Chapter Eleven

A Treasure Hunt

Suzette came crashing into the 'daisy room', startling Erik from his work. She was so excited that she slammed her arm into the door jam as she came in and now stood grasping it and hopping up and down in her bare feet as she tried to tell Erik what had happened.

"What has happened to you, my lovely little girl?"

"I was just over with Madame Colette, helping her with her flowers, and some children from down the road came up and started playing in her yard. You know how Madame is with children and of course she invited them all in for some sweets."

Erik stared at Suzette. Her eyes were wide and she was near trembling with excitement.

"Where are your shoes?" he asked in a scolding tone.

"Never mind that! Listen! One of the children was looking at one of Madame's little figurines. You know, her house is just full of things like that?" Erik did not know. He had never been inside Madame Colette's house before. He knew that Suzette knew this but he let her continue.

"This little figurine was of Cinderella, all dressed for the ball in her golden dress and silver slippers and the little girl had already fallen in love with it. So, Madame took the little treasure down from the shelf and handed it to her. Then she said 'I have so many little people that it's hard to keep them all clean and neat. I don't suppose you could keep Cinderella for me?' The little girl was delighted with the honor of looking after Cinderella and she sat silently, holding her until she and the others left."

"How lovely, but why has that left you so excited?"

"Because it reminded me of how, once, my father gave something to me to look after. He was at his desk working with his papers and things and I came into the room and crawled into his lap. He gave me an envelope from his desk and asked me if I wasn't a big enough girl to find a good safe place for important papers."

"What was in it?" Erik asked her, now quite excited as well.

"I didn't look! I went, right away, and put it in the safest place I could think of."

"The treasure box?"

"I'll bet it's still in there! Please Erik, come with me and help me look?" Erik rose from the organ, pleased at being included in this new adventure.

"A treasure hunt!" he exclaimed.

They climbed the steps hand in hand and entered the 'story book' room. Suzette pulled out the same old trunk, which she and Erik had salvaged years before. Erik smiled to himself when he saw the painted elves and princesses again. He watched his little garcon manqué as she blew away the dust and lovingly removed the items. There were many sketches that she had drawn and shiny rocks, which she had collected. There were old-fashioned jewelry and long, white gloves.

"They were my mother's," she told him softly, "From her wedding."

"They're lovely", Erik whispered fondly, "I'd like to see you wear them someday." Next came a Holy Communion veil and a well-loved Elizabeth.

"Ah! The lovely lady who kept you company so many nights!"

"I'm too big for her now." Suzette said sadly as she kissed her face. Erik watched, enchanted, as shining stars and paper flowers emerged from the trunk. He pointed out those he recognized. He nearly cried out with delight when he saw the gold coin that Suzette had received from Father Christmas so many years ago. Then, at the very bottom of the treasure box, there was a framed portrait of a woman who could only be Suzette's mother. Suzette stared at the picture for a long time. Erik wondered if she would cry.

"Maman was a pretty lady, wasn't she?" Erik chose from the pile of Suzette's mother's jewelry, a very lovely string of pearls and pulled Suzette close as he fastened it round her neck.

"Yes, my dear little Suzette. She was. Just like you." She fingered the round, cool little pearls. She wished that she could be a grand lady like her mother. She thought of Thomas and Aurelie. How could she have ever expected him to fall in love with a girl who didn't even wear any shoes?

"It's not here?" asked Erik, breaking the silence.

"Oh, yes it is." She smiled as she turned over the frame of her mother's portrait and unfastened the back of it. Out slid the envelope. Erik laughed.

" Your Papa was right to give it to you." She opened the envelope proudly and leaned on his shoulder so they could both read.

My Dear Suzette,

I write this letter for you in hopes that it will be an answer to the questions I know that you will have. I know that it is wrong for a young girl to grow up with no mother or motherly figure to guide her, but it must be so much harder for you, my little flower, who has no one to love but a sickly old man. You know I love you with all my heart and what wouldn't I give to have some sort of family for you, but perhaps this letter, which I mean to be a record of your history, will comfort you with some knowledge of your own heritage.

