What do a mysterious locket, time travel, Charles Dickens, an ancient Irish monastery, a massive explosion in London, a fiery ring, and a raging flood all have to do with three best friends Meredith, Madeline and Molly? Find out as the adventure of a lifetime begins when Molly's grandmother entrusts her with precious heirlooms that have been handed down through Molly's family for centuries. Loyalty is questioned as the girls struggle to overcome a shadowy stalker who may know more about the mysteries surrounding them than he admits. The girls face the ultimate challenge to their long friendship, one that will test whether or not they truly are Inseparable.

Inseparable

The Tale of the AmuletBy Carmen Roberts

AuthorHouse

Copyright © 2009 Carmen Roberts
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4490-3396-5

Contents

Chapter 1 Chicago, May 22, 1924..............................................5Chapter 2 "Charles Dickens" In Greenfield?: 21st Century.....................13Chapter 3 The Reading........................................................25Chapter 4 Magical London.....................................................29Chapter 5 The Argument.......................................................45Chapter 6 Glendalough, Ireland: 802 A.D......................................53Chapter 7 Inseparable Once Again.............................................62Chapter 8 Allan's Surprise...................................................73Chapter 9 Ohio Bound.........................................................86Chapter 10 A Story Remembered.................................................95Chapter 11 Thayer's Nightmare.................................................97Chapter 12 Craving the Thrill.................................................103Chapter 13 Separation.........................................................110Chapter 14 The Flood..........................................................114

Chapter One

Chicago - May 22, 1924

Anna Cass moodily watched the drizzling rain slide down her bedroom window. Looking through the streaked panes at her gloomy Chicago street, all her pent up eagerness and anticipation dissipated with every tap, tap, tapping drop. She had been dreaming of this event for weeks - ever since she and Clyde had received their invitation. Now as she sat at her dressing table thinking of all her ruined plans, she couldn't help feeling depressed.

She and Clyde; (Teddy as she called him); considered themselves very fortunate to have received an invitation to the social event of the year in South Chicago. They had been even asked to sit at the front table as honored guests. As her finger absently traced the gold lettering on the beautiful invitation dated May 22, 1924, her imagination vividly conjured the upcoming evening. Anna had been planning for this day for months; what she would wear, who she would dance with, even with whom she and Teddy would dine.

Building the Calumet Park Field House had engulfed their lives for more than five of the twenty years it had taken to build. All through their early married life, she had visited Teddy at the construction site many times. So that they might have some time together, Anna had taken Teddy most of his meals and had sat beside him countless evenings as he explained the many details of the construction. Girder by girder, brick by brick they had seen the building come to life. Finally, the celebration to dedicate the new building was this evening and they were among the honorees. The weather forecast in today's newspaper had been annoyingly accurate: rain with heavy winds. Typical Chicago Spring!

All week long, Anna's whole focus had been preparing and planning for the opening. She had their agenda memorized. They would leave home at noon so they could be at the field house by one o'clock for the opening ceremonies. After the speeches and introductions, the field games would begin. After the sporting events, they planned to return home for a little rest. She and Ted would then change into their formal clothes, and return to the Field House grounds by six o'clock that evening for the meal, and the open-air band concert. The group would then view the games in the gymnasium at eight, and by nine o'clock, there would be fireworks! But the most important event to Anna was the formal dance which was to begin promptly at nine-thirty. Now with the pouring rain, Anna just knew her beautiful hair would be spoiled-not to mention the effects of the rain on her dress!

The dress was sapphire blue silk and had been made by one of Chicago's foremost dressmakers. In January, her sister-in-law, Lillian, had found the "perfect" fabric at Marshall Field department store. The dress pattern had come all the way from Paris. The planning, the fittings, the accessories, everything for this one special evening was finally ready. As Ted came into their bedroom he looked admiringly at Anna as she made final adjustments at her dressing table. Her brilliant blue eyes, accentuated by the dress, made her look astonishingly beautiful. She was so graceful and stunning; he knew he was a very lucky man. As she saw him approach, Anna stood, turned to her husband and gave him a huge kiss. She teasingly kissed him again- the second time on his nose, to avoid his scratchy mustache. He smiled as he appraised her at arms length, appreciating her beauty. He again thought how amazing it was to have found such a wonderful woman.

Clyde Cass had come to Chicago from Beaver Dam, Wisconsin in July of 1891 to seek his fortune. He had worked on his father's farm but was restless and impatient with rural life. He needed the exhilaration and excitement of "big-city" life, and Chicago definitely filled the bill. The Windy City was booming, and jobs were plentiful. Finding his first job as a laborer in a steel mill, Clyde climbed the management ladder through hard work and education. Though he didn't realize it at the time, he represented all that was good about America. He had begun with little and had, through hard work prospered beyond his wildest imagination. Today was a big day for Clyde, too. It was his company's steel girders that supported and gave strength to the new Calumet Park Field House, and he was to represent his company at today's dedication. He was feeling very proud that Republic Steel had selected him for the honor.

