The plan had worked flawlessly. A yawn escaped her lips. She stood and put the dresses away, then returned back to the comfort of her bed, her diary still gripped against her body.
The steady movement of the train made her more tired by the minute, so she hastily put the diary under her pillow, and then hit something. She lifted the pillow and found another diary.
“Perfect!” She exclaimed into the dark.A final gift.After placing both diaries back under the pillow.
She laid her head back on the pillow and the images of her old body being dragged away played out against her closed eyelids.
“No, I will not allow myself to waste any time feeling guilty. The choice has been made. I am Theresa now. Abigail’s gone. This was a gift given to me and I don’t plan to waste it. I’m Theresa now. Abigail’s gone.”
She talked to herself in the dark before another yawn hijacked her mantra. The yawn was so deep it brought tears to her eyes. She wiped them away and continued her mantra.
“I’m Theresa now, Abigail’s gone.” Sleep finally came, releasing her from her association with Abigail as she fully accepted her new life as Theresa.
The train was scheduled to arrive at the station by midday, two days after the attempted train robbery. None of the other passengers had paid any attention to her. They’d all kept their distance after the events of that night.
The last two days had allowed her to focus on memorizing the diary that she found and to practice talking as the old Theresa did. It was so strange to hear someone else’s voice come out of her mouth, but thankfully the more she practiced, the easier it became.
All morning Theresa bustled around her cabin, locating all of her belongings from the small closet and drawers. Her reflection had caused her to pause as she took in her new features. Theresa’s beauty was also going to take some getting used to.
Things are about to become great for me. I can feel it in my bones. A wealthy husband. A life of luxury. All of it, calling my name,she thought as she finished stacking the last suitcase onto the pile near the door. The purple dress was packed away despite her desire to wear it off the train. Her waist was now smaller, and the dress would require alterations.
Alterations that would be completed by someone else,she thought, much to her chagrin. I need to get used to people doing things for me from now on.
The train huffed to a stop, and a young man in a red jacket appeared at her door.
“I am here for your bags, miss.” He gave her a small bow and went to work collecting her suitcases. When she boarded the train she had only one suitcase. Now, there was a pile in the corner.
“Thank you,” she said politely as he worked. When his arms were loaded he turned to her.
“I’ll come fetch the rest once I offload these onto the platform. She nodded and led the way down the hallway and to the door leading out to the train platform. She paused for a moment to watch as reunited family and friends embraced each other. The sun was high, and it felt like it had been months since she had felt the sun on her skin.
Of course, I have never felt the sun on this skin before,she thought, as she stepped off the train and into the crowd. Her head buzzed with excitement as men tipped their hats at her, and wealthy women smiled politely at her. Some faces showed signs of recognition.
I need to avoid anyone who might know me. For now, I just need to focus on getting to my new home. Who was it that was supposed to collect me from the train station?
Her eyes scanned the crowd, looking for who was collecting her. A man near the ticket counter gazed deeply at her. For a moment, she thought he might be someone from her household but then his eyes dragged down the length of her body and lingered on her neck longer than she appreciated. Her hand reached for her collar, pulled it up higher and looked away from the man.
More and more people entered the platform. No one came to greet her and the excitement slowly turned to panic as she tried to remember what was said in conversation.
Who would be the one to come? Bruce? Camille?Her mind raced as she pulled out the diary and found her scribbled notes quickly. After a refresh, she continued her mantra to calm her nerves.
I’m Theresa Sanderfelt. Abigail’s gone. I’m Theresa Sanderfelt. Abigail’s gone.She was lost in her own thoughts when she realized someone was waving in her direction, and she vaguely heard her name being called.
“Miss Sanderfelt!” An older gentleman called again, more clearly this time.
That’s me!She waved back to him, and she reached for her suitcases, but her hands met someone wearing white gloves. They were attached to a platform attendant in a gray and red uniform.
“Allow me, miss.” Theresa nodded and offered a polite smile as she walked toward the suited man waving at her. A covered carriage waited.
“So good to have you home, Miss Sanderfelt.” He smiled at her as she arrived next to the carriage. Thanks to her diary, she felt confident that this man was the head housekeeper, Bruce. He had a full head of white hair and barely-visible smile lines. His tan suit looked freshly pressed with crisp lines down his pant legs.
“Hello, Bruce. Thank you for the warm welcome. I am happy to be home as well,” Theresa replied warmly and smiled at him. Her suitcases were loaded quickly into the back of the carriage.
Bruce offered his hand to help Theresa into the carriage. She took it and climbed inside. The interior was the most beautiful carriage she had ever seen. In Buffalo, there was some wealth,but she had lived on the societal outskirts as she had belonged to a low-class family.
Next to her in the seat, was a basket with a blue floral fabric on top. Bruce climbed in behind and sat opposite her. Theresa lifted the fabric and saw an assortment of pastries, some still warm, some buttered, and a few that had some powdered sugar on top. Her mouth watered, and she dropped the fabric to avoid temptation.
“Your father asked me to stop and get those for you. He remembered you are not a fan of the food the train serves and wanted you to be in an agreeable spirit upon your arrival.” Bruce said with a forced laugh.
