Before too long a year had passed since Mary’s death and Charles wanted to take the girls back to
their country home to spend some time. Castilla was unable to attend as the trip was far too long.
So she bid them farewell and sent them on her way. After a year of having them around, the house
seemed so empty but, she knew they would be back in a weeks time.
So her spirits did not falter too far.
“Be sure to send her my love and please Charles do be safe.”
“We will.”
As he and Lydia visited the gravesite Violet wandered off on her own. Refusing to enter the grounds.
He prompted her to stay within eyesight of him but allowed her to go. Knowing that she was probably too
young to grieve properly. As Violet nearing six hovered around the trees that bordered their land,
Charles and Lydia sat at Mary’s gravestone chatting with it as though she were there instead of a slab of rock.
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Charles was quick to head back home as the Spring weather had begun and flooding was often
a problem in the countryside. They did not linger too long and headed back in three days time.
But, there was no warmth when they returned. The house was dark and empty. Lydia and Violet
called out for their grandmother but no reply was made. And when they made their way upstair to
the room they shared they knew why. They found her body in her bed. She had passed in the night
during the comfort of sleep.
They had a quick funeral and Castilla was laid next to her husband in the cemetery.
But though the loss of their grandmother weighed heavily on them, Charles had bigger problems.
Without the money Castilla was bringing into the house they could no longer afford to live there.
So he wrote a letter to the last living relative the girls had. Mary’s sister Nettie. She lived on the outskirts
of town with her husband on a large property that was mostly unused. If Charles could convince her
to allow them to build a small home and live there, they may be saved yet.
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