The House on Seventh Street (18 page)

AFTER A
DAY
of hard work, Seth left late that afternoon, the new door in place and the house restored to its former disorder. Fatigued, Winna headed up the stairs to her sanctuary—Juliana's beautiful bathtub. Once, she had thought of the house as belonging to her Gramma, but after living there with all her things and the mysteries surrounding them, Winna had begun to think of the house as belonging to
Juliana
—someone she had never met—a mysterious lady with hidden passions and talents.

On her way to her room, she passed the hall closet and stopped to open the door. She wanted a closer look at the gowns Juliana had been most eager to wear, to save. Winna had kept a number of her mother's gowns and was suddenly overcome with a wish that she had saved her own.

“If only—I'd have a complete collection of twentieth-century dress-up clothes,” she said aloud, thinking how much fun it would be to photograph Emily wearing them.

All she had kept was her wedding gown. After Walt left, she found it again in the old cedar chest. As she lifted it for a look, the fullness of the skirt nearly crushed her; the lace and seed pearls mocked her. The sight of the gown she wore as she entered a doomed marriage rubbed out every sweet memory she had experienced in it: walking down the aisle mad with happiness, dancing in her new husband's arms.

She threw the gown across a chair in the light of a window and picked up her camera. Adjusting nothing for this still life, she shot the rest of the roll capturing her sadness, her disappointment in glorious black and white. She loaded the camera with another roll of film, then hung the gown on a hanger from the window frame. Now the gown was a drape through which light filtered. Glowing, it seemed ghostly, lonely, unloved. She kept shooting, hoping that through the tears she was in focus.

The gown was dead to her and she took it down from the window and carried it out of the kitchen door to the row of trashcans. She threw off a lid, rolled the gown into as tight a wad as she could, and buried it.

Looking through Juliana's memory closet, Winna wondered what happy memories these gowns had held for her grandmother. She pulled the chain on the closet light. The top shelf was lined with hatboxes, the floor with shoes and boots. Most of the gowns had long skirts. She removed one made of a golden silk
peau de soie
with a draped bodice and a skirt length that was definitely fifties. Hanging next to it was the black satin gown Juliana had worn to Eisenhower's inaugural ball. Then she found something stunning in brown velvet, the neckline jeweled. She pulled it out for a better look and felt something hard bump against her calf. Hanging the dress back on the rod, she got down on her knees for a better look at the deep hem. Something lay inside the hem. Running her fingers over the velvet, she felt a hard slender object. Immediately, she knew what it was.

Winna called Emily first and then Chloe. She spoke to both, but said nothing about the breathtakingly beautiful diamond and pearl necklace she'd found sewn into the hem of the velvet gown.

“Just get here as quickly as you can—drive safely. I'm fine, but deadly serious. I need you to come.”

Both agreed to be there at seven-thirty.

Chloe arrived first, minutes before Emily. Both were eager-eyed and demanded to know what was up.

“This better be good,” Chloe said. “Tonight, Todd and I wanted to watch that new show
Who Wants to be a Millionaire?
Have you seen it yet?”

Winna laughed. “You'll know why I'm laughing in a minute.” She motioned for them to follow her.

“Stop teasing us,” Emily begged as she followed her mother up the stairs. “The suspense is killing me.”

“I think I found the jewels,” Winna said. “I need you to help me get them.”

“Woo hoo!” Chloe cried, as she picked up speed.

“Where?” Emily asked.

“In here.” Winna stopped in front of the hall closet door. “First, come in my room and I'll show you what I found. It was sewn into the hem of one of Gramma's gowns.”

They entered Juliana's old bedroom where a heap of brown velvet lay on the bed. Beside it lay a long necklace—ropes of pearls clasped at the neck and on both sides with large decorated brooch-like pieces set with diamonds. At the base of the piece was another brooch and from it hung two long tassels made of small pearls like one might see on the rope holding back a Victorian curtain—these were also held by a cluster of diamonds.

