If These Walls Could Talk

CHAPTER 1
THE INVITATION


The afternoon sunlight played its shimmering shadows on the hardwood floor through the many paned parlor windows. Draperies fell to where they swirled into puddles where the shadows lay. A writing desk of deep mahogany stood between two of these windows taking on the glow of the late afternoon sun. Crystal pull down lamps had just been lighted and in the fireplace a hot crackling log tumbled to the hearth floor. The walls were covered in a rich paper of delicate pink and green posies and ribbons which lent the room a feminine air while the rich wood in the desk and magazine tables was very much masculine.

Louisa sat at the writing desk now, the tip of her finger tapping the end of her nose in concentration, while with her other hand she twirled circles with the paper she was meant to be writing on. Determined to make the invitations just right, she had been sitting so for over an hour evidence of her mistakes and restarts apparent on the desk, in the wastebasket and upon the floor. She knew what she wanted to say, needed to say, but for whatever reason, she could not concentrate long enough to put the words down on paper. This was going to be a very special occasion, the Grand Opening celebration of her husband’s second store. The first Edward’s Emporium had seen its business triple over the past decade, mainly due to the rise of the population of St Charles, not because of the quality of merchandise. The store sold everything from fancy groceries to gardening supplies, from ladies gloves to men’s boots.

Louisa’s husband, Jackson, had been dreaming of opening a second store even before this one had begun showing profit. Now, with the carpenters finished, signs painted, supplies ordered, there left only minor details to be seen to and of course the invitations. It was a diverse group of citizens included on this list that was proving to be such a challenge for Louisa. She considered the list of names; Doctor Harris, Attorney Williams, the druggist Mr. Parker, neighbors, teachers, local Ministers; the list was endless, the chore immense, but Louisa knew that she had to get it done.

Louisa and Jackson were expecting their fifth child to be born late fall of that same year. Since this meant that she would be confined to their home in the not so distant future, it was imperative to get this Grand Opening completed soon. Though it was never mentioned, the town suspected that Louisa played a large part in the family business, in every aspect of it, up to and including the bookkeeping. With the pressure of the unborn child, getting all the details of the opening complete, and now these invitations, it was no wonder that Louisa was struggling to find the right words to use.

A log fell in the fireplace sending into the air a rush of glowing embers and the smell of sweet pine. Though it was springtime, it was still early in the season, so that a fire was welcome most afternoons. A sudden noise on the porch again cost Louisa her concentration, so putting pen and paper aside; she pushed away from the desk to investigate.

Louisa thought to herself now, “I am so tired of sitting here at this task. I definitely need a change of scenery.”

The front of the house was completely surrounded by a wide wrap around style porch and overhead the upstairs veranda provided a ceiling that was painted green, along with the columns that held it up. Scattered up and down the length of the porch were cushioned chairs, benches, and tables. Here were spent many pleasant hours gathered to visit, catching up on the latest news and gossip, while sipping a cool glass of lemonade or a mint julep. It was on this porch now that Louisa opened the massive front doors to see what or who had caused her welcome interruption. Looking around, from left to right, she at first glance did not see anything, and then from out of the corner of her eye she caught a glimpse of something blue.

Smiling to herself, Louisa stepped over the threshold and started out across the wide expanse of porch, stopping only when she reached the steps that led out into the front yard. Here she pretended not to see that unmoving spot of blue cloth in the hydrangea bush. The lawn in the front of the property was not really that big, most of the yard was on the side and around the back. Louisa pretended nonchalance as she stepped down the stairs and started towards the gate that led out to Elm Street. The house stood on the corner, the intersection of Elm and High Streets. High Street ran the length of the town and was parallel to Main Street. From the front porch one could almost make out the Presbyterian Church’s steeple through the trees all the way out to the north side of town.

A rustle of leaves behind her gave Louisa the chance she needed and turning suddenly, she stooped over the bush, picked up her five-year old son, Joshua. Giving him a smacking kiss and big hug, she shooed him away to play in the back yard.

“Go on now, and find your brother and sister. They are surely playing your favorite game!”

Joshua answered, “Yes Mother!” and hurried off.

Taking a deep breath of the fresh outdoors, the smells surrounded her and she felt as if she had been shut away in the house for days instead of the few short hours so far this afternoon. She could close her eyes and recognize the fragrances and from where they came. Honeysuckle from the side yard fence, tea roses from her own garden as well her neighbor’s, the hydrangea that young Joshua had just stirred up and the smell of clover in the fresh cut grass.

Now she could hear the squeal from another of her children, sounding more irritated than happy and Louisa correctly assumed that Lucy, the children’s nursemaid, was rounding up all her young charges to start preparations for settling down for the rest of the afternoon and then their supper. Louisa decided she had wasted too much time already, so gathering her skirts in her one hand, she used the other to pull herself up the first step by grabbing the handrail.

“Oh my; I am already out of breath.”

Only two months along, she felt the extra burden more so this time then in previous pregnancies. No doubt her age was causing this, but whatever the reason, she felt the weariness and knew it would get no easier. Estelle, the housemaid opened the front door.

“Are you alright Mrs. Edwards? Here, take my arm and I’ll help you up on the porch.”

Louisa smiled her gratitude to her maid. “Thank you for the assistance, you are such a help to me.”

Now, she must get to those invitations and finish them before Jackson came home from the store. Not only did the invitations have to be finished; Louisa also had to complete this month’s bookkeeping for the store.

What some people of the community suspected was very true. Louisa not only helped Jackson display merchandise; she placed orders and kept the books up to date for Edward’s Emporium. Without her, Jackson would not be nearly ready to consider this second store. Thinking about the double workload, plus the new baby, Louisa was on the verge of becoming overwhelmed. The second store had been something her husband had been dreaming of, but carelessly and without thought to the extra work that would be heaped upon his wife’s already over loaded shoulders. Even with her live in help, a nursemaid for the children, a cook and housemaid for general duties, there was still a lot of household chores left for Louisa, no matter how trivial they may have seemed to Jackson. Squaring her back and rubbing the soreness out of her neck, Louisa diligently set out to finish the task of those invitations.