Lanterns and Lace

Chapter 20

Jenny stood alongside the white picket fence of Frank and Ellen’s home and admired the charm of the small, newly built home. She smelled paint and noted the sparkle of dark green shutters, wet and shiny in the midmorning sun. Two large clay pots of red geraniums rested on each side of the front steps, and purple and white petunias bordered a red brick walkway. A welcome sign from the gate beckoned her to lift the gate’s latch and walk inside. Her gaze swept over a porch swing and on to a display of green plants and a huge hanging fern. The scent of honeysuckle drew her to the far end where a white trellis supported a climbing vine filled with tubular deep orange blooms. She hadn’t noticed the home’s charm on the day of Mrs. Lewis’s funeral. But the vision this morning was like a scene lifted from a painting.

“How lovely,” she whispered.

The low growl and fierce bark of a dog sent tremors up her spine, and she remembered Grant cautioning her to be wary until she made friends with the Kahlers’ animal. A long time ago she’d been chased by a huge dog, and ever since then, she feared all of them. With a sigh, she realized the ominous sound came from inside the house.

She climbed the steps and lifted the metal door knocker. Her gaze rested on a walnut-stained plaque engraved with the words of Joshua 24:15: “Choose you this day whom ye will serve . . . but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” She tipped the rocker beside her and watched it gently sway back and forth.

Jenny wanted this day to be a time to deepen her friendship with Ellen. The journal had seized Jenny’s interest, and she longed to read it, but the prospect of time with a true friend also lifted her spirits.

The door opened, and the strawberry blond, dressed in a gray skirt and white beaded blouse, met Jenny with open arms. “I’m so glad you came. Your last visit here was not a happy one. Do come inside.”

A huge golden dog growled at her waist, and Jenny’s pulse quickened.

“General Lee, hush.” Ellen gave Jenny a reassuring smile. “He won’t bother you. He’s very well behaved.”

Jenny lifted an eyebrow and glanced nervously at him.

“Really, he is. I can put him outside if he scares you.”

She took a deep breath. “No, please. I’m perfectly fine.”

Ellen bent to the dog’s side and lifted his chin. “General Lee, this is Miss Jenny, and I expect you to be sweet.” Immediately, the pet wagged its tail.

Masking her fear, Jenny stepped inside and presented a small basket covered with a red-checked towel. “I brought you a loaf of bread.”

Ellen lifted the corner of the towel and inhaled the aroma of the warm bread. Her nose wrinkled, accenting her abundance of orange freckles. “It smells wonderful and freshly baked, too. How thoughtful, and the basket is so pretty.”

Jenny felt herself flush with the compliment. “Thank you. Miss Mimi has been teaching me how to cook, and this is the morning’s lesson. I hope it tastes all right. Some of my things have been, well, rather unusual.” Jenny laughed. “If it tastes terrible, you won’t hurt my feelings by feeding it to your dog.” He brushed against her skirt. She stiffened, but the animal didn’t growl.

“Nonsense. I’m sure the bread is as delicious as it smells, and I certainly wouldn’t give it to General Lee.”

“Miss Mimi says a good cook never visits empty-handed. I may not be a good cook yet, but I try.”

Ellen tilted her head. “Your mother didn’t teach you how to cook?”

“Oh, no.” Jenny giggled at the thought of her mother in the kitchen. “My parents have servants to do those kinds of things.”

“So proper ladies don’t spend time in the kitchen?”

“You and I are proper ladies, and we cook.” She followed Ellen into the sparkling new parlor. “Your home is simply lovely. I thought so the first time I was here, but we were so busy that day. What a wonderful job you’ve done.”

“Frank is an excellent carpenter, and he is creative too. He built this before we were married, and together we’ve worked on making it our home. We still have much to do, but most of the fun is in the planning.”

They began their conversation in the parlor, but Ellen suggested they move to the back porch with its two massive elm trees to keep them cool. The lure of sunshine and a gentle breeze promised a perfect day.

