"Jessica, wake up!" 

The words brought Jess out of a sound sleep and she felt a hand firmly shaking her shoulder.  She opened her eyes to her uncle's hard, disapproving gaze and then looked out the train window. 

They were stopped outside a small one-story brick and stone station.  A few people stood on the train platform under an overcast sky.  Beyond that was an empty two lane road with thick woods on the other side.  It was a marked difference from crowded Grand Central Station where they'd boarded the train in New York City the day before. 

"Gather your things and mind you don't forget anything," Uncle Jonathon said sharply as he stood up. 

"Yes, sir," she murmured, and tried unsuccessfully to suppress a yawn.  Thankfully, he was too busy putting on his coat and fedora to notice.  He took his suitcase from the overhead net while Jess tugged on her white gloves as quickly as she could and pulled on her coat.  Then she wrestled her suitcase off the net. 

Carrying it with both hands, she followed her uncle as they left their compartment and began walking down the narrow aisle.  One of the porters saw them and immediately stepped forward to take their suitcases.  Uncle Jonathon said nothing when he handed his over, but when he took Jess's she thanked him.

She climbed off the train just as her Uncle barked, "James!"  A stocky man in a black suit with thinning hair and a heavily lined face immediately came forward.  He passed them on the way to the porter and handed him a bill before taking their suitcases.  Uncle Jonathon didn't stop walking and Jess followed him, feeling uncomfortable she hadn't been introduced.  She glanced over her shoulder at the man.  He was following with his mouth set in a firm line, his eyes on the pavement.  

They reached the other side of the small train station where a large black car was parked at the curb.  Her uncle stood waiting and the man set their suitcases down so he could open the rear door for them. 

Jess waited, thinking they would be introduced, but her uncle muttered, "Get in!" with annoyance.  She rushed to climb in as her uncle said, "We'll go straight home.  I want to get Jessica settled before I go into town."

"Yes, sir," James said, and closed the door.

There was a stack of mail on the seat and Uncle Jonathon began sorting through it while Jess looked out the window.  The road they traveled on had very little traffic and they passed patches of forestland separated by farms with black and white cows.  Jess had never been this deep in the country before.  She could feel the ache in her chest get worse as she realized she was as far from Manhattan as she could be.

 But whether she liked it or not, this was her new home now.  She had a new family with Uncle Jonathon and her cousin, Douglas.  When she thought of her cousin, her spirits lifted.  She'd always wished she had a brother or sister.  Maybe he'd wished the same thing, especially since he'd lost his baby brother.  Surely he would appreciate having her in the family.  With Uncle Jonathon for a father, his life couldn't have been easy.  No longer noticing the passing countryside, she imagined the happy times she was going to have with Douglas.

The car turned down a deserted dirt road.  A high iron fence topped with spikes ran alongside it, enclosing a thick forest.  The fence never seemed to end and after some minutes, they pulled into a short driveway and stopped.  In front of them was a wrought iron gate that was padlocked with a heavy iron chain wrapped through the bars. 

James got out and pulled a bundle of keys out of his pocket to unlock the padlock.  Once the gate was opened, he drove through and then stopped.  Jess was surprised when he got out again, and turned to watch him go back to lock the gate behind them.  She looked at her uncle but he was still absorbed with his mail.  She was about to ask him why he lived behind a locked gate, but thought better of it.  In the week she'd spent with him, she'd learned he didn't like being questioned.

They continued down a dark, winding one lane dirt road that was soon enveloped by the thick forest.  Jess couldn't help feeling a sense of foreboding.  It felt like the trees were closing in on her and she worried what wild animals might be lurking just out of sight.  What if they'd been trapped behind the locked iron gate for a long time and were hungry?  Her uneasiness didn't get any better when they drove out of the forest and entered a clearing.  To her right was a barn-like two story garage, and in front of her, surrounded by several large barren oak trees, was what could only be described as a mansion. 

It was two stories, with an almost flat roof topped with an ornate cupola.  A small covered porch held up by pairs of Greek pillars.  There were two large first floor windows and above, three smaller second floor windows, each with a decorative balcony attached to it.  In spite of all the carved decorations, Jess thought it looked creepy, just the sort of house that would be in a horror movie. 

