Dark Shadows - Clementine

Nine

Elizabeth got up early in the morning. When she arrived in the dining room, Josette was already sat drinking tea. Barnabas was at the window, and Willie was making breakfast. Elizabeth smiled to herself and sat down. Willie emerged from the kitchen with a cup of tea, placed it in front of Elizabeth then brought her some porridge.

"Careful, it's hot," Willie said, just as Elizabeth burnt her tongue on a mouthful of porridge. Barnabas glanced away from the window to Josette, who was staring directly at him. He smiled at her and turned away again.

"What are you two grinning at?" Elizabeth asked, suppressing a smile herself. The pair shook their heads. Elizabeth finished her bowl of porridge, put her crockery in the kitchen then set off to get ready.

She put on smart clothes, brushed her hair carefully, checked the back and the front and tried to appear business like. She needed to go into town anyway; today was Monday, and unlike Angelbay, Collins Canning didn't work on Sundays. She called Willie once he'd finished washing the dishes and he got in the yellow Chevrolet on the driver's side, whilst Elizabeth got in on the passenger's. They drove around the fountain in the centre of the drive and exited, on their way to town.

......

Clementine had got up much earlier than Elizabeth had. She had opened up the building, vanished up to the office and had started to tidy the room. She sorted out a variety of documents, diagrams and sketches. She cleared her desk for the first time since putting everything on it, and left only the papers, a notebook, her pen, her glass of water and the lamp. There was a knock on the door and she jumped in her seat.

"Come in," she said stiffly. The shape of a person moved behind the glass, and the door opened. Elizabeth inclined her head slightly as a greeting, shut the door, approached the desk and sat opposite Clementine.

"It's a... little... cleaner compared to when I was last here..." Elizabeth said awkwardly, gesturing to the desk. Clementine laughed softly.

"Yes, I decided to try and make a good impression today," she replied.

"You have the papers?"

"Yes, yes, of course, here we are," Clementine said, pushing the documents towards the visitor. "I have a few ideas for logos, and I have drawn them sketchily there."

Elizabeth examined the surprisingly decent drawings. One was of a fish on the end of a rod; another was the names Collins and Bouchard written one on top of the other in complimentary colours of purple and yellow, above a fish skeleton; the last was the most artistic, being two silhouettes and a rippling pond. Elizabeth's eyes hovered over them all, coming to rest on the silhouettes.

"You drew these?" she asked.

"Of course," Clementine said. "I know they're nothing special..."

"They're beautiful," Elizabeth said, stroking the page. "I like this last one."

Clementine nodded.

"It's for you to decide," she murmured, drumming her fingers on the desk.

"Who are these two people?" Elizabeth demanded, making Clementine jump.

"Well... you, of course, and myself," she said slowly. Elizabeth raised an eyebrow.

"Are you sure it's you?" Clementine baulked before speaking again.

"I - I guess there's no point denying the fact that it... isn't myself correctly," she stammered. "But it's me in facial proportion and hair. Otherwise, it's made up."

"I almost believed that it was Angelique."

"I'd never do that, Ms Stoddard."

"Oh, wouldn't you, now?"