“What on earth—” Emily said, lifting the piece. When doubled, it was more than two feet long. “How would you wear this? It's belly button length!”

“It's called a sautoir—I looked it up while I was trying to decide whether or not to call you. I had to talk myself into not running off with it—not leaving you guys in poverty.” She smiled at her joke. “Guess what? I found it in Gramma's illustrated jewelry book. Sautoirs were popular early in the century—they looked great hanging on all those long narrow dresses they wore in the nineteen teens and twenties.”

Emily reached out to touch it. “There must be a thousand pearls here.”

“It's definitely for dress-up,” Chloe said, pulling it over her head to ornament her tee. She put her hand on her hip and walked around the room with her nose in the air.

Winna and Emily applauded.

“I felt around and didn't find anything more, but let's keep looking,” Winna said. “Just a word of caution, the dresses have a lot of sentimental and maybe some monetary value so go slow. If you have to clip or rip seams, do it gently.”

The women headed for the closet, removed hangers full of gowns, and brought them back into Juliana's bedroom where the light was better and they could sit while they worked.

Right away, in a lamb's wool cape, Emily found a vintage aquamarine and amethyst necklace lying innocently in a pocket. She raised it into the light. “The colors—the stones are so large. What's the period, Mom?”

“I don't know,” Winna said, taking it into her hands. “Maybe I should go get the book.”

“We can study them later. Let's just go mining now,” Chloe suggested. “We are assuming these are the real thing, aren't we?”

“Aha!” Emily cried. “The matching earrings are in the other pocket. Yikes, there's something else—” She fished around and came up with a large ring.

“It's huge—diamonds—but what's the stone in the middle?”

“It glows like an opal, but it's blue with green lights,” Winna said.

“I want it. Oh, God, it's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. It looks like the earth from space,” Chloe cried as she popped it on her finger. “It fits. It matches my aura. I'm so glad Daddy didn't find these and hide them too.”

From then on things went more slowly. The women probed every hem and pocket they could find. Finally, Winna came upon a hard lump under the bodice lining of a beaded gown. Carefully, she removed the hand-sewn stitches and revealed a lapis and gold bracelet.

“This looks Victorian,” she said, as Emily and Chloe looked over her shoulder. “Look at all the pearls imbedded in the filigree.”

The search continued. Winna found one gown with seven rings sewn inside the waist, then a glowing gold and red amber necklace. Emily pulled coral beads set with gold and pearls from the hem of a coat, then an emerald and diamond necklace sewn inside a fur cape.

“It looks like something Elizabeth Taylor would wear!” she said, holding it up.

“I love it,” Chloe said as she searched an elegant silk kimono. “You guys are finding everything.” She looked like she felt left out.

“Wait a minute,” Chloe said triumphantly. “Here's something.” Scissors in hand, she snipped away inside the cuff of a sleeve and pulled out a large piece made of gold. Chloe held it out for all to see. “What was Gramma doing with a rosary?”

“What was she doing with any of this?” Emily said.

“I think this is up your alley, Winna,” she said, dropping it into her sister's lap as if it was contagious.

Winna guessed that Chloe was trying to be funny. With a knot in her throat, she retrieved it from her lap and tried her utmost not to cry. She looked at the old rosary set with smooth-cut rubies and sapphires. It was very old, Winna guessed, maybe even medieval. During its long history, it would have meant a great deal to the faithful, but certainly not her grandmother. She wanted to kiss it, to claim it as her own, but knew that would be misunderstood. She put it on the bed with the other jewels.

It was late and they were all tired—worn out with excitement, sated as if they had overeaten at a feast.

“Where am I going to hide these?” Winna asked. “I sure don't want to sew them back into the clothes.”

“I know the perfect place,” Emily said. “Follow me.” She headed toward the front of the house, to the guest room.