As she climbed out of the car, she was hoping it wasn't haunted, and then the front door opened all by itself, scaring her.  Her uncle strode up the walk and Jess followed behind with her heart pounding in her chest.  Stepping inside, she was relieved to see someone just behind the door, and then as her eyes adjusted in the dim hallway, her heart sank.

The woman wasn't tall but she was still imposing, wearing a plain black maid's uniform that hung on her thin frame and buttoned up to her neck.  Her dark hair had wisps of grey and was pulled back in a tight bun at the nape of her neck.  Her thin pale face was finely lined, her thick dark eyebrows standing out above hazel eyes.  She was the exact opposite of Cora. 

"Welcome home, Mr. Blackwell, Miss Blackwell," she said quietly as James put their suitcases just inside and left.  

"Where's Douglas," Uncle Jonathon said tersely while she closed the door.  "I instructed him to be here."

Hearing her cousin's name, Jess looked around for him. 

In the hallway where they were standing, doors led to other rooms and an elaborately carved staircase went up on the left side.  The floor was a highly polished dark wood and the walls were covered with faded green patterned wallpaper that in the dim light looked dingy. 

"I believe he's in his bedroom, Mr. Blackwell.  Would you like me to get him?" the maid offered, taking his coat and fedora.

"Get him, and I'll have coffee before I go," he replied brusquely. 

"Yes, sir." 

Then the maid looked at Jess expectantly, and Jess waited for her uncle to introduce them.  After a moment of silence, she realized the maid was waiting for her coat, not an introduction, and she quickly slipped it off before Uncle Jonathon became impatient with her.  As soon as she handed it over, the woman turned and opened a closet door. 

"Come, Jessica," he commanded.

They stepped through a doorway, into a long room with two large fireplaces spaced far apart.  Woven Oriental rugs anchored seating areas in front of the fireplaces with chairs, couches and delicate tables with spindly legs arranged around them.  The ceiling was high and detailed with plasterwork with two imposing light fixtures over the seating areas.  It had an air of stiff formality, exactly the kind of home Uncle Jonathon would have.

"This is the grand parlor," he said importantly.  It was an appropriate name, she thought grimly. 

"Follow me," he instructed, and they crossed the hall to another doorway. 

That room was half the size of the first one with a closed set of dark wood pocket doors at one end.  There was another fireplace identical to the ones on the grand parlor with chairs and couches around it.  It looked just as uninviting and cold as the first room.

"This is the living room." 

Wasn't that what the grand parlor was, she wondered, but didn't dare say out loud. 

"Ah, Douglas," Uncle Jonathon said. 

Jess turned around, and then her mouth dropped open with astonishment as a handsome teen boy walked in the room.  Douglas was almost as tall as his father but still lanky in a blue sweater and dark wool trousers, as if he'd recently grown.  His brown hair was wavy and swept off his face, but one curl had escaped the hair cream and fell above arrestingly blue eyes.  His perfect straight nose and square jaw was softened by slightly full lips.  He was easily the most handsome boy she'd ever seen, even more handsome than Elvis Presley.   

He walked towards her with an easy grace and her heart sped up, but as he got closer, his beautiful features changed into an incredulous scowl.  When he reached her, he stood over her looking like he couldn't believe what he was seeing, and then he turned to his father.   

"She's just a kid!" he said loudly with disappointment, and Jess's heart broke. 

Uncle Jonathon chuckled, "Now, now, Douglas.  That's no way to greet your cousin.  You don't want her to think you're rude."

Douglas turned to her, still looking disappointed, and then his shoulders slumped as he stuck his hand out.  "Hello, Jessica," he muttered dispiritedly to the floor.

"Hello," she said faintly, putting her hand in his but he let go without shaking it and turned away from her. 

She tried to hide how much his reaction hurt.  She knew she looked young for her age.  Even though she was already thirteen, she hadn't grown much or started to fill out like a lot of her friends.  And it didn't help that she had so many freckles, but she was only two years younger than him.  She couldn't understand why he would care.

"How was your week?" Uncle Jonathon asked Douglas, and for the first time since she'd been with him, she heard a warmth in his voice. 

