Mayfield: A Saga

Quietly, they backed out of the sleeping child’s room and back into the dimly lit corridor. In the light, Ellie could see that same pain in Edward’s eyes that she had seen when he first caught her watching them at the top of the stairs. “Mr. Remmington,” she started timidly. “What is it that I remind you of? What pains you to look at me?”

Edward looked straight into her eyes, and she did not look away. “Oh Miss Brown, I am not pained to look at you,” he said earnestly. “Quite the contrary. It is just…it is just that you look so much like my first wife, God rest her soul,” he said, finally looking away.

“What happened to her?” Ellie pressed on, her curiosity taking control. She badly wanted to reach out and lay a hand on his arm to encourage him to continue. But she dared not.

As if he were having the same thoughts about reaching out to her, he suddenly backed away and the spell was broken. He smiled and let out a small laugh. “That’s a story for another time, Miss Brown.”

Ellie nodded and let him lead her back down the corridor and past the staircase to her room. He tried to fill the silence by letting her know where Violet’s clothes were kept, where her shoes and stockings could be found, and even a crude description of how to fix her hair.

They finally reached the door to her new room, and Ellie thanked him for the tour. She reassured him that they would be ready to depart no later than 7am, and finally bid him goodnight.

As she turned to go into her bedroom, Edward stopped her. “Miss Brown,” he said quietly.

Ellie turned from the door to face him once again. He was smiling down at her, his eyes twinkling.

“What was the pain I saw in your own eyes back in the nursery? What past are you leaving behind?” he asked, studying her as if he could read her mind.

She stared right back into his beautiful green eyes and smiled. “That’s a story for another time, Mr. Remmington.” And with that, she turned and let herself into her bedroom, leaving Edward standing there staring after her.