Philadelphia, September 1924.
Eliza hesitated before going in. It had been just over four years since she had been inside this house, and whilst the outside façade remained unchanging Eliza knew that there were more than likely a lot of changes inside.
Taking a deep breath she went to open the door, but it was opened, and she had to jump back to avoid being hit by it.
"Hello. Miss Eliza I presume?" An elderly man with an English accent asked.
Eliza nodded. "Yes. I'm sorry, I don't believe I know you?" She asked.
"Mr. Jackson. The Hockley's butler." The man said, drawing himself up as he spoke, alerting Eliza to the fact that he took his position very seriously indeed.
"Well Mr. Jackson where is my guardian? I assume he's expecting me?" Eliza asked.
"He is in his study awaiting you. He was hoping you would arrive earlier so that he would be able to go for a walk with his wife and the children, but not to be helped is it?"
Eliza shook her head, and walked down the hallway to Cal's study. As she walked her eyes darted around the house. The dark colors, such as reds and browns which seemed so rich and powerful to her when she first arrived back in 1914 were gone. Instead they were replaced with soft, pastel colors, all of which screamed of a feminine influence. The thought made Eliza smile; maybe Cal had changed a little over the past few years, because the old Cal wouldn't have let anyone change anything. He thought his house was distinguished looking, and wouldn't want anyone to think anything else. Eliza bit back her smile as she knocked on the door of Cal's study. There was the rustle of papers before his gruff "Enter!"
Eliza opened the door and slipped inside.
Cal stood to greet her, shaking her hand briefly. As she shook his hand Eliza was studying him. Whilst his hair revealed more than a few grey hairs, and the lines around his face showed he was no longer a young man his eyes were brighter than the usual middle aged mans. And, she realised, he looked happier than she had ever seen him!
"Welcome home Eliza, you've grown up since I saw you last. How long ago was that now?" He asked, sitting back down.
Eliza sat down herself. "It was April, not that long ago." She said.
"April? My, how time flies." Cal said reflectively. Then he shook his head, to get his mind back to the present. "Well Eliza I am sorry that I wasn't able to secure you another position at the moment. Money is beginning to be a little scarce-although it's hardly cause for alarm. And any of my friends who could afford a governess already have one, or have no need for one."
Eliza sighed to herself. She too had spent time looking for work. Every Sunday the paper from New York advertised positions, but she'd had no luck.
"So, what I thought when I sent for you to come here, was that you could stay here until you find something." Cal said.
Eliza raised an eyebrow. "And what does Melanie think of this?" She asked.
Cal looked a little shocked at her question. "What?" he asked.
"I know Amanda was not exactly fond of me being here, so I wondered whether or not Melanie had any similar problems with it." Eliza replied candidly. But she wasn't a child anymore and had no reason not to express her feelings. "I don't want to cause any problems between you two."
Cal hastened to assure her that she was not causing any problems. "Melanie thinks what I've done for you is a wonderful thing. She was more than agreeable to you coming back here." He told Eliza, but his eyes didn't quite meet hers, leaving her to wonder whether Melanie had been 'more than agreeable' at all.
"And the children will enjoy having another person to play with. Nathan turned two the other month, and Evelyn is one in a month or so. They're gorgeous children Eliza. It's funny you know." here he mused more to himself than to Eliza. "if someone had of told me I'd love my children like I do, I'd have thought they were crazy. When Rose and I used to speak of children, and she'd say she wanted a big family I used to think about hiring governess' and nurses and not seeing the children more than possible. It was the same with Amanda, but it's different now, with Melanie. I love spending time with the whole family, and I've realised how rewarding it is to see them walk, hear them talk.."
Eliza didn't speak. She didn't want to interrupt his reverie, but he was over anyway.
"Anyway Melanie is out with the kids. They went for a walk. When they get back I can introduce you all properly. And I'm sure you noticed the butler?"
Eliza nodded.
"An old English idea, but it helps Melanie feel at home. That's why I let her redecorate also!" Cal explained.
"It looks very nice." Eliza said politely.
"Yes, well." Cal shrugged. "Decorating was never my thing. Nor was it my Father's either."
Eliza nodded again, lost for a response to that comment.
Cal sighed, and stood up. "Anyway your room is ready for you. I'm putting you back in your old room so that you can begin to feel at home as soon as possible. If you want to go up and rest, or freshen up, I'll send one of the maids up to get you later?"
Eliza nodded, and stood up. She was a little stiff from the long journey, and the idea of a rest appealed to her greatly.
"Oh, and Eliza?" Cal asked on her way out. "Did you hear about your old schoolfriend Annabelle?"
"No, what happened to her?" Eliza asked.
"She got married last month. It was the largest wedding I've been to in many years. A marriage of convenience if you ask me, but Annabelle seemed to be happy enough." Cal said.
Eliza sighed, as she went up the stairs to her room. More than likely Annabelle's parents, worried that their daughter might be an old maid, had made what they thought was a suitable match. And Annabelle generally let them get their way with things! Eliza opened her door and looked into her room. A warm feeling came over her as she realised that this was where she considered 'home.' Maybe she didn't have a conventional home, but she had something, and that was more than she could have hoped for her if Cal hadn't taken her in after the sinking. Many, many times she'd thought of what would have happened to her if Cal hadn't offered to take her in. With a little yawn, she flopped down on the familiar bed, and was soon asleep.
