Chapter Two: Miss Archer
Miss Archer seems to me, a respectable person. She happies herself with her work, as indeed, I came downstairs this morning to a clean house, and she does not seem the type of person to cause trouble about the village. Even now she is at the church in prayer for her recently deceased mother, I know little about this, and do not feel to ask. She seems, also, to be fascinated by science, the ways in which poisons are hidden, evidence collected and how guilty party's go about trying to conceal themselves from the law. I have not told her about my experience in Sleepy Hollow, that is part of my history, I would like to forget.
And now, she has returned from church. I see she is weeping, so I take her in my arms in a comforting hold.
"Is it your mother? Claire?" I ask.
"Yes, Mr. Crane. I miss her so terribly. I never knew her for most of my life, but when I did I loved her like no other, and it pains me greatly to know she is gone," she replies.
"Come, come."
"I am sorry, Mr. Crane, you must think me silly," she says, dabbing her eyes with a handkerchief. "I have work to do." She pulls from my hold and walks into the kitchen. I do not like seeing her so upset. The loss of her mother must be a terrible thing to her, like it was to me.
"Miss. Archer?" I ask, following her into the kitchen. She turns around. "I know what it is like to lose a mother. If you would ever like to talk, I would understand."
"Mr. Crane," she begins. But I can not carry on letting her use my full title.
"Ichabod," I insist.
"When did your mother pass away?" I walk to her, and hold her again, in part for her eyes began to weep tears and partly because I felt them behind my own eyes.
"When I was young, she was a very loving, gentle person, with great power. It was for her power she was killed. She was accused of witchcraft and executed." My own tears fall onto her dark hair and I hold her tighter.
"Ichabod, I am so sorry," she says, fresh tears appearing in her eyes.
"It's alright," I reply. And it is. There is always heartache when someone you love leaves you, both my mother and Katrina had done so, although under different circumstances, and part of me always longs for them, and part of me knows to let them go, and celebrate what I have now.
Soon, the delicious smell of chicken and lemon is coming from the kitchen, I had been writing in the study, but could not resist to enter the kitchen. Claire is at the sink, washing I assume, while a steaming chicken rests on the middle of the table, surrounded by vegetables even I knew not we had. Claire wipes her hands, and then joins me at the table.
"I hope you like chicken?" she asks, and I nod.
"One of my favorite birds," I reply. We both tuck in to the dinner, after which we retire to the drawing room.
"Ichabod," Claire gets my attention. "What do you do to sustain a house like this?"
"Well, previously to moving to Merry Fellon, I lived in New York City, where I was a constable, investigating scenes of crime."
"Why did you leave?" she asks.
"The woman I loved left me. At the moment it is a difficult subject."
"Oh, Ichabod. I do apologize, I never meant to stir bad memories, I am sorry."
"It is nothing. What of your past?"
"I worked for a family as a maid since I was very young." I can sense this is a difficult subject also. "I think I shall retire to bed," she announces. I agree and follow her up towards her room, but continue until my own.
I awake the following morning to Claire knocking at my door. I allow her to enter and she brings in some breakfast on a tray. She has clearly been up for hours as she looks pristine.
"I do not expect this, Claire. You are an angel," I thank her, beginning on my breakfast. She asks where the nearest apocathery is. I ask her why she would like to know such a fact as she sits down at the foot of my bed.
"Because I need something to poison the rats."
"Rats?"
"Yes, you must be walking about with your eyes closed not to see them." I tell her I will stop at the apocathery myself as I return from some business out of Merry Fellon.
"I will be gone all day, so you will be in the house by yourself, and I shall dine out as well, so nothing need be prepared for my dinner, thank you."
That evening, I returned to Merry Fellon in uproar.