Meeting Anna was the other major event of Clyde's life. Anna, then twenty-four, was teaching at Taylor Elementary School in Chicago. They met at a mutual friend's Fourth of July party. Two years later, in 1900 they married. Though they had no children of their own, they were happy, prosperous, and comfortably settled. "Teddy, would you please help fasten a couple of buttons on the back of my gown? I simply can't reach them myself. And would you tie the ribbon of my necklace? Make sure the bow is small and lies flat. I want everything to be perfect for the dance." Anna instructed. Each time Clyde saw the exquisite necklace, he marveled at its beauty. As he gently placed it around Anna's neck, he was reminded of how old, almost other-worldly, it was. He knew it had been passed down through generations of his wife's family for as long as anyone could remember. Sparkling and shimmering against her pale, slender neck he was enchanted by its beauty. Even Anna's own considerable beauty faded and dimmed against its brilliance.

"I think I'll wear the sapphire dinner ring tonight, too," Anna said.

Moving toward her bureau dresser, she took a small ring from its velvet box and placed it on her finger. Screwing her diamond earrings on her ear lobes she looked approvingly at her reflection in the mirror one last time. "Alright, I think I'm ready."

"I'll say." Clyde smiled, as he took her arm, and escorted her downstairs. With umbrella in hand, they rushed to their car. As Clyde anticipated the evening's festivities, a small smile crossed his face, and his chest puffed with pride as he took the wheel.

Clyde drove up to the field house entrance to get Anna as close as he could. Fortunately the event planers had hastily constructed a tent that covered the walkway to the main building so the ladies gowns would not be ruined. Clyde's suit pants, however, were soggy and his shoes muddy by the time he walked from the car to the field house. His one consolation was that most men looked the same. Clyde stopped at the shoe-shine stand. The young shoeshine boy worked hard to remove the layers of mud from his shoes so he would at least look presentable. After he tipped the boy, he made his way though the crowd to Anna. Many people nodded and smiled in friendly recognition at the young couple as they walked toward the dance. Anna sensed that she was attracting notice and secretly smiled with self-assurance. This was going to be a wonderful evening -in spite of the rain. Clyde, looking at the same sky could only think to himself that another Sox game would be cancelled tomorrow if this rain and wind didn't stop.

Ouch! The necklace pricked her throat. Anna surmised that the underside cloth padding of her necklace had apparently come loose, and needed to be reattached. However, when the orchestra began to play, she and Teddy were irresistibly drawn into the magic of the dance, and Anna momentarily forgot about the irritation. Ouch! Again and again throughout the evening, the necklace stung her but Anna was determined not to let it interfere with the mood of the evening. Admiring glances followed Anna everywhere she went. Everyone seemed to be drawn to her. Some people even followed Anna and Teddy back to their table to admire the stunning necklace.

"What a lovely necklace."

"Wherever did you find such a wonderful piece of jewelry?"

"How gorgeous! May I have a closer look?"

Such were the comments from several people now clustered around Anna. Their attention became a buzzing in Anna's head, and their closeness was smothering her. The heat was making her dizzy. Anna was becoming aware that all their focus and attention were on the necklace and not her. Fanning herself and drawing away from the pressing crowd, Anna was miffed. She thought about her lovely dress and all the attention she had given to preparing herself for the evening. Was her necklace upstaging her? Ouch, it pricked again!

Anna thought she would never get out of that place, and before she had even taken off her wet shoes, she ran upstairs to remove the bothersome necklace. Even in the dim light of her bedroom, she could see several small, red abrasions below her neck where the necklace had scraped her ivory skin with cat claw-like abrasions. Turning the necklace over, she realized the silk cloth padding had compressed and little metal points were coming through, piercing the protective cloth. "Tomorrow" she thought, "I will remove the padding and replace it. Something more substantial will have to be used for the backing." As she placed it into its old, worn leather pouch, she was still annoyed that the necklace had drawn so much attention - attention and admiration that should have been directed to her that night.

The next morning after breakfast Anna took her sewing basket from the table, and with small embroidery scissors, began to cut the threads that fastened the padding to the back of the gold pendant. "Oh!" Anna gasped as her heart missed several beats, and she dropped the necklace in horror. The underside, which had been covered by the cloth, contained the most ugly, leering monster Anna had ever seen. It had two glowering red eyes. Were they rubies? A barbed tail twisted around the body of the devil-like creature. No wonder one of her ancestors had covered it! Who would have made something so ugly bound to something so beautiful? Heirloom or not, she wasn't going to let this hideous thing remain as it was. The following afternoon, Anna took the streetcar downtown to their jeweler, Mr. Rabens.

