The Secret of the Stone House (9 page)

Emily set her load of boxes on the nearest table and watched her mom and aunt.

“How about a compromise?” Emily suggested. She didn’t want to waste any more time.

Aunt Liz looked at Emily in surprise. “Okay, we’ll leave them in one row, but leave gaps every few tables so people can get through. Will that satisfy you, Miss Bossy Boots?”

“Fine,” Kate answered sourly, snapping the legs up on another folding table. “Just quit calling me that!”

Emily laughed at her mom’s childhood nickname.

As she carried more boxes out, Emily wondered what to do about Geordie. She wanted to be his friend, and she’d just have to go back and convince him of that. It didn’t matter if he believed they were related or not. When she finished helping with the boxes, she’d go back and try to talk to him.

Gerald and Donald Ferguson arrived about an hour later, along with a couple of other men and one of the
auctioneers. Together, they hauled the rest of the smaller equipment, tools, and assorted farm gear out of the Quonset and bins. The auctioneer made suggestions on where to place everything. A cheery atmosphere prevailed, with everyone chatting and calling out instructions. Emily was happy to be part of the group working together, but she felt sad to see all her grandparents’ belongings strewn about the yard for all to inspect. She’d give anything to be able to go back to when her grandmother was alive.

By the time Emily finished helping clear out the veranda, it was noon. All the boxes were laid out, but unpacked. They’d do that early the next morning, just before the auctioneers arrived. Overnight, they’d keep them safe from the weather under plastic tarps.

As she worked, Emily had kept alert for anything resembling a small box that would take her small key, but nothing came close. She ambled over to the other side of the yard and inspected everything there, half-heartedly poking into boxes, bins, and buckets of bolts.

“Needing something special?” Donald asked, carrying a paint sprayer from the tool shed.

“No, just taking a last look,” she said, not willing to tell him the real reason. “Making sure something isn’t getting sold that I might want,” she added with a grin.

“Don’t let your mom hear you say that!” he laughed, setting the paint sprayer in place on the ground.

“Has she been talking to you about me?” asked Emily annoyed.

“No, ma’am,” he grinned. “I just know what she’s like.”

“You seem to know her pretty well,” Emily fished for more information.

“Somewhat. We dated in high school,” said Donald, heading back into the shed. He emerged with a box of nozzles, hoses, and other gadgets.

High school sweethearts. Emily wrinkled up her nose at the thought. Somehow, she couldn’t picture her mom as a carefree teenager with a boyfriend like Donald. She seemed too serious for that.

“How long did you go out?” asked Emily.

“Three or four years. Right up until we both left for university.” He wound the cord back around the paint sprayer.

Emily sat on the edge of a stack of boards. “Couldn’t you continue to see each other?” she asked, not bothering to hide her curiosity.

“We moved to different cities at opposite ends of the country,” he answered.

“You still could have written and seen each other on holidays. What happened?”

“Your dad happened,” Donald shrugged his shoulders.

“Oh.” Emily didn’t know what else to say.

“Life’s like that sometimes,” he said, straightening up.

Suddenly, Emily heard her name called.

“Don’t talk Donald’s ear off, Emily,” her mom called across the yard. “We could use your help with lunch.”

“Coming,” Emily replied, relieved at escaping from an uncomfortable situation. She turned to Donald, “See you later.”

He nodded and headed back into the shed.

With the five men joining them in the kitchen for lunch, Emily could easily observe Donald and her mom without being noticed. They seemed to be doing their best to avoid each other, although she did catch them eyeing one another across the table. Once Donald caught Kate looking at him and she glanced away, her face flushing. For two people who hadn’t seen each other in a long time, they sure were keeping track of one another. Emily decided she’d ask Aunt Liz more about their early romance. Her mom probably wouldn’t tell her.

As they cleaned up the kitchen, Emily had other thoughts on her mind. She waited until they were alone, then she approached her mom, “Mom, is there any way we could keep this house?”

Astonished, Kate stared at her. “Of course not! Whatever would you want to do that for?”

“It’s special. Your grandfather built it. You grew up here. We should keep it in the family.” Emily felt the pride growing inside her again.

Kate groaned. “Emily we’ve been through all this before. We have to let this place go!”

“I know we can’t keep up with the farm, and Gerald’s letting us use the house for a while. But why couldn’t we buy it back from him? You know, just keep the house and the yard.”

“We can’t afford the upkeep. And you know none of us has the time to worry about the place.” Kate seemed exasperated. “Subject closed!”

Deflated, Emily dried the dishes without another word. Aunt Liz, who had just entered the room, avoided looking at either of them.

Finally, Kate broke the silence. “How are you doing with finding the box that fits the key?”

“Not so good,” Emily admitted. “I don’t know where to look. Do you have any ideas?”

“None so far,” said her mom, wiping off the counters.

“He probably hid it somewhere and forgot where,” Aunt Liz teased.

“You know, that’s a possibility,” said Kate.

“You’re a genius,” Emily added.

“Not quite,” Aunt Liz said. “Just because he built secret compartments in desks, doesn’t mean he hid the box.”

“But it makes sense, doesn’t it?” asked Emily. “We already know it can’t be anywhere out in the open. We’ve sorted, cleaned, packed, moved, and otherwise gone over this entire house centimetre by centimetre.”

“True!” Aunt Liz agreed.

Suddenly Emily thought about the outbuildings. “Would he have hidden it outside somewhere?”

“I doubt it,” said her mom.

“He would have been more careful than that,” Aunt Liz agreed.

“Well, do you have ideas where it might be, then?”

Jokingly, her mom said, “Let’s just hope he didn’t hide it behind a stone like in one of those old English mysteries!”

