Kim noticed a slight smile had appeared on François’s face at this point in Edward’s accolade. He also bowed his head in Kim’s direction as if to emphasize that he was everything Edward was saying and more. Kim looked away. She had the feeling that François was a bit too sophisticated and forward for her taste.
“François will be responsible for our saving a lot of time with the Ultra research,” Edward continued. “We’re truly lucky to have him. It’s France’s loss and our gain.”
A few minutes later Edward led François from the house to take him to the lab. He was eager for François to see the facility and meet Curt. Kim watched them climb into Edward’s car from the window. She couldn’t help marvel how such widely disparate personalities could end up doing such similar work.
The last two of the core researchers arrived Saturday, September 10. They arrived by train from Boston. Edward and Kim went together as a welcoming committee and were standing on the platform as the train pulled into the station.
Edward saw them first and waved to get their attention. As they walked toward Edward and Kim, Kim jokingly asked Edward if physical attractiveness had been one of the requirements for employment at Omni.
“What in the devil are you talking about?” Edward asked.
“All your people are so good-looking,” Kim said.
“That’s something I hadn’t noticed,” Edward said.
When the two groups came together Edward did the introductions. Kim met Gloria Hererra and David Hirsh, and she shook hands with each.
Gloria, like Eleanor, did not fit Kim’s stereotypical image of a female academic researcher. But that was their only similarity. They were complete opposites in coloring and manner. In contrast to Eleanor’s fairness, Gloria was olive complected with hair as dark as Kim’s and dark eyes almost as penetrating as François’s. In contrast to Eleanor’s cool reserve, Gloria was warm and forthright.
David Hirsh reminded Kim of François. He too was tall and slender, with a panache like an athlete. He was dark but not quite as swarthy as François. His demeanor was equally as urbane but more pleasant since he wasn’t as bold and had a demonstrable sense of humor along with a pleasing smile.
On the drive to the station Edward described Gloria and David’s accomplishments with similar detail and accolades as he’d done with Curt and François. Both Gloria and David assured Kim that Edward was exaggerating. They then turned the conversation around to talk about Edward. In the end all Kim was certain of was that Gloria was a pharmacologist and David was an immunologist.
At the compound Kim was dropped off at the cottage. As the car pulled away en route to the lab, Kim could hear more laughter. Kim was happy for Edward. She was confident that Gloria and David would be good additions to the atmosphere of the lab.
The following day, September 11, Edward and the other five researchers had a brief celebration to which Kim was invited. They uncorked a bottle of champagne, clinked glasses, and toasted Ultra. A few minutes later they fell to work at a furious pace.
Over the next few days, Kim visited the lab often to lend moral support as well as to make sure there were no problems she could help solve. She thought of her position as somewhere between hostess and landlord. By midweek she slowed the frequency of her visits considerably. By the end of the week she rarely went since every time she did, she’d been made to feel as if she were intruding.
Edward did not help. On the previous Friday he told her outright that he’d prefer her not to come too often since her visits interrupted their collective concentration. Kim didn’t take the rebuff personally because she was well aware of the pressure they were under to produce results as quickly as possible.
Besides, Kim was content with her own activities. She’d adjusted nicely to living in the house and found it pleasant. She still felt twinges of Elizabeth’s presence but not nearly so disturbingly intense as that first night. Indulging her interest in interior design, Kim had obtained dozens of books on wall and floor covering, drapery design, and colonial furniture. She’d brought in scores of samples which she had littered about the house in the areas she considered using the materials. As an added treat she’d spent many an hour rummaging through the area’s many antique shops hunting for period colonial furniture.
Kim also invested significant time back in the castle, either in the attic or the wine cellar. The discovery of Elizabeth’s diary had been a great incentive to her. It had also wiped away the discouragement built up by so many previously fruitless hours.
In the very beginning of September during Kim’s first trip back to the castle after finding Elizabeth’s diary, she’d found another significant letter. It had been in the same sea trunk as the diary. It was addressed to Ronald and was from Jonathan Corwin, the magistrate who originally occupied the Witch House.
20th July 1692Salem TownDear Ronald:
I esteemed it prudent to draw your attention that your removal of Elizabeth’s body from its interment on Gallows Hill hath been espied by Roger Simmons who in like manner did see the son of Goodwife Nurse remove his mother’s body to the same end as yourself. I beg of you my friend not to flaunt this act in these unruly turbulent times lest you bring more molestation to yourself and your family for raising the departed is seen by many as witch’s work. Nor would I in the mood of the public call attention to a grave for the likewise reason that it result in you being wrongfully accused. I hath spoke with said Roger Simmons and he hath sworn to me that he will speak of your deed to no man except a magistrate if he be deposed. God be with you.
Your servant and friend, Jonathan Corwin.
After finding the Corwin letter Kim entered a two-week period of finding nothing related to Ronald or Elizabeth. But it did not dampen her enthusiasm for spending time in the castle. Belatedly recognizing that almost all of the documents in the attic and the wine cellar had historical significance, Kim decided to organize the papers rather than merely look through them for seventeenth-century material.
In both the attic and the wine cellar she designated areas for storing papers according to half-century periods. In each area she separated the material into business, government, and personal categories. It was a monumental task but it gave her a sense of accomplishment even if she wasn’t adding to her collection of documents relating to her seventeenth-century ancestors.
Thus the first half of September passed comfortably, with Kim dividing her time between decorating the cottage and searching and organizing the castle’s disordered archives. By midmonth she avoided the lab altogether and rarely saw any of the researchers. She even began to see less of Edward as he came home progressively later each evening and left earlier in the morning.
12
Monday, September 19, 1994
It was a gorgeous fall day with bright warm sunshine that quickly brought the temperature to nearly eighty. To Kim’s delight some of the trees in the low-lying marshy areas of the forest already had a hint of their fall splendor, and the fields surrounding the castle were a rich blanket of goldenrod.
Kim had not seen Edward at all. He’d gotten up before she did at seven and had left for the lab without breakfasting. She could tell because there were no soiled dishes in the sink. Kim wasn’t surprised since Edward had told her several days previously that the group had begun taking their meals together in the lab to save time. He’d said they were making amazing progress.
Kim spent the morning in the cottage with her decorating project. After a week’s indecision she was able to decide on the fabric for the bedspreads, the bed hangings, and the curtains for both upstairs bedrooms. It had been a difficult choice, but having finally made it, Kim felt relieved. With the fabric number in hand she called a friend at the design center in Boston and had her place the order.