12. Chapter Twelve
Chapter Twelve
After leaving the downtown section of the city, Eddie drove through a poor neighborhood, the kind Jane remembered from her early years of living with her mother. Neglect showed in the sagging roofs, cluttered porches, and snow-covered walkways. At one home, she saw an old lady peering out a window, holding the curtain back to get a better view of the Rolls-Royce. Even though it was so close to Christmas, there were no signs of Christmas decorations, something that made her sad. Even at the home they’d made an effort to make the holiday a special one.
Turning a corner, Jane caught sight of two little boys making a snow fort. Their cheeks were rosy and they were laughing. The sight confirmed something she’d always believed—that even in the worst of times, a person could find a reason to smile.
Eddie expertly maneuvered around snowdrifts and parked automobiles. As they left that neighborhood and crossed over to the next, the houses became nicer and the yards larger. From there they came to an area of stately manors. In twenty minutes, they had left one world and entered another. Jane took it all in. The homes of the wealthy and the privileged. Some of them were larger than the Sheridan Girls’ Home. What would it be like to live in such a place? It would be like living the life of royalty, she decided. Everything grand and clean, with servants to do all the work. Would she get bored living such a life? She didn’t think she would.
Eddie broke the silence. “We’re in Whitefish Bay now. It won’t be much longer.”
“Thank you.” She idly wondered what would happen once they arrived at their destination. Was he taking her to the Sheridan home? Judging from the other residences, that was likely. She tried to make sense of the fact that Eddie had said he knew exactly who she was and yet he still continued to drive her all this way. There had to be a plan in place, something she didn’t know about. The idea made her a little uneasy.
He turned off the main road into a driveway that curved past a rectangular pool with a row of statuary fountains spouting in the center. Snow covered the lawn and the manicured hedges in front of the grandest and most elegant of all the mansions she’d seen that day. “Oh,” she breathed, her palm against the glass. A red tile roof topped a two-story building constructed of Cream City brick. Tall columns framed the arched double doorway that served as the entrance, and the glass doors in the second story above it were fronted by a wrought-iron balcony that reminded her of Romeo and Juliet . Large Christmas wreaths decorated the double front doors.
“Home again, home again, jiggety jig,” Eddie said in a cheery voice as the car came to a halt. He glanced back. “What? You don’t have some snide comment about what I just said?”
“No.” She was puzzled. “Why would I?”
“No reason.”
The Rolls-Royce had stopped but the engine was still running, making her think either she was getting out or someone else was going to be joining them. “So I take it this is my stop?” she questioned, hoping against hope that the answer was yes. If the outside was this impressive, she could only imagine what it looked like on the other side of those doors.
“It is unless you want to be delivered to the garage.” He chuckled. “The front door is unlocked. My guess is you’ll find Mildred in the kitchen, if you’re hungry.” He turned and looked back at her. “Do you need me to open the door for you?”
“No, I’ll take care of it,” she said. “Thank you for the ride, Eddie.”
His expression changed to one of amusement. “The mockery is uncalled for, but on the off chance you’re being sincere, you’re welcome.”
“I’m being sincere.”
“Well then, you’re very welcome.”
Jane left the car and went up two steps until she faced the imposing front doors. As Eddie drove away, she glanced back at the rolling lawn and circular driveway with the fountains in the middle. She stood immobile, her hand on the knob for at least a minute. Finally, she mustered up some courage and went inside.