The Girl of Sleepy Hollow

Chapter 8

The three women sat on the porch of the house. They were all seated together in wooden chairs with needle work in their hands. They were laughing and conversing about whatever it was adults laughed or conversed about. Rose had only seen these women together once before at the All Hallows Eve party, when her mother had spoken to them.

Rose had doubts of whether she could trust these women. From what she had overheard her mother say in the past, these were the town gossips. You could never really tell what they said was true and what wasn't. But if there was anyone in Sleepy Hollow who would know about her mother and Ichabod, it was them.

The three women looked up as Rose approached the porch. They all smiled politely as the daughter of their old friend came to visit.

"Well, if isn't Katrina's girl" one of the women said. "Rose, isn't?"

"Yes, mam" Rose said. She walked up the porch steps. "Mrs.—"

"Oh please, dear. Call me Lizbeth." She motioned to the two other women. "And you may call them Willah and Maisie."

Rose nodded politely to each of the two women.

"So, what brings you down here, dear?" asked Maisie.

"I've come to ask you all some questions" Rose said. "Regarding my mother and an old suitor."

The women's eyes all sharpened with fascination. Rose could see in their gazes they had plenty of information to share.

"How interesting" Willah said. "And why the sudden curiosity?"

"It's something I'd rather not say" Rose said. "In fact, I'd rather you all keep this meeting to yourselves. I don't want my mother thinking I'm snooping."

Rose didn't expect the women to keep much a secret. But then again, if they did tell, Rose could just dismiss it to her mother as gossip. Lizbeth stood up from her wooden rocker.

"Well, if we are going to be secretive" she said. "Then let's take this inside. It's getting cold out."

"I'll brew some tea" Maisie said.

The three women led Rose into the house, and they all took a seat at a table in the kitchen. Maisie brewed four cups of tea and placed them on a tray on the table. Rose took the cup and blew across the steam.

"Now what is it you want to know?" Lizbeth asked.

Rose took a sip of tea, then slowly put down the cup. "I was wondering if any of you knew anything about my mother's relationship with Ichabod Crane."

All three women looked directly at Rose. The first one to speak was Maisie, who gently set down her tea without sipping it.

"I haven't heard that name uttered in years" she said. "Not since the three of us were young."

"I didn't think anyone cared about that weirdo anymore" Lizbeth said. "Even Katrina has never mentioned him once since her wedding with Brom."

"I doubt Brom would even want anyone to" Willah said with a chuckle.

"So you know something?" Rose asked.

"How could we not?" Lizbeth said. "Katrina's been a good friend of ours since childhood. There isn't one detail about her we don't know. Frankly, I'm surprise Katrina's never told you anything."

Maisie sipped her tea then wiped her mouth with a handkerchief. "So, where would you like us to start?"

Rose thought for a moment. "I was told that Crane was the only man who ever came as close to marrying my mother as my father did. But he and my father were so different. How could my mother love two opposites at the same time?"

Willah chuckled. "We asked that questions ourselves. I guess it was because of Crane's uniqueness that she liked him. She always called him a breath of fresh air."

"He was something alright" Lizbeth said. "He was quite smart, but quite strange too. He was always reading high-flouted books and talking big words most people in these parts never heard before. Your father was a roughen who'd never read."

"Remember how he used to tease Katrina?" Maisie said with grin. "Always sneaking up on her and scaring her? And calling her 'Trini-girl'?"

The three women laughed.

"Anyway" Lizbeth continued. "Brom liked to mess with Katrina. That was his way of flirting. Crane on the other hand was more chivalrous. He treated her like a lady."

"He smelled like a lady too" Willah said.

The three women giggled again. Rose stared at her reflection in the tea.

"He was an eater, too!" Lizbeth exclaimed. "The mothers of the town were always cooking for him, and he would eat anything and everything they put in front of him. He came to my house every morning just for my mama's corn cakes."

"Hard to believe a man could eat so much and still be so skinny!" Willah exclaimed, with a slap to her knee.

"That's interesting" Rose said. "But none of this tells me enough about Crane and my mother. What was their relationship like?"

"Now here's the juicy bits" Maisie said, rubbing her hands together. "Crane came to Sleepy Hollow a week after Brom's gang chased the old schoolmaster out. It was obvious from their first meeting that he and Katrina were interested in each other."

"They would go on walks together in the graveyard" Lizbeth said. "He'd read her some of the epitaphs and they would sit on a bench together."

"They always met in private" Willah said. "But everyone knew he was trying to court her. The reason they kept it so secret was because of Brom Bones."

"My father?" Rose asked.

The women nodded.

"He and his gang were a naughty pack" Maisie said. "They would always pull jokes on Crane to embarrass him in front of Katrina. Brom didn't want them seeing each other. But that never stopped them. Crane and Katrina's bond grew stronger with each meeting. In fact,--" She suddenly leaned forward. "Some say, the two had an affair."

Rose felt a slight jump in her chest.

"Not that I'm surprised" Willah said, taking a sip of tea. "Katrina Van Tassel was always a provocative woman. She'd always wear her skirt high to show off her ankles, sometimes let her top slip down a little too low. It's no wonder she attracted men like Brom."

"My mother really had an affair?" Rose asked.

"Well, it was just a rumor" Maisie said. "Most people didn't believe it either. But it was there none of the less." She took a sip of tea. "Once Crane disappeared and Katrina married Brom, everyone forgot about it. The same way people forgot about Crane days later."

Rose felt a bit comforted by this. She knew her mother would never do something like that.

"Thank you" Rose said. "I think I've heard enough." She stood up. "I better go. It's getting late, and I don't want my parents to worry. Good night."

"Good night, Miss Rose" the women said in unison.

Rose made her way towards the door, but was then stopped by Maisie's voice.

"One more thing, Rose" she said. "We promise we won't tell anyone about what's been said here today."

Maisie's voice sounded genuine, which made Rose feel more trusting that they would. She stepped out of the house and into the cool evening air.