“I’ll walk you out,” Joyce said.
“There’s no need, Mother,” Kim said.
“I want to,” Joyce said.
They started down the long hall.
“When you speak with your father about the old house,” Joyce said, “I advise you not to bring up the issue about Elizabeth Stewart. It will only irritate him.”
“Why would it irritate him?” Kim demanded.
“Don’t get upset,” Joyce said. “I’m just trying to keep peace in the family.”
“But it is ridiculous,” Kim snapped. “I don’t understand.”
“I only know that Elizabeth came from a poor farming family from Andover,” Joyce said. “She wasn’t even an official member of the church.”
“As if that matters today,” Kim said. “The irony is that within months of the affair there were public apologies from some of the jury members and justices because they realized innocent people had been executed. And here we are three hundred years later refusing to even talk about our ancestor. It doesn’t make any sense. And why isn’t her name in any of the books?”
“Obviously it’s because the family didn’t want it to be,” Joyce said. “I don’t think the family thought she was innocent. That’s why it’s an affair that should be left in the closet.”
“I think it’s a bunch of rubbish,” Kim said.
Kim got into her car and drove off Marblehead Neck. When she got into Marblehead proper she had to force herself to slow down. Thanks to a vague sense of unease and vexation, she’d been driving much too fast. As she passed the Witch House in Salem, she put words to her thoughts, and admitted to herself that her curiosity about Elizabeth and the witch trials had gone up a notch despite her mother’s warnings, or perhaps because of them.
When Kim pulled up to the family compound gate, a Ford Bronco was parked at the side of the road. As she got out of her car with the keys to the gate’s padlock, two men climbed from the Bronco. One was stocky and muscular as if he worked out with weights on a daily basis. The other was borderline obese and seemed to be out of breath merely from the effort of getting out of the car.
The heavyset man introduced himself as Mark Stevens and the muscular man as George Harris. Kim shook hands with both of them.
Kim unlocked the gate and got back into her car. With her in the lead, they drove to the old house. They all climbed out of their vehicles in unison.
“This is fabulous,” Mark said. He was mesmerized by the building.
“Do you like it?” Kim asked. She was pleased by his response.
“I love it,” Mark said.
The first thing they did was walk around the house to examine the exterior. Kim explained the idea of putting a new kitchen and bathroom in the lean-to portion and leaving the main part of the building essentially unchanged.
“You’ll need heat and air conditioning,” Mark said. “But that should be no problem.”
After touring the exterior they all went inside. Kim showed them the whole house, even the cellar. The men were particularly impressed with the way the main beams and joists were joined.
“It’s a solid, well-built structure,” Mark said.
“What kind of job would it be renovating it?” Kim asked.
“There wouldn’t be any problem,” Mark said. He looked at George, who nodded in agreement.
“I think it will be a fantastic little house,” George said. “I’m psyched.”
“Can it be done without damaging the historical aspect of the building?” Kim asked.
“Absolutely,” Mark said. “We can hide all the ductwork, piping, and electric in the lean-to and in the cellar. You won’t see it.”
“We’ll dig a deep trench to bring in utilities,” George said. “They’ll come in beneath the existing foundation so we will not have to disturb it. The only thing I’d recommend is pouring a concrete basement floor.”
“Can the job be done by September first?” Kim asked.
Mark looked at George. George nodded and said it wouldn’t be a problem as long as they used custom cabinetry.
“I have one suggestion,” Mark said. “The main bathroom is best situated in the lean-to as you have suggested. But we could also put a small half-bath on the second floor between the two bedrooms without causing any damage. I think it would be convenient.”