger with howls of pleasure, bringing a surprisingly sober Roger outside. Quentin and Angelique were spared a nicely packed snowball from the hand of a laughing David, which landed right into the face of a startled Willie, sending Caroline into tears of laughter. The library was full of giggles, hugs and good brandy, as the family got their Christmas cheer started. Just as Mrs. Johnson was about to announce dinner, in came Maggie and Joe, who had re-scheduled their cruise. Quentin gave a toast to the new year, as the ghost of Elizabeth smiled from the corner of the candlelit room. Merry Christmas, from Collinwood!