The Critchfield Locket Read Free Page A

Katherine?”
    “Oh Margaret, I am so sorry for startling you. I must have drifted off to sleep.” Kate could hear some commotion outside of the room, but before she could properly cover up, Mrs. Thompson barged in. Kate squealed once again. The frightful look upon Mrs. Thompson’s face was soon replaced with anger, anger directed towards Margaret.
    “What has happened?”
    “I left Ms. Dornacher to tend to herself.”
    “I asked her to. I must have drifted off to sleep after I made her leave the room. I, I had a frightful dream, that is all.”
    Mrs. Thompson slipped out the door briefly to speak with Mr. Baxter. “Everything is all right, she merely had a terrible dream. Tell Mr. Bennett we apologize if we have disturbed him.”
    Kate decided she would allow Margaret to assist her in order to avoid any more mishaps.
    “Mrs. Mary, do we have fresh clothing for Ms. Dornacher? I would hate to see her fine gown over-worn.”
    “Yes Margaret, I would agree, but for now she will have to wear it. I will ask Mrs. Dickson to bring over some ready-made clothing that might appeal to Ms. Dornacher until new, suitable items can be acquired.”
    Kate looked between the two women as they discussed what to do with her. Although their decisions made sense, Kate resented the fact that she was not even consulted.  As she waited there in her room, her thoughts went back to her dream. She could remember being terrified, but the details, the details she could not remember. She was not sure if she really wanted to remember.
    She walked over to one of the room’s south facing windows. The view from the guest room overlooked the gardens and beyond them, at the very edge of the property, train tracks could be spotted. She saw movement below as Mr. Bennett strolled through the spring garden. He took a seat at a well dressed table as Ms. Rusch approached with a tray of coffee. Kate watched as Mr. Bennett sipped his hot coffee in quiet solitude. Then to her surprise, he looked up, in her direction. At such a distance, she could not clearly read his expression and quickly pulled away from the window. She did not want him to think she was intrusive.
    Margaret soon returned to the room followed by a woman whose clothes were finely made. Two men followed behind the woman, each carrying a large trunk. After placing their loads where they had been instructed, the men bowed and quietly left the room.
    “Good morning, I am Mrs. Dickson. You must be Ms. Dornacher.”
    “ Katherine, please call me Katherine.”
    “Then you must call me Rose, for that is what my friends all do.”
    Rose was wearing a beautiful skirt and jacket ensemble made of fine green silk. Her blouse was white with intricately detailed lace and a high collar.  She appeared to be close in age to Kate and her gentle demeanor and a warm smile helped Kate relax for the first time since she had arrived. While Rose unpacked the clothing from the trunks, she began asking questions.
    “What can you tell me about yourself? What are your favorite colors, material, and styles?”
    Kate pondered the questions a few moments, a few too long for Rose’s comfort.
    “Oh my dear, I am truly sorry. These are the standard questions that I ask of all of my clients.”
    “It is quite alright. Please do not trouble yourself over my inability to readily answer. My memories are so jumbled right now, but I do believe that I am fond of the color blue. As for style and material, I will leave that up to you.” She smiled at Rose who then reached over and took her hand.
    “I do believe we will get along just fine.”
    Rose was relieved that her meeting with Kate had gone so well. Although she had many friendly acquaintances, she missed the closeness she had with her dear friend Emily Critchfield. With Kate, she felt the beginnings of that same kind of kinship. Although they were all unsure as to how or why Kate had happened upon them, Rose was hopeful that Kate would find a place close by, she wanted