Fic: Mr. & Mrs. John Moore (aka Miss Sara Howard Moore) VIII: Beaded Pearls (4/10)
Title: Mr. & Mrs. John Moore (aka Sara Howard Moore) VIII: Beaded Pearls (4/10)
Author: BradyGirl_12
Pairings/Characters (this chapter): Julia Ogden, John/Sara, Merry Christmas, Greta Bremer
Fandoms: The Alienist/Murdoch Mysteries
Genres: Angst, Drama, Historical, Holiday, Horror, Mystery, Suspense
Rating (this chapter): PG-13
Warnings (this chapter): Mention of suicide
Spoilers: None
Summary: Halloween still clings to Pine Grove like cobwebs.
Chapter Summary: Sara arrives in Cloverdale.
Date Of Completion: March 14, 2021
Date Of Posting: October 24, 2022
Disclaimer: I don’t own ‘em, Universal does, more’s the pity.
Word Count (this chapter): 1597
Feedback welcome and appreciated.
The entire series can be found here.
IV
SKELETONS
Skeletons are not so rare,
But I would take care,
They rattle and roll,
And take their toll,
As they screech and scream,
In the light of day,
They are a dream
Until you say.
Daniel Day Stevens
"Screaming Bones"
1889 CE.
For the next few days, Julia interviewed Andy, establishing a good rapport with the confused man. He gradually trusted her, and on the third day he spoke about 'the spooky house'.
"It was scary."
"Did you hear things?" Julia asked, sitting in a chair while Andy sat on the cot.
"Whispers."
"Do you remember what they said?"
"They said, 'go away'."
"Did you see anyone?"
"Ghosts."
"Pretty wispy, were they?"
Andy nodded. "Scary."
John was leaning against the wall. He occasionally spoke but he was mostly there to keep Andy relaxed. It seemed to be working. Andy was opening up to Julia.
"What about cold? Did you feel cold in the mansion, like winter?"
Andy nodded vigorously. He hugged himself, shivering at the memory
"It's all right," Julia said quietly. She stood up and took the blanket off the cot and draped it over his shoulders. Andy clutched it to himself. He looked up in gratitude. Julia smiled and resumed her seat on the chair. "Now, Andy, did you see fog?"
"Y...yes."
"That's strange, isn't it?"
"Spooky."
"You're right. Very spooky."
It certainly seemed to John that Andy could come across as mentally disturbed with his talk of ghosts and cold, but he knew better.
Andy's no crazier than I am.
Julia ended the session at noon and promised Andy that she and John would be back. He happily ate the fresh apple that John had given him.
As Julia locked the door behind them, John said, "I can't face the cafeteria's watery soup and stale bread sandwiches today. C'mon."
Julia followed him to the stables and they took a carriage into town.
"Here we go," John said as he stopped in front of The Green Onion.
"What a delightful name," Julia said.
"Good food, too. Way better than your place of employment."
John tied their horse to the hitching post and put the feed bag on. They entered the restaurant and the young woman behind the counter said, "Welcome back, Mr. Moore."
"Hello, Merry. This is Dr. Ogden."
"Hello, Doctor."
"Hello, Merry."
"I can recommend today's special of pork roast sandwiches."
"I like it. Julia?"
"Sounds good to me."
"What sides would you like?" Merry asked.
"Potato salad," Julia said after scanning the menu board behind the counter.
"Sounds good to me," said John. "I'll take Coca-Cola, too "
"Me, too," said Julia.
"You guys are easy," said Merry. "Two pork roast sandwich lunches coming up."
Julia and John took a table by the front window. "She's all blond and perky," said Julia in amusement.
"She's quite interesting. Guess her last name."
"Halloween."
"No."
"Thanksgiving."
"No."
"Christmas!"
"Yes!" John laughed. He knew that Julia was playing with him. "You knew all along."
"Let's say that the apron with the Santa Claus face was a clue."
"She's going to open up a restaurant of her own and call it The North Pole."
"Charming."
"Sara put her in touch with a foundation that helps women start businesses."
"Oh, I like your wife "
John smiled. "I sort of like her myself."
"Ah, yes. A new husband is bedazzled."
"I suppose you're right." John rubbed his chin. "Maybe we should ask around town and see if people have seen Andy around. Maybe they can give you insight into his behavior."
"Good idea. And I want to see Pine Grove."
John felt uneasy. "It's just an old house."
"But it's the center of Andy's ramblings. It would help me treat him "
Merry appeared with their orders. "Here you go."
"Thank you, Miss Christmas," said Julia.
"You told!" Merry accused John.
"I did."
"Oh, well."
"I hear you plan on opening your own restaurant." Julia sipped her Coca-Cola.
"Yes. I've been approved for funding."
"That was quick."
"It pays to know important people." Merry smiled. "Anything else?"
"Um..."
"I mean do you need anything else?"
"Oh " Julia smiled back. "Mustard?"
"Coming up."