Eliza hesitated before going in. It had been just over four years since she had been inside this house, and whilst the outside façade remained unchanging Eliza knew that there were more than likely a lot of changes inside.
Taking a deep breath she went to open the door, but it was opened, and she had to jump back to avoid being hit by it.
"Hello. Miss Eliza I presume?" An elderly man with an English accent asked.
Eliza nodded. "Yes. I'm sorry, I don't believe I know you?" She asked.
"Mr. Jackson. The Hockley's butler." The man said, drawing himself up as he spoke, alerting Eliza to the fact that he took his position very seriously indeed.
"Well Mr. Jackson where is my guardian? I assume he's expecting me?" Eliza asked.
"He is in his study awaiting you. He was hoping you would arrive earlier so that he would be able to go for a walk with his wife and the children, but not to be helped is it?"
Eliza shook her head, and walked down the hallway to Cal's study. As she walked her eyes darted around the house. The dark colors, such as reds and browns which seemed so rich and powerful to her when she first arrived back in 1914 were gone. Instead they were replaced with soft, pastel colors, all of which screamed of a feminine influence. The thought made Eliza smile; maybe Cal had changed a little over the past few years, because the old Cal wouldn't have let anyone change anything. He thought his house was distinguished looking, and wouldn't want anyone to think anything else. Eliza bit back her smile as she knocked on the door of Cal's study. There was the rustle of papers before his gruff "Enter!"
Eliza opened the door and slipped inside.
Cal stood to greet her, shaking her hand briefly. As she shook his hand Eliza was studying him. Whilst his hair revealed more than a few grey hairs, and the lines around his face showed he was no longer a young man his eyes were brighter than the usual middle aged mans. And, she realised, he looked happier than she had ever seen him!
"Welcome home Eliza, you've grown up since I saw you last. How long ago was that now?" He asked, sitting back down.
Eliza sat down herself. "It was April, not that long ago." She said.
"April? My, how time flies." Cal said reflectively. Then he shook his head, to get his mind back to the present. "Well Eliza I am sorry that I wasn't able to secure you another position at the moment. Money is beginning to be a little scarce-although it's hardly cause for alarm. And any of my friends who could afford a governess already have one, or have no need for one."
Eliza sighed to herself. She too had spent time looking for work. Every Sunday the paper from New York advertised positions, but she'd had no luck.
"So, what I thought when I sent for you to come here, was that you could stay here until you find something." Cal said.
Eliza raised an eyebrow. "And what does Melanie think of this?" She asked.
Cal looked a little shocked at her question. "What?" he asked.
"I know Amanda was not exactly fond of me being here, so I wondered whether or not Melanie had any similar problems with it." Eliza replied candidly. But she wasn't a child anymore and had no reason not to express her feelings. "I don't want to cause any problems between you two."
Cal hastened to assure her that she was not causing any problems. "Melanie thinks what I've done for you is a wonderful thing. She was more than agreeable to you coming back here." He told Eliza, but his eyes didn't quite meet hers, leaving her to wonder whether Melanie had been 'more than agreeable' at all.
"And the children will enjoy having another person to play with. Nathan turned two the other month, and Evelyn is one in a month or so. They're gorgeous children Eliza. It's funny you know." here he mused more to himself than to Eliza. "if someone had of told me I'd love my children like I do, I'd have thought they were crazy. When Rose and I used to speak of children, and she'd say she wanted a big family I used to think about hiring governess' and nurses and not seeing the children more than possible. It was the same with Amanda, but it's different now, with Melanie. I love spending time with the whole family, and I've realised how rewarding it is to see them walk, hear them talk.."
Eliza didn't speak. She didn't want to interrupt his reverie, but he was over anyway.
"Anyway Melanie is out with the kids. They went for a walk. When they get back I can introduce you all properly. And I'm sure you noticed the butler?"
Eliza nodded.
"An old English idea, but it helps Melanie feel at home. That's why I let her redecorate also!" Cal explained.
"It looks very nice." Eliza said politely.
"Yes, well." Cal shrugged. "Decorating was never my thing. Nor was it my Father's either."
Eliza nodded again, lost for a response to that comment.
Cal sighed, and stood up. "Anyway your room is ready for you. I'm putting you back in your old room so that you can begin to feel at home as soon as possible. If you want to go up and rest, or freshen up, I'll send one of the maids up to get you later?"
Eliza nodded, and stood up. She was a little stiff from the long journey, and the idea of a rest appealed to her greatly.
"Oh, and Eliza?" Cal asked on her way out. "Did you hear about your old schoolfriend Annabelle?"
"No, what happened to her?" Eliza asked.
"She got married last month. It was the largest wedding I've been to in many years. A marriage of convenience if you ask me, but Annabelle seemed to be happy enough." Cal said.
Eliza sighed, as she went up the stairs to her room. More than likely Annabelle's parents, worried that their daughter might be an old maid, had made what they thought was a suitable match. And Annabelle generally let them get their way with things! Eliza opened her door and looked into her room. A warm feeling came over her as she realised that this was where she considered 'home.' Maybe she didn't have a conventional home, but she had something, and that was more than she could have hoped for her if Cal hadn't taken her in after the sinking. Many, many times she'd thought of what would have happened to her if Cal hadn't offered to take her in. With a little yawn, she flopped down on the familiar bed, and was soon asleep.