BEHIND FOUR LOCKED doors, Winna tried to sleep, but she was too excited. Thoughts of the hidden jewelry versus the rings and things she had found in Juliana's magnificent jewelry box kept her awake. She assumed that the jewelry had been hidden for a reason—but why? Juliana had worn the jewelry in the chest on her dresser—some of it Winna remembered. They were gifts from her husband and parents, things she'd bought herself. Winna thought of the canary diamond and its value. While the things in Juliana's jewelry box were costly and lovely, they could not touch that ring in value—and the jewels they had found that night, especially the ancient rosary which could be of museum quality, dwarfed the yellow diamond ring. Did Gramma have a love affair with a prince? Winna's head spun wondering if she should get a larger safe deposit box.

She could not sleep and padded down to the kitchen for a drink. When she opened the cupboard door where she kept the Johnny Walker, she half expected a hoard of precious jewels to tumble out like a pirate chest emptied on the sand. She splashed some scotch into a glass—about half an inch. Thinking it looked a bit meager, she splashed another half inch and dropped in some ice. She intended to lie in bed with the light on and anesthetize herself.

AFTER A
LATE BREAKFAST
, Winna spent a couple of hours working outside. It wasn't hot, but sunny enough for sunglasses. She looked in the garage for Juliana's old galvanized watering can and couldn't find it, then went back inside. Had she seen it in the basement? Opening the basement door, she flipped on the light and began her descent. One of the stairs seemed to wobble. To steady herself she took hold of the railing.

All of a sudden, Winna felt the railing let go. Instinctively, she reached for the rail on the other side, but too late. She let out a yelp and fell. Already halfway down the stairs, she did not have far to fall, but followed the rail as it broke off to her left, landing on her side among shattered pieces of wood.

She lay there a moment on the cold earthen floor trying to understand what had happened. Across the basement lay the two holes hacked by her burglar. Winna rolled over on her hands and knees. The room spun. Deciding she needed to get her bearings before she tried to stand, she sat a while feeling utterly surprised and foolish. One side of her face and her hip hurt and she was shaking. Her sunglasses lay broken and twisted across the floor.

Still afraid to stand, Winna tried to assess her situation. She moved one leg, then the other to see if she could. Nothing seemed broken. Still she felt too weak and dizzy to stand.

She heard the kitchen door open and close. Surprised by her sudden terror, she tried again to get up on her hands and knees. Pain stabbed her shoulder and hip and she fell back to the floor.

“Winna?”

It was a man's voice and she was a wounded animal hiding below, afraid to answer. She heard him walk into the hall, calling her name. The footsteps returned to the kitchen, to the open door at the top of the stairs. “Winna?”

It was Seth. She shuddered and raised one hand to her face—the cheek stung. She felt terrified and embarrassed at the same time.

Seth saw her. “What happened?” He started down the stairs.

Winna could see from the concern on his face that he would not harm her. “Be careful,” she called. “One of the steps is loose.”

Seth came gingerly the rest of the way. “What happened?”

“I was gardening and needed something down here—I fell. One of the steps—I feel so silly—I can't get up.”

He got to his haunches. “Let's see if everything moves.” He asked her to move her arms and legs. “Does that hurt?”

“No, but when I roll over and try to stand, I get dizzy.”

“You're just shook up. Sit flat on your bum and raise your knees. Now give me both of your hands.” He braced his feet against hers and pulled. Winna was on her feet, dizzy, but upright and nothing felt broken.

“Don't let go of me,” she begged.

Winna described how she had fallen and Seth slowly helped her up the stairs, testing each step before he stood on it. Once in the kitchen, he stopped to look at her face.

“You scraped your cheek and are going to have a black eye,” he said, pulling out a chair at the table and helping her sit down. He packed a kitchen towel with ice and handed it to her. “Here, put this on your left eye.”

“Thanks. I think I'd better find a chiropractor for the rest of me.”

“You just sit there. I'm going to make you a cup of tea, then I'll take a look at that railing.”

“I hurt, Seth. Do you mind getting some aspirin out of that cupboard?” She pointed.