Aunt Liz groaned. “Could you imagine trying to find a loose stone in this big house?”

The two of them started to laugh, but Emily interrupted them.

“That’s not such a far-fetched idea,” Emily said seriously. “It would make sense wouldn’t it?”

Thoughtfully, they considered the options.

“Well, it wouldn’t be just any old stone,” Aunt Liz said. “It would have to be in a special, well-thought-out place. That’s the kind of man he was.”

“I didn’t know him,” said Kate.

“Really?” Emily looked at her mother, hoping she’d continue.

“No, he died just after I was born.”

“Yes, I was quite young when he died, and I’m ten years older than your mom,” Aunt Liz confirmed.

“Do you have any of these dates written down anywhere?” asked Emily.

Her mom shook her head, looking over at Aunt Liz.

“Not that I know of,” Aunt Liz said, thinking hard. “But you know, if anyone knew if there was any hidden place, it would be your Aunt Maggie.”

“Let’s call her,” Emily said.

Aunt Liz smiled. “No can do. She’s in New Zealand for another two weeks.”

“Darn,” said Emily. “Isn’t there anyone else?”

“No,” said her mom. “No one else took any interest in the family history.”

“Maybe Uncle Ian would know about a hiding place?”

“We can ask him,” her mom agreed. “But we’ll have to do it later. We have to slip into town now and pick up those supplies for serving coffee at the auction tomorrow.”

“Agreed,” said Aunt Liz. “So much for an early morning start. If we don’t get a move on right now, the stores will be closing for the night.”

“Do you have the list?” asked Kate, searching for her car keys.

Aunt Liz nodded, grabbing it off the kitchen counter.

Before Emily had a chance to ask if she could give Uncle Ian a call, they were already out the door.

“Make sure you stay put, Emily,” her mom called as she got into the car.

Emily didn’t respond. She watched them drive out of the yard, followed shortly afterwards by the Fergusons and the other men. Now was her chance to make a quick trip back to the past and deal with Geordie. She had to make him understand their connection. Even if he wouldn’t believe it, he had to realize that she was his friend.

At the outcropping of rocks, Emily braced herself for her talk with Geordie. She thought about showing him their family photograph, but he’d just say she’d found it in the house somewhere. All she could do was try to explain the situation to him. If he didn’t believe her, there was nothing else she could do.

She used the stone and the sentinel rock to transport herself back to the past, then slid the stone into her pocket. Stumbling over the uneven ground, she headed to the sod homestead site first. Even before she arrived, she knew the family wasn’t there. Quickly, she followed the path behind the barn and aimed for the stone house, wondering what she might say to Geordie. Would he even acknowledge her?

When she reached the crest of the hill, she was astonished to see the exterior walls and roof of the house finished. Although there was no glass in the windows, the shutters were attached. Forms made of rough planks for building the stone steps were in place. She couldn’t make out who they were, but two of the men worked on levelling them. She could hear hammering inside.

She slid behind a stand of trees situated halfway to the house and peered about. In the distance, on the south side of the house, she noticed a garden with figures bending over the plants. Just beyond it was a field of corn and a huge potato patch. She moved closer for a better look.

The two youngest girls, Katie and Beth, were picking peas into wooden pails, while Bella and Geordie’s mom sat in the shade of a poplar tree and shelled them into a huge tin bowl. Then Emily noticed another little person bobbing through the cornfield, and she knew it was Molly. Emily drew back behind the corner of the house, so Molly wouldn’t see her and cause a fuss while the others were around. Obviously there was no way she was going to see her alone this time. Ducking around to the other side of the house, she watched Geordie’s dad and oldest brother Sandy working on the steps for a while.

Then she skulked around to the back door, carefully climbing up an inclined plank to peer inside. Jack and Duncan had two kitchen walls completely framed. She watched as they worked on the dining room.

A few minutes later, she realized they were constructing the framework for the fireplace. Fascinated, she observed them as they worked, running floor joists close together under the base to support the weight of the stones that would later be added. At one point, they cut one of the joists shorter, so that it didn’t come out all the way, which left a wider opening at the front, almost as if they were leaving a gap on purpose. They seemed to be assembling some kind of enclosure inside it. Perhaps it was for an air vent of some kind. She leaned in for a better view.

All at once, she felt the plank sway beneath her. Her breath caught in her throat as she looked around and saw Geordie lifting the other end. He gave the board a little wiggle, then set it down again. Emily felt all her muscles tighten. But when he looked up at her, he smiled. She relaxed.

“Trying to make me walk the gangplank?” she asked playfully.

“Who’s there?” Duncan asked from inside.

Geordie and Emily froze.

“I am,” Geordie answered.

“Well, quit fooling around and do some work,” Jack called to him.

Geordie motioned for Emily to follow him. They dashed around the corner of the house and he led her behind the caragana bushes where they wouldn’t be overheard. They didn’t say a word until they were out of sight.

“I’m glad you came back,” he said.

“I couldn’t stay away,” she said, happy that he was speaking to her again. “I didn’t mean to upset you.”

“I do apologize for the way I treated you a few days ago,” Geordie said, “so let’s not talk about it again.”

“Apology accepted. But you said a few days ago? It was just this morning in my time.” This worried her. “There don’t seem to be any rules about the way time changes here compared to my life,” she complained.

“I’m happy to see you whenever you come,” said Geordie.

Emily shook her head, “But I can never plan anything.”

“We don’t usually do anything special,” he said. “Although, my brother Sandy is getting married at the end of the week. You might find that a wee bit of fun.”

“Oh, yes, I’d love to be here,” said Emily. “But we’d have to figure out when I needed to come.”