Elsie

Chapter 5: Treasure Island

A/N: Adam is pictured above.

Two months went by before Elsie realized it, and she had never been happier. It was now October, and the autumn leaves were falling from the trees all around Elmsdale. In addition to her routine chores, Elsie made herself useful by helping Adam to rake up the leaves all around the property. Elmsdale was home to many large shade trees, so the job seemed endless, but neither Adam nor Elsie minded the work.

"There," Adam declared as he finished raking another pile, "that's the largest one yet. I dare you to climb the wall and jump into it from up there!" He pointed to the top of the stone wall, not far from where Elsie had escaped two months earlier.

Elsie laughed as she bunched up her skirts to scale the wall. The vines that covered it helped her to gain her footing as she hoisted herself up. She stood on the top of the wall looking down at Adam, ready to jump. As she did so, she spotted Hannah not far away, watching the two of them as she carried a basket of clean sheets in from the line.

"Hannah!" Elsie waved. "Join us."

Adam spun around at Elsie's call and gestured to Hannah as well, but she shook her head. She nodded to the basket she carried and went inside.

"Well, I suppose I'll be jumping alone," Elsie stated, preparing to jump.

"I have to admit: I didn't believe you would do it!" Adam shook his head with a chuckle.

"Of course! You dared me, after all," Elsie shot back. "Now stand back!"

From the floor-to-ceiling windows in the dining hall, Clement watched as Elsie leapt off the wall and into the massive pile of leaves that Adam had made. She disappeared completely into the pile before he saw her head pop up, her hair covered in leaves, and her face bubbling with laughter. Clement couldn't help but smile as he sipped on the afternoon tea that Mrs. Jacobs had made for him.

"She certainly seems to be enjoying herself," Clement startled a bit as Nora came up beside him.

Clement cleared his throat. "She does, indeed," he answered, his eyes trailing back to Elsie as she waded out of the leaf pile.

"Adam has been good for her," Nora continued. "Well, they've been good for each other. It's nice to have someone who can bring her out of her shell. Elmsdale could use some younger faces."

Clement cast a side-eye to her. "Younger faces?" he repeated.

"Oh, come now," Nora nudged him. "You know what I mean. It can't be lost on you— the way that Adam looks at her. She is beautiful, after all."

Clement frowned a bit as he looked back out the window to the young man who threw his head back in laughter at something the girl had said. "And what of Miss Thomson?" he inquired. "Does she return these sentiments?"

"Well, I can't say," Nora said innocently, "but Adam is certainly a charming young man."

Clement's brow furrowed. "Miss Thomson isn't meant to stay here," he stated. "We must think about her future. Elmsdale is only a temporary home until she makes plans to move on."

"And what makes you think that Adam couldn't be her future?" Nora countered with a raised brow.

"Adam... he's a—" Clement searched for words, but abruptly stopped as the sound of footsteps emerged. Hannah walked by a moment later on her way up the stairs with the sheets.

"A what, Mr. Jones?" Nora put her hands on her waist and faced him fully.

"I, uh... what I mean to say is..."

"What you mean to say, good sir, is that Adam is not good enough for Elsie," Nora finished for him.

"Adam is a good man," Clement quickly clarified. "He's just not suitable..."