PART 3 OF A SERIES: Lily Kate Monroe and her brother David reside in one of Waco’s oldest houses. Filled with reminders of fascinating family history, it is also the setting of an intriguing puzzle and a mysterious watch.

Lily closed the door of her mother’s bedroom after returning the watch to its hiding place in the trunk and leaving the family album closed on a small writing desk. Whether she really had been catapulted back to 1861 or not, she did not wish to experience that out-of-control, helpless situation again.

However, as the days passed into months, the tome and the trunk beckoned to her. What secrets did the watch hold? Did the message of aching devotion speak of a forbidden love? Perhaps the watch held the key to the family’s mysterious heritage.

Her brother, munching on a cookie, met her in the hallway. The setting sun sent beams of light through the stained glass transom at the end of the hall. “Been back to 1861 lately? Any news from the battlefront?” David whistled the first line of “Dixie” and poked her playfully.

Lily rubbed her arm and glared at him. “Ouch. That hurt. So do your remarks.”

“Sorry.” He leaned his tall, angular frame against the wall. “Are you sticking with your story?”

“I know it sounds unbelievable, but I was there in 1861 watching you march with the Lone Star Guard to war. It was horrible.” She reached for his hand. “And you had that same gash on your hand that you got opening a box for me.” Turning his hand over, she smiled. “You’re going to have a scar.”

“Nah, it’s fine.” He rubbed the purple mark. “Don’t you think you simply experienced a vivid dream?”

“What about the clothes I had on?”

“You found them in the trunk.” David grasped the doorknob. “Come on. I’ll show you. There’s nothing to all of this nonsense.”

“Don’t go in there. Leave it be.”

He took her by the elbow. “I’m right here with you.” He flipped the overhead light switch. “Must be burned out.” Coaxing Lily into a chair in front of the desk, he turned on the lamp. A soft glow surrounded them from the candle bulb in the small fixture.

David bent over his sister’s shoulders and began to thumb through the pages of the book. “See, nothing to be frightened about ... nothing at all ... nothing ... ” He grabbed the book and stared. “There’s nothing ... on ... these ...”

The candle lamp transformed before their eyes into a candle flame. Lily stood, sending the chair clattering to the floor. David threw the album on the bed and stepped backward. Lily grabbed his hands. His mouth was moving, but a buzzing in her ears drowned out whatever he was saying. She clung to her brother’s hands.

Finally the buzzing stopped, and the siblings gawked at each other. Lily let go and touched the graying hair around his temples. She looked at her wrinkled hands with brown age spots. “I told you. I warned you. Look at us. Now we’re old.”

David took hold of the lapels of the frock coat he wore. “I ... we ... what is this?”

Lily patted her dark thick hair to find it now in a soft French twist. She fingered the sweetheart neckline and large puffed sleeves of her dress. “We’re dressed for an evening out. I wonder what year it is.”

“You may be playing this game, but I’m not doing this, sis. Let’s get back to our century.” He grabbed the book from the bed and opened it.

“That won’t do any good until the time is right. Sit down. Although I didn’t want this to recur, I’ve been doing some thinking.” Lily replaced the album on the desk, and they sat on the bed. “I believe there is a purpose in all of this. We can’t fight it. I think we need to find out what the reason is, work through it and then perhaps these episodes will cease.”

“What are you talking about? Are you addled? Addled? I’ve never used that word in my life. Crazy! That’s what I meant to say — are you crazy?”

“What if we could find out about our ancestors? What if we found a key that would unlock the secrets of our past? What if we need that information to ... oh, I don’t know ... to clear something up in our century?”

“With who? Nobody’s left. Are you talking about altering the past?”

“No, nothing like that. I’m just talking about information that might lead to a discovery in our day and time that would heal the past.”

“What needs to be healed about our past?”

“Why do you think Mother never told us anything about our relatives? Why didn’t we have extended family like everyone else? What if there are forgiveness and reconciliation issues that need to be dealt with that we don’t know about?”

David looked in the mirror of a nearby vanity and smoothed down his moustache. “Never thought about it.” He straightened up and took a deep breath. “I rather like the moustache.”

Loud banging interrupted their conversation. Easing out of the bedroom into the hallway and peering down the stairs, they watched a much older Tildy answer the front door.

“I must speak with Miss Lillian immediately.”

“Yes, sir, Dr. Kaufman. Come in, please. Weather’s mighty cold out there tonight.”

“Thank you, Tildy.” A middle-aged man with a pointed goatee entered carrying a large basket.

Lily and David started down the curved staircase.

“Oh, good. You’re here too, David. I suppose your family has gone on to the Cotton Palace. Big opening night.”

David extended his hand to the doctor. “Uh ... hmmmm ... yes, of course.” He looked at his sister with a quirk of his eyebrows.

Lily’s mind raced. Opening of the Texas Cotton Palace — 1894.

Dr. Kaufman set the basket on the hall tree as the sound of a baby’s soft whimper filtered into the air. “I just delivered this little girl. The mother is ... well, unable to keep it. She asked that it be brought to you, Miss Lillian, seeing as how you don’t have any children, and you’re a kind Christian woman.”

“Why I couldn’t possibly ... I ... .”

“I don’t have time to debate with you. I’m late already. You must take this little girl.” He paused as he opened the door. “It’s your destiny.” And he was gone.

Lily gathered the baby in her arms. “Poor thing.” As she pulled the note from the blanket, something hit the wooden floor with a clank.

David picked up the pocket watch with its long braided fob and gave his sister a knowing glance.

Unfolding the note, Lily held it up to the gaslight to read:

“I am not worthy to take care of my baby. The father does not know about her, nor do I want him to know. He is a good man, a prominent citizen whose family would disown him if they knew that he had fathered a child with a woman from the Reservation. He has been out of town on business for the last six months and is due back in Waco this week. I must make arrangements quickly. I have heard that you are good people. Use the watch to help pay for my baby’s care. Please, please love my baby.”

The Reservation ... this baby was the illegitimate child of a prostitute.

Golden Keyes Parsons has written four novels for Thomas Nelson Publishing, three of which were set during the reign of French King Louis XIV. This is the third article in a 12-part historical fiction series scheduled to appear in Waco Today.

Catch up wih past installments of A Watch in Time at wacotrib.com/wacotoday.

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