Julia tasted the potato salad. "Mmm, very good. Now, John, I still intend to inspect that mansion."
John smiled. "I'm used to women who make up their minds."
"I'm sure." Julia sipped her Coca-Cola.
Merry brought the mustard and returned to the kitchen. John said, "I want to get Sara out here."
"Good. Can she come right away?" Julia spooned mustard onto her sandwich.
"I'll get in touch with her today."
"The quicker the better."
"Yes, ma'am!" John saluted her.
Julia toasted him with her sandwich.
& & & & & &
Sara arrived in Cloverdale just before sunset. She had hired a carriage and driven it herself, finding the boardinghouse with no problem after delivering the horse and carriage to the town stables.
"Wonderful day for a walk, though the valise kind of got heavy."
John took it and kissed his wife. "How's it feel being back in good ol' Cloverdale?"
"Considering it's only been a few weeks, smashing."
They went inside the house and John introduced Sara to Mrs. Bremer, who gave her a warm welcome. John brought Sara upstairs to their room.
"I like it. Comfortable and charming." Sara removed her hat. "Where's Julia?"
"She had a meeting with Dr. Osling." John heaved the valise onto the bed. "Good thing you pack light, unlike most women."
"Isn't that just like a man? You demand that women wear all manner of fripperies, then complain that we have too much stuff."
"Well, you do."
"Do not."
"Do, too."
Sara smiled and pushed John to sit on the bed.
5 & & & & &
At supper Mrs. Bremer was delighted with her new guest. "So you run a detective agency in the city?"
"I do " Sara speared a boiled carrot with her fork.
"That's amazing!" Greta leaned forward conspiratorially. "Any skeletons in the Four Hundred's closets?"
"Oh, my, Mrs. Bremer, you have a way with words," Sara laughed.
"Well I figure the rich are different in so many ways, but not when it comes to skeletons. Thing is, the bigger the house, the more skeletons you got."
"Very clever turn of phrase," John said. "And eminently true."
"Does that mean the Biggsbys had secrets?" asked Julia.
"Goodness, they might've, but most of their secrets were public knowledge." Greta launched into the story of the Gypsy woman cursing Jedidiah Biggsby and his family in revenge for the patriarch leading the good citizens of Cloverdale to drive her away from the woods surrounding the town. "Loss of life and fortune followed, a long, sad litany. Deaths by accident and in the War."
"Don't forget Emily," said John.
"Oh, no, I haven't. Poor Emily, Jedidiah's daughter, hanged herself from the oak tree in the backyard of Pine Grove."
"Dear me." Julia shook her head.
"A sad business."
"Does her spirit haunt the place?"
"So people say."
Julia leaned forward. "Do you believe it?"
Greta shrugged. "I'm not sure."
"It is difficult to believe in spooks," said Sara.
"But you spent the night there," Julia protested
"Yes, but there were no ghosts."
"Are you sure?"
"What has John been telling you?" Sara's tone was amused.
"Who said I said anything?" John hastily forked some green beans.
"He was quite frank," admitted Julia.
"John can be extremely honest." Sara took a bite of chicken. "Excellent roast chicken, Mrs. Bremer "
"Thank you, Mrs. Moore. Anybody want a refill on coffee?"
"I would," said John.
"So would I. I'll go get the pot."
Greta disappeared into the kitchen. Sara looked coolly at her husband.
"What?" John finished his coffee.
"Are you getting Julia all excited about our night in the mansion? It was all just a dream."
"Says you and Laszlo."
"That's right." Sara was quite smug. "Says me and Laszlo."
John was tempted to stick his tongue out but Julia's presence restrained him. It would hardly be gentlemanly.
Greta returned with the coffeepot and refilled John's cup and then her own. "So, anything interesting while I was gone?"
& & & & & &
After supper clean-up, Greta played the piano in the parlor and she and her guests sang the latest so songs from Tin Pan Alley. It was a pleasant evening, and when it was time to retire, John and Sara went upstairs hand-in-hand. They closed the bedroom door behind them and Sara unbuttoned her shoes.
"Thank goodness I don't wear corsets anymore." She rubbed her back. "So much better for the health."
John worked on his shoes. "You think they'll ever invent shoes without so many darned buttons?"
"I hope so. There are so many new inventions these days." Sara removed her shoes and wiggled her stocking-clad toes. "I wish they could invent lighter stockings and less petticoats."
"Women early in this century wore lightweight silks inspired by ancient Greek fashions."
"Yes, the Empire style. The Empress Josephine popularized it." Sara rubbed her ankles. "A pity the fashions grew more layered and bulky until we ended up with hoop skirts."
"Before your time."
"Fortunately. Not so unfortunately, corsets were still the norm. Horrible things."
Sara pulled down her stockings and laid them over the rocking chair.
"Now for the other layers," John said in anticipation.
Sara smiled. An owl hooted somewhere nearby as the night grew colder and the moon's rays shimmered as the Moores loved each other.
Several miles away, fog swirled around the Biggsby Mansion.
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