Fic: Mr. & Mrs. John Moore (aka Miss Sara Howard Moore) VIII: Beaded Pearls (6/10)
Title: Mr. & Mrs. John Moore (aka Sara Howard Moore) VIII: Beaded Pearls (5/10)
Author: BradyGirl_12
Pairings/Characters (this chapter): John/Sara, Julia Ogden
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: John and Sara guide Julia through the Biggsby Mansion.
Date Of Completion: March 28, 2021
Date Of Posting: November 10, 2022
Disclaimer: I don’t own ‘em, TNT, Shaftesbury Films and The Canadian Broadcasting Company do, more’s the pity.
Word Count (this chapter): 1363
Feedback welcome and appreciated.
The entire series can be found here.
VI
GHOSTLY WHITE
O, crumbling house!
The weight of your years
Flakes away
As groans and creaks
Mold and leaks,
Takes its toll.
Edna Cutler McVay
"If These Walls Could Talk"
1876 C.E.
The Biggsby Mansion , aka Pine Grove, looked forlorn in the mild November sun. Even though it had only been a few weeks since their last visit, John and Sara thought it looked much shabbier. The paint was peeling, the Mansion roof had lost some of its tiles, and the overgrown weeds looked taller The ivy climbing up the walls was rust-colored, and the Doric columns were chipped.
"Is Ellie Biggsby okay with us poking around here?" John asked.
"She went to England for her best friend's wedding so the renovations have been delayed."
"Lucky us."
They entered the house (Sara was getting to be an expert lockpick) and the cobwebbed foyer looked dustier than ever.
"Hasn't changed much," John said.
"Just dustier."
He consulted his pocketwatch. "Where's Julia?"
"She must've gotten held up." Sara walked around the foyer, kicking aside some chunks of plaster.
"Well, I hope not for long."
The Moores drifted around the first floor, reacquainting themselves with the house.
John checked his watch again. "She's an hour late."
"Hmm, maybe an emergency at the asylum."
A lod crashing of the doorknocker made them both jump. They both stared at the front door. Another sharp rap.
John strode to the door. "Who is it?"
"Messenger, sir."
John opened the door and a nervous young man thrust out a folded slip of paper. "Message from Dr. Julia Ogden, sir."
John took the paper and gave the messenger a tip. The young man quickly walked to his bicycle and pedaled away from the Biggsby Mansion. John sympathized with him.
"What's it say?" Sara asked.
Jon broke the seal and grimaced. "There was an emergency at the asylum. She says she'll meet us at the stables at five o'clock."
"Oh, dear."
"You're not kidding."
"Well, let's go back to town. There's nothing to see here," said Sara.
"Right."
John and Sara left the house and rode their horses back to the stables in town. They walked to the town square and sat in the gazebo.
"I don't like this," John said
"It can't be helped."
He leaned over and rested his elbows on his knees. "Looks like a snow sky."
"Cut that out."
"What?"
"Gloom-and-doom."
John rubbed his eyes. "I can't help it. Something's telling me not to go back to that house."
Sara put her hand on John's back. "You're just jittery." She began rubbing his back.
"I'm not sure it's only jitters "
"Well, we won't be spending the night this time."
John glanced at the sky but said nothing. Sara kept rubbing.
& & & & & &
Julia apologized profusely as she hurried into the stables. The emergency had been dire, she assured them.
"That's all right. We know how it goes," Sara said.
"Are you sure you wouldn't like to wait until tomorrow?" John asked.
"Unfortunately, I just got a telegram from my new employer requesting I come to Buffalo earlier than planned, so I have to wrap things up here as quick as possible."
"Very well, then," said Sara. "Horses or carriage?"
"I haven't ridden in awhile. Horses."
"Horses it is," said John, arranging for mounts with the stable owner.
They set out as darkness fell. John and Sara knew the way well, and they arrived at Pine Grove in good time.
"Can I ask you something?"Julia said as they tied the horses to a lawn jockey.
"Sure," Sara said.