Moments later they sat in two rocking chairs, drinking cool lemonade and enjoying sugar cookies. General Lee followed them outside and curled up in front of the back door. He slept until a noise from the road perked his ears and sent him running to investigate, but Ellen called the dog back to her. Jenny was amazed at how well General Lee obeyed her soft commands.

The rear of the yard hosted a variety of flowers: red and purple petunias, white daisies, and towering sunflowers. A fenced area in the far left-hand corner held a vegetable garden. The couple definitely shared a love for growing things.

After much talk about the happenings in Kahlerville, Ellen took on a more somber expression. “I promised you Jessica’s journal.” She leveled her gaze at Jenny. “Before you read it, I want to caution you about the contents.”

“I understand. Some of it may be shocking.”

“She wanted you to have her journal. As I told you before, she believed you’d come looking for her. Someday—” Ellen paused. “Someday I’ll tell you what happened those few days before she died. But not today.”

Jenny wanted to learn it all now, but respect for Ellen stopped her insistence. “When you feel the time is right, I’ll be ready to listen.”

“I can’t help but look at you and see Jessica. Being with you and sipping lemonade is like chatting with an old friend. Unfortunately, she was never as happy and content.” Ellen took a breath, and her eyes revealed painful memories. When she spoke again, a smile played upon her lips and her hazel eyes moistened. “She died at peace with God. It’s such a comfort to know she lives in heaven.”

Uneasiness swept through Jenny. Discussing God was not why she came. Although she sensed her spirit growing closer to Him, she couldn’t bring herself to discuss religion.

Ellen inhaled deeply before speaking. “When she died, I was devastated. I know now that it was a blessing in disguise. Neither one of us would have received Jesus as Lord without the birth of Rebecca. When Grant walked out of the brothel with Jessica’s baby girl, I went with him and never looked back. The reverend and his wife took me in and told me about Jesus.”

A knot formed in Jenny’s chest. Had Jessica felt this uncomfortable with talk about God?

Ellen stepped across the porch and down to the grass where a bench rested under one of the trees. She gestured for Jenny to join her. General Lee rose from his resting spot and descended the porch steps to rest his head in Ellen’s lap.

“She often talked about you,” Ellen said.

The knot tightened in Jenny’s chest. “This is all so confusing to me. We didn’t get along very well. I always sided with our parents and openly condemned her rebellion. I treated her horribly simply because I feared angering our parents.”

“I know love is a very powerful emotion, and she dearly loved you. She even told me what you looked like, about your music, your desire to teach, and your mannerisms.”

“I had no idea she cared so much.” Jenny fought the inner turmoil. She’d been such a poor sister.

“Jessica spent hours telling me about your lives as children and growing up together. Her favorite memory was of the many hours you played with your dolls beneath a lilac tree.” She stopped abruptly and placed her hand over Jenny’s. “Wait here a minute. I’ll go get the journal.”

Jenny wanted to go with her. At the very least, have her take General Lee.

With one hand on the doorknob, Ellen turned and smiled. “I think I’ll slice us a piece of your bread. I churned butter this morning while Frank painted the front shutters.”

“Can I help?” Please, don’t leave me alone with your beast of a dog.

“No need. I’ll only be a moment, and I wouldn’t want to deny you this lovely breeze from the trees.”

Jenny kept one eye fixed on General Lee. He moved closer. How did one dog grow so large? What did it eat? She trembled.

The beast growled, and she clutched her hands together. He rose on his haunches and stared at the road. A moment later a wagon passed, and he settled back down.

Jenny nearly choked in the dog’s presence. General Lee moved closer. Dare she ask Ellen for help? The dog turned his massive head her way. Why, it was bigger than her head.

General Lee barked, sounding like the roar of a powerful locomotive moving down the tracks. She jumped and feared fainting. His face was so close that she could smell his breath. And it wasn’t pleasant.

Please, Ellen, hurry back before I’m ill or he eats me.

Jenny could not move her head. If she did, she’d touch the dog’s snout. How much longer could she endure this? She squeezed her eyes shut. Something wet swept across her cheek.