Seth made tea and handed her a glass of water and the pills, then disappeared down the stairs. The tea tasted good. She sipped it slowly, promising herself a second cup, but first she wanted to take the pills and lie down. Carefully, she limped to the parlor and stretched out on the sofa. She slept soundly and woke to the sound of hammering.

Cautiously, Winna got up and made her way toward the sound. “Seth,” she called to the figure crouched below on the stairs. “What's going on?”

He stopped working and took a nail out of his mouth. “A number of these stairs are loose. It's a wonder you didn't fall from the first step.”

“Come up. I want to talk. I'll make tea.”

“How about coffee—and I'll make it,” he said, stepping carefully up the stairs.

While Seth puttered around making coffee, he told her that the railing would have to be rebuilt and that several steps near the top of the stairs had stripped nail holes.

“You were lucky. If you'd put your weight down wrong on one of those, the step would've let go.”

“Oh, Lord. Maybe you should check all the stairs in the house.” Winna thought impatiently of her list of things that still needed doing.

“I'll do that. When did you have that railing worked on?” he asked, handing her a mug of coffee. “It looks like someone touched up the paint recently.”

“That can't be. I haven't had any work done down there.”

WINNA HAD A gruesome looking black eye. She had received an adjustment on her hip from a young chiropractor who cheerily informed her that falls were the number one reason for accidental deaths in elderly women. She spent the following days taking it easy, feeling stiff, sore, and—elderly.

Chloe and Todd said they would drop by for a visit on Sunday after Winna got home from church. Winna was not looking forward to seeing her sister. She'd had time to think back, to stew over what Chloe had said and done when she found the rosary and was not ready to forgive her. She didn't know why Chloe felt so free to put her down for her faith or why she had tossed Winna so many critical little asides over the years. Winna didn't know how to deflect these comments and when she had tossed them back in the form of a protest or in anger, Chloe would say she was too sensitive—that she took everything personally. Chloe seemed to think that taking things personally was far worse than carelessly saying something hurtful.

When she looked at her own behavior toward her sister, she thought of herself as understanding. She tried not to show her disapproval and was sure that she had hidden her judgments about Chloe's casual approach to motherhood and all the men she'd lived with between marriages. She wondered if the undercurrents of her real feelings showed. Maybe Chloe was psychic—maybe that's why she seemed not to trust her, why she sniped at her?

Now, when they stood face to face, there was a huge gulf between them and Winna did not know how to build a bridge. She wondered what it would take to reconcile, to feel natural together again.

WHEN WINNA OPENED the kitchen door and saw Chloe and Todd standing there, she welcomed her sister warmly. “I'm so glad you guys could stop by.” To distract from her lie, she smiled broadly. “What do you think of my beautiful black eye?”

“Good job, Winnie.” Todd handed her a bunch of gaily colored supermarket flowers. “So you fell down the basement stairs?”

“How sweet. You brought me flowers.” She hugged him.

“Sorry we didn't get here sooner,” Chloe said, pushing past Winna. She dropped her handbag on the kitchen table next to a stack of books and sat down. “Are you okay?”

“Yes, as I said on the phone, I'm fine. Just a bit banged up.”

Chloe reached for one of the books in the stack beside her. “Gramma's jewelry book.
A Thousand Years of Jewelry
. Have you looked up the ring I want—the big blue and green opal?”

“Actually, I have and it's called a black opal.”

“Chloe told me about all the fun you gals had the other night,” Todd said, his eyes smiling.

“Let's go see them now—I want to show Todd.” Chloe grabbed Winna's hand and pulled her toward the stairs. “Come on, Todd.”

Chloe led Todd up the stairs toward the guest room. Winna followed. “They're in here,” she said, running into the room, pulling the cushion off the window seat. She lifted the hinged lid and got down on her knees turning her head to look up at her husband. “Wait till you see these.”

She reached in and felt around, then stuck her head inside the opening. “My God, Winna, the jewels are gone.”