"Why did Emily Biggsby choose an oak tree to hang herself if this place is named Pine Grove?"
"Irony?"
Julia shook her head. "Sara.*
John opened the door and they went inside. Julia looked around with keen interest.
"Pretty downtrodden, isn't it?" John said.
"Yes, but can be restored to its former glory."
"Let's hope so. Ellie has quite a few plans for this place," Sara said.
"That's good. The place certainly needs a making-over."
"We'll give you the grand tour." John bowed and swept his arm out theatrically.
"Thank you, kind sir." Julia bowed in response.
"Let's start with the kitchen," Sara suggested.
The Moores guided Julia through the first floor: kitchen, dining room, parlor and library.
"We found an interesting journal here written by an Abigail Biggsby describing a seance performed by a Madame Miranda Minton." Sara opened the journal to the seance page.
"A medium, huh?" Julia took the journal from Sara. "Very eerie seance."
"It was."
"But the writer didn't reveal the conclusion, just fog and voices and I suppose someone would say ghosts."
"She could have written the ending in another journal."
"Did you ever find it?"
"No." Sara looked at the dusty bookcases. "It could be here."
"Abigail said there was a loud crash. And according to her, Emily Biggsby, the girl who hanged herself, spoke through Madame Minton."
"Was it some kind of mass delusion?"
"Yes." Sara frowned.
"Perhaps. If Madame Minton's not a fraud, then mass delusion could be the answer."
"Or what about Madame Minton's authenticity?" John asked.
"Well, that could be."
"You're very flexible, aren't you?"
"It helps " Julia smiled.
"So you actually think the seance could have been real?" Sara asked.
"I don't know." Julia handed the journal back to Sara. "I'd like to see the upstairs."
A gust of wind rattled the windowpanes, startling everyone.
"Now there's a portent of doom," John said wryly.
Sara put the journal back in the bookcase. "Let's go "
The three investigators climbed the main staircase. The bedrooms were as musty as ever, Sara remarked.
In the northeast corner room, the faded bedspread was rumpled and the pillow looked as if someone had used it recently
"This is where we figure Andy camped out. See, there are breadcrumbs on the nightstand."
Julia looked around with a sharp eye. "Are there only bedrooms and a bathroom up here?"
"In this wing. The other wing contains more bedrooms, but also a children's nursery, another bathroom, and a sewing room."
"I'd like to see those."
"This way," John said.
The trio headed for the other wing. Julia inspected the rooms, and paused in the sewing room
"This is where Andy attacked us. In our dreams," said Sara, as Julia looked at her intently
"You both dreamed an attack?" she asked.
"Similar dreams."
Julia shook her head. "Dreams don't work that way."
"What do you mean?" John asked.
"It's not surprising that you two would dream similar things like ghosts, but something specific like an attack? Describe the attack."
"Andy barged down the hall and tackled John. He was pretty wild-eyed," Sara said.
"John?"
"Yes, that's about right."
"Anything else?"
"Oh, yes, before the attack an ax flew through the air." Sara's tone was matter-of-fact.
"Interesting detail."
"Yes," John said in an odd voice. "I dreamed it, too."
Sara looked at him in surprise. "What, the ax?"
"Yes "
"Hmm." Julia looked at her companions with an analytical expression.
"Do you need to see anything else?" John asked Julia.
"I just want to look around this room a little more."
"I'm going to check on the horses. "
"We'll meet you downstairs," said Sara.
Julia made a survey of the room. Sara watched her and Julia finally said, "It's pretty eerie around here. You sure your friend Ellie will be happy here?"
"She's a client, not a friend."
"I see."
Sara crossed her arms. "What's on your mind, Julia?"
"Dreams don't work the way you described."
"John and I are pretty much in tune."
"Not that in tune."
Sara rubbed her arms. "It's this house."
"I'll give you that." Julia dusted off her hands. "All right, I'm ready to go."
The women heard footsteps on the stairs. They looked at each other and Sara said, "Must be John."
The footsteps came down the hall. Both women gasped at the white figure in the doorway of the sewing room.
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