I was born the second of three brothers in a rather wealthy family. My older brother, Richard, was nearly eleven years my senior. I remember him as being very kind to me. He was always full of sweets and gifts. We spent a great deal of time together during my childhood and my big brother was a true hero to me. What I didn't see was how much he fought with my father. As the oldest son, he was expected to be heir to my father's fortune and my father watched his every move, constantly threatening him with disinheritance. As time went on, Richard had all but separated himself from my parents. I remember speaking to him after one bitter argument.

"They think I care about their money! Ha! I hate it and I don't love them either!" In fact, Richard had only two well-chosen loves, the violin and Elodie, a common girl from the town. My father hated both.

One night, Richard crept into my room to say good-bye.

"You're master now," he said to me "Try and be happy." They left together for Sweden, changed their name, and my father never heard from them again.

I did nicely in my new role as young master of the house. I did my best to please my father, and loved the attention that I had missed as second son. When I was fourteen, my mother died, giving birth to my younger brother, Claude. I tried very hard to be the big brother that Richard had been for me, but little could be done with Claude. He was spiteful, selfish, and fiercely hated by the whole of my father's household. Even through all of his antics, my father hardly ever even looked at him. When he died, I inherited everything that was his, including the care of my younger brother, who had inherited nothing and had no means or will to fend for himself. He spent most of his time shuffling round the chateau, harassing the maidservants, and spying on me.

One day, shortly after the death of my father, I received a special surprise. A letter came to me from my lost brother, offering his love and condolences. He told me how he had returned to France with his wife and small daughter and that he was supporting them with his violin in Breton. He was happier than he had ever hoped to be and he wished me the same.

"Oh pooh!" said Claude sullenly, "He's just after your inheritance!" I didn't agree. Richard had never wanted a franc. I suspected that he had everything he wanted in his life and he simply meant to say good-bye properly. I was right. I never heard from him again.

Now after the letter from Richard, I spent many years with only my servants and my horrible brother for company. I had no cousins or other relatives of which I was aware of and I expect that they were either dead or disowned years ago by my father. I became rather lonely and sad. But then something quite wonderful and unexpected happened. I fell, simply and easily, in love. From the moment I first saw your mother, Suzette, I knew that I would never be alone again. In the weeks that followed our wedding, Claude became unbearable to live with. He began throwing wild tantrums without provocation. He would throw things and rant on for hours and hours. Once he even lit a room on fire! He was constantly threatening myself, and my new bride and finally, he attacked a young maidservant and nearly killed her. After that, I sent him away, and never saw him again.

In the next year, you were born, Suzette. You were our little angel and your mother wouldn't have a nurse for you. We spent the entire summer and autumn playing with you and adoring you. For once in my life I began to understand the happiness that my brother had left us for. I felt like two angels had lifted me to heaven, but it was short lived. During the winter, my beloved wife caught pneumonia and left the two of us here alone. . .

The letter went on, but Suzette stopped there. She pulled from the envelope the remaining papers. Among them, the letter from Richard that had been mentioned in her father's note, some letters between her father and her mother, and the will. Suzette read aloud the part that described how her father's fortune should be divided. I stated that the sum should be distributed between his daughter, Suzette and the daughter of his older brother Richard in the event that she could be found. Nothing was to be given to Claude.

"You're a rich woman, my little Suzette!" said Erik and Suzette nodded. She wasn't thinking of money. Erik lifted up the letter from Richard to Suzette's father and glanced through it. Suddenly his heart seemed to freeze and Suzette was too lost in her thoughts to notice his trembling. She was thinking of the words in the will. She repeated them over in her head as they took on meaning. "In the event that she could be found. . . in the event that she could be found. . .in the event that she could be found." Somewhere in this world she had a cousin. She had never in her life had any female relative that she could remember. The possibility was enchanting to her.

By the time Suzette could speak again, Erik had his sudden pain under control. She took his hand and entreating him with deep, blue eyes, she asked, "Will you help me to find my cousin?" He took a deep breath and struggled to sound cheerful as his heart was breaking. "Of course my dear little Suzette."