Looking back at the diary, Kim searched for a record of Elizabeth’s first meeting with Ronald. She found it on 22 October 1681, a day of sunshine and falling leaves.
I met today in our common room Mr. Ronald Stewart who proposes to be my husband. He is older than I supposed and has already a young daughter from a wife who died with the pox. He appears to be a good man, strong of mind and body albeit a hint of a choleric disposition when he heard that the Polks, our neighbors to the north had been attacked two nights before. He insists we move forthwith in our sundry plans.
Kim felt a twinge of guilt concerning some of her earlier suspicions of Ronald with this revelation of the cause of Ronald’s first wife’s death. Flipping ahead in the diary to 1690, Kim read more about fears of smallpox and Indian raids. Elizabeth wrote that the pox was rampant in Boston and that devastating raids from the red savages were occurring a mere fifty miles north of Salem.
Kim shook her head in awe. Reading about such tribulations brought to mind Edward’s remarks about how tenuous life’s threads were back in the seventeenth century. It had to have been a difficult and stressful life.
The sound of the door banging open startled Kim. She looked up to see Edward and Stanton returning from their visit to the nearly complete lab. Edward was carrying blueprints.
“This place looks as bad as when I left,” Edward said in a disgruntled tone of voice. He was looking for a spot to put down his plans. “What have you been doing, Kim?”
“I’ve had a wonderful bit of luck,” Kim said excitedly. She scraped back her chair and brought the notebook over to Edward. “I found Elizabeth’s diary!”
“Here in the cottage?” Edward asked with surprise.
“No, in the castle,” Kim said.
“I think we should be making more progress getting the house in order before you go back to your paper chase,” Edward said. “You’ll have the whole month to indulge yourself up there.”
“This is something even you will find fascinating,” Kim said, ignoring Edward’s remarks. She carefully opened the notebook to the last entry. Handing it to Edward and indicating the passage, she told him to read.
Edward put his blueprints on the game table Kim had been using. As he read the entry his face gradually changed from vexation to surprised interest.
“You’re right,” he said eagerly. He gave the book to Stanton.
Kim told them both to be more careful with it.
“That will make a great introduction to the article I plan to write for Science or Nature about the scientific causes of the afflictions in the Salem witch trials,” Edward said. “It’s perfect. She even talks specifically about using the rye. And the description of the hallucinations is right on target. Putting that diary entry together with the results of the mass spec on her brain sample closes the case. It’s elegant.”
“You’re not writing an article about the new mold until the patent situation is more secure,” Stanton said. “We’re not about to take any chances so you can amuse yourself with your research colleagues.”
“Of course I won’t,” Edward said. “What do you think I am? An economic two-year-old?”
“You said it, I didn’t,” Stanton said.
Kim took the diary from Stanton and pointed out to Edward the part about Elizabeth teaching others to make dolls. She asked him if he thought that was significant.
“You mean in relation to the missing evidence?” he asked.
She nodded.
“Hard to say,” Edward said. “I suppose it is a little suspicious.~.~.~. You know, I’m famished. What about you, Stanton? Could you eat something?”
“I can always eat,” Stanton said.
“How about it, Kim?” Edward said. “How about throwing something together. Stanton and I still have a lot to go over.”
“I’m hardly set up for entertaining,” Kim said. She’d not even ventured to glance into the kitchen.
“Then order in,” Edward said. He began unrolling his blueprints. “We’re not picky.”
“Speak for yourself,” Stanton said.
“I suppose I could make some spaghetti,” Kim said as she mentally reviewed what she’d need. The one room that was reasonably organized was the dining room; before the renovation it had been the old kitchen. The dining table and chairs and breakfront were all in place.