As Melody exits the car, Tam walks out of the side entrance to greet her as is his usual custom. However, this time he directs the attention to her ankle, “That’s quite a hurtin’ ye have there, Miss. How did it happen?”
Melody, suspecting he’s probably spoken with Rob already, repeats her lie about tripping over the cobblestone.
“Did ye now?” His words are as convincing as the lie she just told. She limps past Tam making just enough eye contact to not seem rude. His expression tells her he didn’t buy the lie. This puts Melody in a bind.
With Rob and Tam working together on some secret ploy and now suspicious of her, Melody senses her realm of safety tightening at a rapid pace. And she feels trapped. Rob is at the inn, Tam is at Deacon House; the two places where she spends most of her time are hounded by people who are hiding secrets from her.
As Melody exits the courtyard sidewalk, he adds, “Young Miss Rebecca will be with ye shortly. And Miss, please know that we will have work in the basement next week. If you and Miss Rebecca can keep oot, we don’t want a repeat of what happened in the forest do we, now?” The house is so big that Melody is not even sure where the basement is, but she did not miss the message behind Tam’s words. He may as well have said, Stay out of our business if you know what’s good for you.
When she enters the house, it is just as she left it. Rebecca’s toys are trailing from under the stairs to the bottom of the stairwell. Not a soul seems to have set foot in the sitting room which Melody can credit to Maxmillian being out of town on business. The door to the study where she and Rebecca have their classes upstairs is ajar from when she left it to let air in; it appears the quiet absence of life is almost deafening until a light noise breaks forth. In the distance, she hears hollow echoes of little feet rushing to prepare.
“I’m almost ready, Miss!” It’s clear Rebecca has had a lie in and she’ll be a few minutes late today. Melody expected as much after a few days’ holiday.
Something about Deacon House intrigues Melody. She can see why her father was drawn to this house with its deep historical roots oozing out of its antique furniture and ornate red stone walls. The soft finish polishing its pillars seem to seal up decades, if not years of secrets. When she first arrived at the house, she found a warning message from her father behind a painting. If she could just find time to search the house between her teaching times, perhaps the house will unlock more clues from her father.
You can’t have just vanished, she thinks. Her father was one to leave clues in the most peculiar places; she would know, she had to go find them. Maybe a look around the house might shed more light.
She looks down the hallway leading out to the glass conservatory with French doors – it’s the same one leading out to the forest – and an indentation in the wall draws her attention. The many times she walked through that hallway chasing after Rebecca, she does not recall an indent in the wall, but now it is there. She is trained to catch such details, it is common practice in her digs.
Melody cautiously passes the stairs and the cloakroom behind it. She is careful to not be heard through yet another echo in the house and she walks close to the opposite wall from the indent, aware that if this indent has just appeared, something had to have come to put it there.
Amidst her search, Melody’s apprehension from earlier has dissolved and now her mind is fully focused on the puzzling wall before her.
“Sorry, Miss. I’m ready now.” A bubbly Rebecca appears out of nowhere almost scaring Melody out of her skin. “Did I give you a fright, Miss?” Rebecca is just as surprised at her reaction.
“No, let’s um… let’s go to our classroom.” Melody straightens her nicely ironed dress shirt over her dark blue slacks, then clears her throat. “Are you ready to learn?”
“Yes, Miss!” Then Rebecca shyly asks, “Can you help me with my hair? I want it in a ponytail like yours today.”
“Of course!” Melody is touched Rebecca wants to style her hair the same way. Then Rebecca hands her a pink scrunchie to match the pink flowers on her flowing dress and turns around. As Melody tenderly gathers Rebecca’s brown hair in her hands, she must admit, she is enjoying doting over this precious girl and adding a feminine touch to her life again.
As soon as she’s done, Rebecca sprints up the stairs to the study on the second floor. Melody follows closely behind, but not before she gives the target on the wall, one firm stare of determination. She will return to it.
The rest of the day, Melody tries to give her undivided attention to Rebecca. For her first day back from leave, the day is easy as they spend most of their time reviewing previous Math and English lessons, but even eight-year-old Rebecca can tell something is off about her teacher.
Around noon, she asks, “Miss, I know Uncle Will says I shouldn’t ask you personal questions, but are you okay? You look sad today.”
Melody thought she was hiding it well, but apparently not. “I… miss my family.”
“Can they come see you? Uncle Max always goes, but he comes back to see me, and he brings me presents.” Her face looks hopeful