"It was okay, I guess," Douglas said nonchalantly, shrugging his shoulders.  "It was boring."  She admired the easy way he spoke to his father.  Would she ever feel that comfortable around him? 

"I hope Annie took good care of you," Uncle Jonathon added more sternly.

"Yeah, she took care of me.  You know she always does."  Jess wondered who Annie was.

"I was just showing Jessica the house.  Maybe you'd like to give her the rest of the tour?"  The look on Douglas's face let her know he hated the idea, hurting her even more. 

"But I've been stuck in the house all day waiting for you!" he whined loudly.  "Can't I go see the guys for a while?"

"Douglas, I don't think –."

"Please, dad?" he pleaded, his beautiful blue eyes filled with sadness.  Jess was amazed to see her uncle's face change. 

"Alright, alright," he said, raising a hand.  She couldn't believe he just gave in.  She didn't think her uncle ever gave in on anything.  "But I don't want James to be gone long," he added firmly.  "I'm leaving for the office soon."  

"He won't," Douglas said eagerly.  "I'm just going to Jeff's house.  He can give me a ride home."

"And you'll be back by dinner?  It's a school night," Uncle Jonathon reminded him sternly. 

"I will.  I promise."

"Alright," Uncle Jonathon said, dismissing him with a wave of his hand.

When Douglas turned away from his father, he had a triumphant grin on his face, and then he saw Jess and it turned sour.  She watched him leave, feeling heartbroken.  Why did he dislike her so much?

"Come, Jessica," Uncle Jonathon commanded.  He slid open the pocket doors wide enough for them to pass through before he closed them.

"This is the library," he said unnecessarily.  Book shelves filled with leather bound books in muted colors covered every available wall space.  Yet another fireplace had two high back leather chairs in front of it, anchored by another Oriental rug.  

"You may read these, but wash your hands first," he said brusquely.

"Yes, sir," she muttered, pretending to examine the books so he wouldn't see the look on her face.  Equal parts shame and anger seared through her that he'd just implied she was dirty.  When she could finally focus on the titles, she knew she wouldn't find anything that would interest her.  She preferred mysteries like Nancy Drew, Trixie Beldon, and Cherry Ames, Student Nurse but all she saw were boring adult books. 

By now feeling completely disheartened, she followed him further down the hallway to see another room.  She already hated this massive house and she hadn't even seen all of it yet.  She didn't feel any better when they entered a large formal dining room where a carved table was surrounded by ten chairs.  Jess's footsteps echoed around the wood paneled room where, unlike the others, there was no rug on the dark, shiny floor to muffle the noise.  It felt cold and barren.  The only beautiful part of the room was a large bay window with diamond shaped panes of glass. 

"Your coffee is ready in your office, sir," the maid said, appearing out of nowhere like a ghost.  Jess had no idea how she could come in without making any noise since every step Jess took echoed loudly through the room.

"Very well, show Jessica the rest of the house and get her settled in her room," he replied curtly.

"Yes, sir," she murmured, stepping aside as he left.

Alone in the room with her, Jess suddenly felt shy.  She pretended to look around until the maid asked, "Do you want to see the kitchen?"

"Okay," Jess said, shrugging her shoulders.

She followed the woman, watching her black lace-up shoes step so softly she made hardly any noise and Jess automatically tried to match her, keeping her steps lighter.  They walked through a swinging door, into a butler's pantry with a window providing light before entering the kitchen.

Jess was surprised and relieved by how homey it was.  Much warmer than the rest of the house, the room was filled with the delicious smell of a cake baking in the white enamel stove.  Behind the stove, a set of stairs led to the second floor.  A table was in the middle of the room with ingredients set out, as if someone had been disturbed in the middle of making a meal.  A small eating area with a table and three chairs was next to a window.  On the opposite side, a door with a window set in it led out to a covered porch overlooking a field with the thick woods in the distance.  Colorful rag rugs were scattered throughout the mostly white room, making it seem cheery. 

"Uh, where's the cook?" Jess asked, hoping it would be someone like Cora.

"I do the cooking for the family," the maid said, and Jess noticed her voice was louder.

