Chapter Eighty-One
Violet and Theo followed Ms. Elderkin downstairs through a long, narrow corridor that was lined with bookshelves.
While these wood and glass cases had once been crowded with the overflow of my library, they were now filled with bibles and religious textbooks for the seminary.
I watched as Violet touched one of the brass handles, sensing she wanted to touch something that my hand had gripped an infinite number of times.
“I’ll take you to his office first,” she said as they passed my bedroom and entered the room just beyond it.
As they stepped into my study and as they moved around the room, my spirit began to swell with anticipation.
This had always been my sanctuary, the place I’d spent so much of my time.
Finally, Violet had come to the place where I was truly the most at home.
“We offer residence to our visiting priests and students,” Ms. Elderkin explained. “We try to utilize every room in the house, at least those that are not damaged by water leaks. So while this was his study, we’ve obviously used it as another bedroom at the seminary.”
Violet’s hand skimmed the surface of the walls. Above, the plaster ceiling was cracked and peeling. Next to one of the walls sat a metal cot with a thin mattress. Beside it was a small table with a cheap reading lamp.
“I’m trying to imagine him here,” she said to Theo. “The room at Harvard is so meticulously maintained. Looking at this now just makes me sad.”
Theo took the key from his pocket to see if it might fit into one of the glass doors of my other additional bookcases.
“It doesn’t fit,” he said. Frustrated, he continued to look around the room for a keyhole, but found nothing.
“I’m sorry to disappoint you,” Ms. Elderkin said. “But I did think it was going to be near impossible to find what that key belongs to at this point.”
Violet sighed. “Can we see his bedroom at least?”
Ms. Elderkin nodded. “Come this way.”
She led them through the connecting doorway that led to another room. “This one actually still has some of the original furniture,” she said, pointing to the bed frame and large armoire.
“Is this the original closet?” Theo asked as he opened a door.
“I believe so, yes,” Ms. Elderkin said.
Theo stepped inside my closet and discovered a painted cabinet. One he rightfully suspected might be a place where I had stored my important papers.
“Darn, I really thought it would be here,” he said as the key refused to budge into the lock.
“Violet?” he called out to her.
“I’m right here,” she said. Violet stood in front of the armoire. “May I open it?” she asked. Her finger traced the seam dividing the two doors, examining to see if there was a keyhole, but she found none.
“Yes, there’s no one staying in here now,” Ms. Elderkin said. “It should be empty.”
Violet pulled open the large doors. It was completely bare. Nothing was inside.
Her eyes, however, were pulled upward toward the armoire’s crest.
“Oh my goodness,” she gushed to Theo. “Look, there are two birds…”
Theo spun around. “I was just going to tell you I saw birds carved into the headboard.”
Violet’s eyes scanned the armoire up and down, eventually falling upon the bottom drawer.
She knelt down to open it. “It’s locked,” she said, now noting the keyhole at its center.
Theo’s eyes grew wide. Neither of them said a word as he handed her the key.
Violet slid the key into the drawer and felt the lock release. She took a deep breath, then slowly pulled open the drawer.
Her eyes immediately fell on the black lacquer box resting beside a small stack of yellowed dress shirts.
“There’s a box!” Her voice grew louder. Now Ms. Elderkin and Theo hovered behind her, each of them peering into the drawer.
Violet lifted it out and brought it to the center of the room. “Put it down here,” Theo suggested as he pointed to the small wooden writing desk.
Violet placed it down and then lifted the lid. Ada’s letter to Eleanor Widener rested on top.
“This one’s still sealed,” she remarked.
“Finders keepers,” Theo said. “Go ahead and open it.”