“I locked the door and threw the key into the well that night,” Mrs. Collingwood said slowly, her voice tinged with a mix of regret and resolution. “I doubt you can fully grasp the depth of my despair unless you’ve experienced such intense emotions yourself. When my son—Fairfax—left and I was closing up the house, I found myself standing outside his room, wanting so desperately to enter. The urge was overwhelming. But I knew if I stepped inside and was surrounded by his things, I would lose all resolve. I would run after him, begging him to come back. And I couldn’t allow that.”

She paused, her hands trembling as she relived the moment. “I stood there for five minutes, torn apart by my emotions. Then, without giving myself a chance to reconsider, I locked the door from the outside and fled downstairs. I threw the key into the old well, where it would be impossible for me to retrieve it.”

Her face crumpled with the weight of her confession. “Children, I am old now—seventy-five come my next birthday. I’ve learned a harsh lesson over the years. If you have a calm, forgiving nature, cherish it. But if you’re like I was, pray for the strength to control your fiery impulses before they lead you to irrevocable mistakes.”

Tears glistened in her eyes as she hid her face in her hands. Fairfax moved closer, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. “Let’s not dwell on the past,” he said softly, trying to ease the heaviness of the moment. “What matters now is that we’re together again. That’s what counts.”

He gently pulled her hands away from her face and kissed her forehead. Amanda shifted uneasily, wishing she hadn’t asked such a poignant question. The atmosphere was thick with emotions until Mrs. Collingwood’s exclamation broke the spell.

“Goodness! Look at that enormous cat coming in!” Mrs. Collingwood exclaimed, her attention diverted.

Everyone turned to the door just as a large feline strutted into the room. “Oh, that’s Max,” Julie said with a hint of amusement. “He’s quite at home here. He was with us on our first visit and has been a tremendous help. He’s even better at solving mysteries than we are!”

“Then Max deserves our gratitude!” Fairfax said, chuckling as he reached out to the cat. He gathered the large, purring feline into his arms and placed him gently in his mother’s lap. The room filled with laughter and the soft rumble of Max’s purrs, momentarily lifting the mood.

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As they enjoyed the light-hearted moment, something peculiar happened. The candles, which had been burning steadily, began to flicker and sputter. The room dimmed as the flames wavered, gradually sinking into pools of melted wax. Julie was the first to notice the dwindling light.

“Look at the candles!” she cried. “There are only a few left, and they won’t last much longer!” As if on cue, two candles extinguished themselves. The last one flared brightly for a brief moment before plunging the room into complete darkness.

The abrupt change was startling, casting an eerie shadow over the room. They sat in silence, the weight of the darkness adding a sense of foreboding to the atmosphere.

“Well, this is a predicament,” Fairfax said, breaking the silence as he fumbled for his matches. “Fortunately, I always carry a box with me.”

Amanda’s voice cut through the gloom. “Don’t worry. I left an extra candle on the mantel. It should be enough to guide us out.”

With a match struck and the candle lit, they slowly navigated their way around the furniture towards the hall, Max trailing behind. In the dim light of the single candle, Fairfax glanced at his watch.

“It’s six-thirty already!” he said in surprise. The two girls gasped in unison.

“Dinner!” Julie exclaimed. “It was supposed to be ready half an hour ago! What will they think?”

“Never mind them tonight!” Mrs. Collingwood responded cheerfully. “You can explain everything later. What you’ve done for us is beyond words. They’ll understand.”

She kissed them both warmly, and with renewed spirits, they headed out through the front door onto the expansive veranda. Fairfax locked the small door in the boarding behind them, and they descended the steps into the fading May afternoon.

At the gate, Fairfax turned to the girls. “I’m taking my mother back to New York for a few days. She needs rest, and we have a lot to discuss. I won’t be returning to Australia. We plan to come back here soon, restore the house, and likely spend much of our time between here and the South.”

He looked at them with sincere gratitude. “You two have given us something we never expected—to find each other again. This house will always be open to you. Consider it your second home.”

His voice faltered with emotion. The girls were too overwhelmed to respond verbally. They stood at the gate, watching as Fairfax and his mother walked away, their figures slowly receding into the sunset. They waved until the figures disappeared behind the trees.

Once they were out of sight, Amanda and Julie exchanged glances filled with disbelief. Words of gratitude and reflection might have been fitting, but the moment felt too profound for speech. Instead, Julie broke into a spontaneous laugh.

“Well, at least we won’t have to sneak in through the cellar window again,” she said, her voice laced with relief.

“Absolutely!” Amanda agreed, smiling. “What a relief that is!”

And so ended the unexpected adventure of That Old House, their mystery resolved, and their bond with Fairfax and Mrs. Collingwood forever solidified.

THE END