"Oh," she said, trying to hide her disappointment.  She had a hard time imagining this severe woman cooking comforting meals like Cora. 

"I'm not usually here every day when it's summer, but your uncle thought it best if I was for the next few weeks," she continued.  "At least until you're used to everything.  I sleep just through that door," she said, pointing to a closed door next to the eating area and Jess nodded.  "I'll show you upstairs, if you like.  I can't wait for you to see your room." 

She was smiling kindly and it softened her features, making her seem less imposing.  It was the first smile Jess had seen since she'd been woken on the train, and it made her feel a little better.  Maybe this woman was like Cora after all.

She followed the maid back through the dining room and down the hall to the staircase.  At the top of the stairs, they stopped.  There were four doors on either side of a hallway, all of them closed, with a window at the end to let in light.  The maid pointed to the left side of the hall. 

"Those two doors go to Mr. Blackwell's bedroom and office.  They're connected with a bathroom in between.  Over here," she said, pointing to the opposite side.  "Douglas has the front bedroom and through the other door is another bedroom.  Would you like to see?"  Jess nodded, wondering if this was her bedroom. 

It was large, of course, much larger than her parent's bedroom in the apartment, with a big bed, dresser, and wardrobe, all made of heavy dark wood.  A desk was placed in front of one of the two windows.  The walls were covered with a cream striped wallpaper.  

"This was your father's bedroom," the maid said gently, and Jess looked at her with surprise. 

Until that moment, she hadn't remembered that her father had grown up in this house.  As she looked around, she didn't see any signs that a boy had lived there.  No pictures of sports heroes, no toys, no medals and awards for excellence.  It looked barren and cold, just like the rest of the house.  Had it been different when he was there?  Or was this the reason why he'd moved so far away and never returned?

"You look very much like your father, you know," the maid said quietly. 

"You knew my dad?" Jess asked with astonishment.

"Yes, and your mom too, although she was quite a bit younger than me," she said with a smile.  "We all went to the same school together.  Billy was such a good boy – always so kind.  He was sweet on your mom for a long time.  They made a cute couple."  Then her smile fell and her eyes looked sad.  Jess knew what was coming. 

She turned her back to the maid, saying, "What's that?" as she pointed to a closed door, wanting to stop her.

"That's a bathroom.  It connects to Douglas's bedroom.  Mr. Blackwell didn't think it was suitable for the two of you to share it."  Jess felt equal parts disappointment and relief.  It would have been nice to be in her father's room, but she didn't want to share a bathroom with Douglas either.

"Let's go look at your bedroom," the maid said with another kind smile. 

Jess followed her to a door at the end of the hall.  On Jess's right was an opening where a steep narrow staircase led up.  "That goes to the attic," the maid said, while she opened the door.  Jess peered up the stairs, but all she saw in the dim light was a closed door.   

The maid stood back and smiled at Jess expectantly.  When Jess walked in, she tried very hard to hide her reaction. 

"I hope you like it," the maid said excitedly, her voice echoing through the silent room.  "I wasn't sure what you'd like but I picked out the furniture I thought would make it look pretty."

And it would have been pretty, if it hadn't been so huge.  The same shiny dark wood floors ran the length of the room with no rugs or carpet to make it warmer.  The ceiling was high and peaked in the middle, matching the peak of the roof.  There wasn't just one large bed, there were two of them.  Two!  Was she expected to sleep in both of them?  A night table was between them with a lamp.  Against the opposite wall were two large dressers and a massive wardrobe was on another wall.

As she got her bearings, she realized this was the part of the house that was over the dining room and kitchen.  They'd stuck her in the back of the house, she thought with dismay, suddenly feeling like she wanted to cry.  She wandered over to the only part of the room that looked inviting.  A bay window above the one in the dining room, had an oak writing desk placed in the niche.  As Jess stood behind the chair, she looked across the driveway to the garage. 

"Your bathroom is this way," the maid said, getting Jess's attention.  "You have the biggest bathroom in the house," she said proudly, as if this was something Jess would find enviable.  It was indeed large, bigger than her old bedroom back in the apartment with a white tiled floor, claw foot tub, pedestal sink, and toilet.  Then the maid walked across the bathroom to yet another door. 