Mr. Rabens was certainly stunned by the quality of workmanship and the antiquity of the necklace, but Anna could see he too was revolted by the sight of the small, glittering creature. Anna discussed her idea to convert the piece into a locket, leaving the topside as it was. She wanted the bottom side cut away and melted down into something else - say, a ring? Could he do it? Mr. Rabens assured her it could be done, but this type of work was beyond his capability. He recommended Mr. Standt, one of Chicago's master jewelers. He provided Anna with the address, and together they telephoned Standt for an appointment.

"Mr. Standt," how very nice to meet you," Anna said as she entered the brightly lit shop one week later. "You have come highly recommended by Mr. Rabens." The jeweler wasted no time in escorting Anna into his office, whisking her past neat trays of sparkling gems and an overwhelming array of gold and silver. Standt had immediately noticed Anna's tense bearing and nervous smile. The things he had heard from Rabens had Standt on edge. Once they were both seated around Standt's desk, he waited patiently for his new client to reveal the treasure she was carrying, noticing the way her hands fidgeted in her lap. He saw how the young Mrs. Cass had difficulty opening a small leather pouch she had withdrawn with care from her pocketbook. Finally, Anna handed him the piece, and he slowly unwrapped the cloth surrounding the necklace. Instantly, the old and experienced jeweler was mesmerized by the marvelous workmanship of the ancient heirloom. His sense of wonder changed to obvious disgust at the sight of the grotesque underside. Recovering himself, he noted the gold content of the necklace was of fine quality and grade - probably eighteen or twenty-four carat gold. It was of unequaled craftsmanship and quality. Observing the necklace more closely through his jewelers loop, the gems appeared to be flawless. He had never seen anything like it in his career. "The beauty of the piece.... Exquisite"! He stared at it through his loop for several more minutes. When finally he spoke again, Anna thought he seemed rather breathless. He cleared his throat as if it'd been days since he'd used his voice, rather than moments. "Mrs. Cass, what would you like to have done? Something more appropriate for wearing, I assume? Such a woman of modest and gentle character couldn't possibly want to be seen wearing such a ... such a ..."

"Yes, quite Mr. Standt." The young woman blushed before assuring him that she loved the topside of the piece, but needed something, -how could she put it - "different" for the underside.

"Mr. Standt, could you perhaps make a locket out of the top side and perhaps a ring from the ... uh ... well, the rest?" Anna gave a little nervous laugh.

"Most assuredly, Mrs. Cass," he answered. "I believe that by carefully removing the unwanted "materials" (he used the word carefully) and encasing the front part to make a locket, we can turn this into something you would be proud to wear-no matter which side is showing."

"Thank you, Mr. Standt. Please just let me know when it is completed. I trust your judgment and expertise. Just telephone and I will pick up the pieces when they are finished. Anna hesitated. "Thank you once again." Her gaze flitted anxiously between Mr. Standt and the necklace before she finally made her way out.

Once Anna had gone, Mr. Standt continued to examine the piece. He didn't notice that his hands trembled, and his pulse quickened as he held this strange artifact. It had to be much older than any piece of jewelry he had ever seen. This was indeed a priceless heirloom. He placed the item on a small velvet pad, and hastily began to sketch his ideas for making two beautiful pieces from the one. Mulling over the design, Standt decided that he would fashion a ring uniting the two rubies at the center. Then he would replicate the design (Egyptian, he wondered?) from the necklace to encircle the stones on the ring. All day long he worked on the sketches, and as he finished the first design drafts, he murmured, "Ah, these are going to be superb."

Despite having closed his shop at the end of a rather long and tiring day, the jeweler found himself lingering - staring at the beautiful piece. Again, he thought to himself that he had never seen anything so admirably crafted. He seemed drawn to it. With a passing thought that he should probably head home, he instead telephoned his wife, telling her only that he would be late. Slowly, Standt began preparations to remove the stones from the back of the necklace. He must have been a little hungrier than he realized, as his stomach convulsed in a rather unusual way. Continuing his preparations, a sharp pain seized his chest and subsided just as suddenly. Maybe he would go home after all. Dinner appealed to him rather more than working on the piece right now. The odd pains the man had just experienced were a fading echo of memory by the time he was on the sidewalk, turning the lock to his shop. With visions of Pharaoh's riches and undiscovered tombs, Chicago's finest jeweler started home.

Over the next few weeks, Mr. Standt worked on converting the necklace into its two parts: the locket and the ring. Maybe it was just his imagination, but it seemed each time he worked on either piece of jewelry, he felt rather ill. Over time, his feeling of poor health competed with the rising enthusiasm he directed toward the locket. He turned down other orders, even as the bills mounted on his desk, so that he might focus his attention on this treasure. The two pieces were nearly completed, and with a little more work, they would be a great tribute to his craft. They were truly works of art -especially the ring. What was a little discomfort in exchange for that? The ring was his masterpiece, and would make him even more famous that he already was. His name would be known not just in the city, but throughout the whole country!

(Continues...)

Excerpted from Inseparableby Carmen Roberts Copyright © 2009 by Carmen Roberts. Excerpted by permission.
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