“Oh, my, General. Miss Jenny may not appreciate your kisses.” Ellen gasped. “You are deathly pale. Are you afraid of my dear pet?”

Jenny nodded and forced the bile back down into her stomach. “I’ve always been fearful of things.”

“I’m so sorry. General, come up here on the porch. You’ve frightened the wits out of Jenny.” Ellen made her way to the bench with the bread and a book tucked under her arm.

General obeyed.

Ellen handed her a small navy book neatly tied with a faded blue ribbon. She set a small plate with a slice of bread and the butter beside Jenny on the bench.

“Would you like for me to leave you alone?” Ellen said. “I can take General inside with me.”

“Not at all. I can read this later at the boardinghouse.” Tracing the textured cover with her index finger, Jenny repeatedly turned it over in her hands. She longed to open it.

“I asked Jessica if I could mail it to you in Ohio, but she refused. She said I must put it into your hands myself. I’ve never read it or even lifted its cover. To the best of my knowledge, this has not been opened since she last wrote in it a few days before Rebecca’s birth. I firmly believe the secrets of her life before she came to Kahlerville are inside. I’m hoping you learn about Aubrey Turner there. Your sister was cautious of something or someone. Always studied new faces at Martha’s.” She stopped. “My advice to you is to read it all first and then, if necessary, share it with a person you can trust.”

Jenny shivered. She held the very words Jessica had written for her. Again, she turned the journal over in her hand. Her sister had left a genuine legacy: Rebecca and the words written in the navy book. A deep desire to read and memorize every word rose inside her. Beneath these pages she could reacquaint herself with the sister of her youth.

“Thank you.” Jenny peered into Ellen’s face. Her hazel eyes reflected love and compassion, and her smile gave Jenny the reassurance that no one was to blame for Jessica’s death.

Her friend stood and strolled a few feet beyond the shade, and in the sunlight her strawberry blond hair glistened as though she wore an angel’s halo. “I’m not sure I understand my own words.” She laughed softly. In the next moment, she grew melancholy. “At times, Jessica got an odd, somewhat frightening look about her, but she wouldn’t discuss it. About a month before Rebecca’s birth, she told me she was in danger. Refused to say why. Didn’t want me to fret. Anyway, she told me about the journal shortly thereafter and asked me to keep it safe for her. The times she needed to record things, she’d ask for it, then return it to me for safekeeping.”

If only I’d been a loving sister . . . and friend. “This means more to me than you can ever imagine. I am so ashamed of my attitude and the way I treated her.”

“We all have regrets,” Ellen said. “There’s nothing we can do about them but learn from our mistakes and go on.”

“My life is so much richer since I’ve come to Kahlerville. There are days I don’t ever want to leave.”

Ellen’s sweet smile warmed her fragile spirit.

“I’d love for you to settle here, and I know all of Grant’s family is fond of you.”

“And I’m devoted to them.” She avoided Ellen’s eyes for fear she’d ask about Grant.

The two spent the rest of the afternoon sharing and laughing about their experiences with Jessica. Ellen told her about Jessica’s pranks, and Jenny revealed her sister’s antics in their younger days. They exchanged stories until near suppertime. Ellen begged Jenny to stay, but Jenny insisted Frank needed to spend the time with his new bride. The women promised to get together again very soon.

Jenny hurried back to the boardinghouse with the treasured journal tucked under her arm and her revolver resting inside her reticule. She thought of walking outside of town far enough to practice, but she had an even greater urgency to read the journal.

Goodness, Ellen hasn’t even read this herself. I’m not so sure I could have been so resolute.

Still, she marveled at Jessica’s sensitivity—and at the love she professed for Jenny. What kind of danger could she have detected? Who could have been so evil as to threaten the life of a young woman with child—unless it was one of her past customers or Rebecca’s father? Nevertheless, tonight Jenny intended to find the answers to all her fervent questions, for she planned to read the journal in its entirety.