"Look over here," she said excitedly, motioning for Jess to come forward.  "This door leads down to the kitchen," she said, opening it so Jess could see.  Jess immediately felt warm air surround her and smelled the baking cake.  "When you get up in the morning, you'll be able to come right down for breakfast.  Isn't that swell?"

"Yes, ma'am" Jess said, and tried to smile.

"You can call me Annie."  Her hazel eyes were warm and caring, and Jess's sadness lifted. 

"Okay – Annie," Jess said, smiling for real.

Annie went back to the bedroom and Jess followed.  "Well?  What do you think of your new room?" she prodded excitedly. 

"It's – swell," Jess lied while Annie picked up her suitcase and placed it on the bed.  She didn't want to make Annie feel bad when it was obvious she'd tried to make it nice for her.  It wasn't her fault the room was too big to feel comfortable.

Annie pressed the snaps on the suitcase and opened it.  "Oh," she said softly, and picked up a framed photograph, her eyes tearing up.  Jess recognized the picture frame and quickly turned away. 

Cora had packed her parent's wedding picture in the suitcase.  A lump formed in her throat and she quickly wiped her eyes as her heart ached for everything she'd lost.  She tried to keep from crying as she waited for Annie to say something, but instead she heard Annie's soft footsteps on the hard floor.  She turned to see her carefully place the photograph on the table between the two beds before she went back to the suitcase.

"It's going to be nice to have someone young in the house again," she said, trying to sound cheerful as she began putting Jess's clothes away.  "Doug is too big to want me to fuss over him anymore." 

"Have you been here a long time?" Jess asked, grateful for the change of subject.

"I've been with Mr. Blackwell since before he got married to Douglas's mother.  After she died, I helped raise him.  He was only five years old," she added quietly.

"I see," Jess said, wandering over to the windows, the lump forming in her throat again.  She didn't want to talk about people dying. 

Apparently Annie didn't either, because she remained quiet while she continued putting away Jess's clothes.  On the side of the house opposite the garage, there was an expansive yard dotted with trees and ringed by the forest.  It looked thick and impenetrable.  Knowing the forest was ringed with a high fence and locked gate, didn't make her feel good.

"I should get back to dinner," Annie said, closing the snaps on the suitcase and picking it up.  "Do you need anything, Jessica?"  Jess shook her head.  What she needed, Annie would never be able to provide.  "Well, you know where to find me if you do," she said, and started to leave.

"Annie?" Jess said, stopping her. 

"Yes?  What is it?"

"Can you call me Jess?"  She saw Annie's shoulders relax as she smiled kindly.

"Of course, Jess."  Jess smiled back, but she could feel the lump forming in her throat again. 

Annie closed the door behind her, leaving Jess alone in the silence.  She looked around the room until her eyes rested on the picture of her mom and dad.  She went to it and picked it up as she sat on one of the beds.  Her parent's young happy faces smiled at her and she felt an intense pain in her chest.  She fell over on the bed, hugging the picture tight. 

She didn't want to be there in that cold, cavernous room.  She wanted to be back home in her tiny bedroom with her mom laughing and playing bridge with friends in the living room, the delicious smell of Cora's cooking filling the small apartment, her daddy's deep voice announcing he was home after a long day at work. 

The pain in her chest became worse and she buried her face in the pillow so no one would hear her.

****

More sad times for Jess, but she has at least one person in the house who is kind and caring, Annie the housemaid.  What do you think of Douglas and his reaction to her?  Uncle Jonathon is still the same, but has your opinion of him changed now that you've seen him with his son? And how about that house? 

Fun fact – the house in this story is based on an actual house that is across the street from my old high school.  It's a gothic Italianate Victorian built in 1850.  I always loved that house and used to wish I lived there.  The layout of of the inside of Jess's house comes from my imagination and a lot of research. 

The picture in the multi-media is the actual house, although you can't see the cupola above the roof in the picture.  The video is On the Street Where You Live by Vic Damone.

I hope you liked this chapter, and if you did, please let me know with a comment and consider giving it a vote.  THANK YOU for reading!  You don't know how much I appreciate your support!