“Well, maybe you have a point,” Kim said. She thought for a moment, then shook her head. “I don’t buy it. My intuition tells me otherwise. I have a feeling Elizabeth was an entirely innocent person caught in a terrible tragedy by some insidious trick of fate. Whatever the trick was, it must have been awful, and the fact that her memory has been treated so dreadfully just compounds the injustice.” Kim glanced around at the file cabinets, bureaus, and boxes. “The question is: could the explanation of whatever it was lie in this sea of documents?”
“I’d say that finding this personal letter is auspicious,” Edward said. “If there’s one, there’s got to be more. If you’re going to find the answer it will most likely be in personal correspondence.”
“I just wish there were some chronological order to these papers,” Kim said.
“What about the old house?” Edward asked. “Did you make any decisions about fixing it up?”
“I did,” Kim said. “Come on, I’ll explain it to you.”
Leaving Edward’s car parked at the castle, they drove over to the old house in Kim’s. With great enthusiasm Kim took Edward on a tour and explained that she was going to follow his original suggestion of putting the modern conveniences in the lean-to portion. The most important bit of new information was the placement of a half-bath between the bedrooms.
“I think it will be marvelous house,” Edward said as they exited the building. “I’m jealous.”
“I’m excited about it,” Kim said. “What I’m really looking forward to is the decorating. I think I’ll arrange to take some vacation time and even personal time off in September to devote full time to it.”
“You’ll do it all by yourself?” Edward asked.
“Absolutely,” Kim said.
“Admirable,” Edward said. “I know I couldn’t do it.”
They climbed into Kim’s car. Kim hesitated starting the engine. They could see the house through the front windshield.
“Actually I’ve always wanted to be an interior decorator,” Kim said wistfully.
“No kidding?” Edward said.
“It was a missed opportunity,” Kim said. “My main interest when I was growing up was always art in some form or fashion, especially in high school. Back then, I’d have to say, I was a whimsical artist type and hardly a member of the in-group.”
“I certainly wasn’t part of the in-group either,” Edward said.
Kim started the car and turned it around. They headed for the castle.
“Why didn’t you become an interior decorator?” Edward asked.
“My parents talked me out of it,” Kim said. “Particularly my father.”
“I’m confused,” Edward said. “Friday at dinner you said you and your father were never close.”
“We weren’t close, but he still had a big effect on me,” Kim said. “I thought it was my fault we weren’t close. So I spent a lot of effort trying to please him, even to the point of going into nursing. He wanted me to go into nursing or teaching because he felt they were ‘appropriate.’ He certainly didn’t think interior design was appropriate.”
“Fathers can have a big effect on kids,” Edward said. “I had a similar compulsion to please my father. When I think about it, it was kind of crazy. I should have just ignored him. The problem was that he made fun of me because of my stutter and lack of ability in competitive sports. I suppose I was a disappointment to him.”
They arrived at the castle, and Kim pulled up next to Edward’s car. Edward started to get out, but then he sat back in the seat.
“Have you eaten?” he asked.
Kim shook her head.
“Me neither,” he said. “Why don’t we drive into Salem and see if we can find a decent restaurant?”
“You’re on,” Kim said.
They drove out of the compound and headed toward town. Kim was the first to speak. “I attribute my lack of social confidence in college directly to my relationship with my parents,” she said. “Could it have been the same for you?”
“I wouldn’t doubt it,” Edward said.
“It’s amazing how important self-esteem is,” Kim said, “and it’s a little scary how easily it can be undermined with children.”