“So that’s what happened!” Amanda exclaimed, her voice tinged with frustration. “We thought it was her brother, that he’d done something terrible—like committed a robbery or forged something! I don’t understand why Fairfax was treated so harshly. What he did was actually pretty brave!”
Julie shook her head, her expression serious. “You have to remember, Amanda, things were different back then. We can't fully grasp their perspectives today, and it’s important not to judge them by our current standards. Mrs. Collingwood’s reaction wasn’t just about Fairfax’s choice; it was also about the fierce loyalty to her cause. In those days, such betrayals felt like personal and ideological attacks. If Fairfax had committed a burglary instead, she might have been able to forgive him more easily. And Great-aunt Lucia mentioned Mrs. Collingwood had quite the fiery temper.”
Amanda’s brow furrowed. “I still don’t get it. But did your great-aunt mention anything about those pictures?”
Julie hesitated before answering. “Not directly, but I did ask if Mrs. Collingwood had other children. Great-aunt Lucia said Fairfax had a twin sister who had died when she was just a toddler. That’s probably why there were two baby portraits in the other room. It seems like Mrs. Collingwood never fully disclosed what happened that night. She likely turned the portrait around and removed the miniature when she was alone. But there’s more to the story!”
Amanda leaned forward eagerly. “Please, continue!”
Julie took a deep breath. “Mrs. Collingwood stayed with Mrs. Durand for two days before leaving for her hometown in South Carolina. She never returned North and Mrs. Durand never saw her again, though she received occasional letters. Then, a year later, after the Battle of Shiloh, the papers published a list of casualties—and Fairfax’s name was among the first. So he didn’t survive the war long. Imagine the torment for Mrs. Collingwood, to part from her son in such anger, only to learn he had died without them ever reconciling. It’s heartbreaking.”
Julie’s voice wavered, her eyes misting as she looked at the portrait of the Lovely Lady. “That’s the tragedy and mystery of the Boarded-up House. But there’s one more thing—Great-aunt Lucia believed Mrs. Collingwood is still alive, living in a small town in South Carolina called Chesterton. She’s an elderly woman now, fiercely protective of the house, which she’s willed to the Southern Society upon her death. The house remains untouched and locked up, just as it was left.”
Amanda’s eyes widened with realization. “But that doesn’t solve everything!”
Julie looked puzzled. “What do you mean?”
“The locked-up room!” Amanda said, her voice rising with urgency. “You still haven’t explained that. What’s behind that door?”
_____
The autumn of that year drifted away, giving way to the chill of winter, which came and went in a blur of festive lights and icy winds. Spring, when it finally arrived, breathed new life into the world, but for the two girls, the passing seasons were a backdrop to a mystery that refused to fade.
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Throughout winter, the two girls, Emma and Lily, had been swept up in a whirlwind of activities. Snowball fights, ice skating, and cozy afternoons by the fire kept their minds occupied, leaving little room to ponder the enigmatic Boarded-up House. The constant cold had also made it impossible to venture into the old mansion, which remained unheated, unlit, and locked away from the world.
Yet, despite the distractions of their busy winter, the haunting story of the Boarded-up House lingered in their minds, a persistent and tantalizing secret. Each spare moment by the fireside was spent discussing its mysteries, their conversations weaving together the pieces of a puzzle that seemed to grow more intriguing with each passing day. The locked room, shrouded in secrecy, was an ever-present lure.
One unusually mild day in early spring, Emma and Lily decided to revisit the old house. The warmth of the sun was a welcome change from the harsh winter, and they approached the mansion with a mix of excitement and trepidation. They made their way through the overgrown garden and entered the dusty, dimly lit rooms. In the library, they paused before the imposing portrait of the Lovely Lady that hung above the mantel. Her eyes seemed to follow them, a silent witness to the house’s secrets.
“This is definitely the boy,” Lily said softly, pointing to the portrait of the young man with his striking brown eyes and golden curls. “You can see even from this old photograph how handsome he must have been. It’s heartbreaking to think of what his mother went through. She must have been devastated. I wonder if she’s still alive.”
Emma’s gaze was drawn to a crumpled piece of newspaper they had found during their last visit. She picked it up and examined the yellowed page with a frown. “Why didn’t we read this sooner?” she said, frustration evident in her voice. “Look at these headlines—‘Fort Sumter Surrenders. War Formally Declared. Troops Rushing to Washington!’ This could have given us a crucial clue!”
Lily peered over her shoulder. “I don’t see how. I never would have connected these headlines to what happened here.”
Emma sighed. “Sherlock Holmes would have made the connection. But we did piece together the story in our own way. Still, I can’t help but wonder if we’ll ever uncover the truth about that locked room.”
As the girls stood in contemplation, the arrival of spring began to rejuvenate the area surrounding the Boarded-up House. The ancient cherry trees in the overgrown yard burst into a riot of white blossoms, casting a delicate veil over the neglected grounds. On one radiant Saturday morning in early May, Emma and Lily climbed over the rusted fence and made their way to a patch of sunlit grass beneath the cherry trees.
They spread out their blankets and set up their books and embroidery supplies. With the soft breeze rustling the blossoms overhead, they took turns reading aloud from Arthur Conan Doyle’s "The Sign of the Four," their voices mingling with the song of birds and the whisper of the wind. The mystery and intrigue of their reading mirrored their own quest for answers.
After a while, Emma put down the book with a deep sigh, her eyes reflecting both the joy of the sunny day and the weight of their ongoing investigation. “I just can’t shake the feeling that the locked room holds the key to everything,” she said. “What could be so important that it had to be sealed away like that?”
Lily nodded in agreement. “We’ve uncovered so much already, but that room remains a tantalizing mystery. It feels like it’s guarding the last piece of the puzzle.”
As they resumed their reading and stitching, the cherry blossoms continued to fall gently around them, a silent witness to the mysteries that lay hidden within the Boarded-up House. The story of the mansion and its secrets seemed to come alive with each passing day, drawing them deeper into its enigmatic embrace.