Spring arrived as March began its hasty retreat, rolling up the decorum of winter like a great rug. seven daughters of Fairchild had accepted the appeal to stay. They worked the shop and still ran their sewing business. Whenever the chance arrived Alifair went to the Hendricks place, having Taitiann drive her so she could play with Birdy.

Jethro recovered though he and Selene had an understanding to see less of each other. He stayed at the house and she stayed longer hours at the shop, even moving Annie's dress there. Suspicions began to clear and soon everyone could breathe again. Jessop left for Omaha with the scroll for a couple of days and everyone anticipated the news he would return with. He had also told Astrid Fairchild who he judged to be the quietest that he had a surprise for her and her sisters. This prompted the girl to wait everyday at the post.

/

"Why does Astrid go everyday to the post?" Hannah asked one morning when she should have been doing her lessons.

Miriam had just arrived from the house with fresh baked goods which had become high demand now that it was springtime and the weather was fit for picnics. "Do your lessons," she scolded.

"Told you," Alifair snickered at Hannah who stuck out her tongue.

"But it is strange, Miriam," Selene said as she circled Annie's wedding dress. "It's not like Astrid to do such a thing. You know Mama liked to keep her close."

Miriam dusted her hands as she finished stocking the shelves. She glanced at the clock. "It's after 2:00PM," she said. "She's never away this long." She hastily untied her apron. "Selene, Taitiann, watch things for me!" She hurried out the door and onto the street. When she was halfway up the road she noticed a horse carrying two riders coming her way. When she recognized the rider she ran towards them.

Jessop reined the horse as Miriam approached and he helped Astrid down from the saddle.

"Mr. St. Cloud," Miriam said. "Please do not take my sisters on unauthorized rides. I nearly had a heart attack."

"And you." She turned to Astrid. "Just what have you been doing at the post all this time?"

Astrid smiled despite her sister's scolding and held up a parcel she had been carrying. "A package from Papa." She beamed.

"What?" Miriam said incredulously.

Jessop dismounted and took his horse by the reins. "I wrote around until I found a prison that recognized the name," he said then reached into his jacket and handed her an envelope.

Miriam took it and hugged it to her chest. "You found my father? And what about my mother?"

"I think you should read and find out."

The three returned to the shop where Miriam summoned all her sisters. "We have news of Papa," she said making them all crowd around closer.

"I want to read it!" Hannah pleaded.

"She can't read, don't let her," Alifair said. "Let Heloise read it."

"Quiet," Taitiann said. "Miriam is the eldest so she will read it. Miriam."

Miriam thanked her sister then opened the letter. "Dear girls," she read. "I know you must have been afraid all these months for your mother and me. You shall be able to sleep peacefully now knowing that we are both well. The court decided to work me until my trial and your mama and I were sent to Colorado to work in the mines. Your mother is a cook here. I pray they will find me innocent and that we can be together soon. Our thoughts, love and prayers are with you all. Take good care of one another and don't stop praying for us. I met a man here in Colorado who had seven daughters himself. It was because of him that I was able to give my own girls a little something. Don't fret, Miriam, it didn't cost a thing. With love your Papa and Mama."

Hannah laughed. "He knew you'd be worried."

Miriam pulled Hannah close to her with one arm. "Open the package, Astrid."

Astrid opened the tightly wrapped package and cleared away the tissue. "Ribbons!" she exclaimed. "They sent us ribbons." Each sister took a ribbon in her favorite color and helped the other tie it into her hair. They started talking and laughing among each other that they almost forgot Jessop was standing there.

Suddenly remembering him, Miriam cleared her throat. "What do we say to Mr. St. Cloud?"

"Thank you, sir," They all chimed at once to which Jessop nodded. They all then joined hands and skipped around him singing, For he's a jolly good fellow. And if Jessop admitted it, their little celebration was greater than his welcome home party.

"I have something I need to tell you," Jessop said and the singing and dancing stopped. He reached into his messenger bag and took out the scroll. "I was able to reach my contacts in Omaha. They interpreted the scroll. Now, what they found it...it explains everything, but you may all want to sit down it's a weighty story."

They all went into the back room and once they were seated Jessop began:

The Grave of Lady Fair

December 1717: Fair Lady main sail damaged in cay. Cargo safe. Six men lost trying to furl main sail. Sailed into land by way of north flowing river. Ran aground on fourth day. Cargo safe. My men went to hunt food in the nearby wood. Seven die of malaria. Cargo safe.

January 1718: construction on river begins. Bricks used from hold. Water diverted. Damage to hull in shallow waters. Cargo safe.

April 1718: Wall successfully built. Excavation begins. Cargo safe. Ten more perish to sickness. Ship successfully placed in riverbed, Cargo safe. Trees fell in wood to cover dig site. Much labor.

August 1718: foundation laid. Today the walls are raised. Much labor, regrets are nigh. Cargo safe.

December 1718: House complete. Cargo Safe. House completed, a fine headstone for Fair Lady. Cargo too large for one man.

February 1718: Have purchased land and married but with no intentions to live in the house. Wife, Maryanne Childs. As I was born an orphan and spend my life at sea I take the name Fairchild in honor of both my ladies.

March 12 1732: The day I lie dying.

March 13 1732 year of our Lord: The day Captain John S. Fairchild is laid to rest. Epitaph: J.S. Fairchild- 1699-1732 year of our Lord: After howling and howling against the little ship at sea the wind said unto him, 'thou art indestructible.

Jessop looked up from the paper at seven stunned faces. "That's...that's all it says."

"All it says?" Miriam said. "It's talking about our house."

"Our house has a story," Alifair said. "A ship is buried beneath our house!"

As the sisters talked on Heloise mulled over the words she had just heard. Her grandfather had quoted that epitaph but her grandfather wasn't much of a good reader so perhaps he had been told the story. Only perhaps he didn't believe it to be true. Who would unless they had proof?

"Mr. St. Cloud?" Heloise said. "If that will says that the house and the land belongs to my family does that stand to reason that, if what that scroll says is true, that Fair Lady and whatever was in her cargo belongs to us too?"

"Other than Sunny Fairchild there we no rightful heirs," Jessop said. "As a woman of her time she was in her right. It is your land now. No one has the right to go digging anything up on it but you. As far as I see it this house and ship all sound like one package."

"Treasure," Heloise pounded her first in her palm. "I bet those men were after treasure only they didn't find it. That's why they've been after us."

"That makes sense, Heloise," Selene said. "But how would they have known the story, we lived there all our lives and none of us knew."

"Not so fast," Taitiann said getting to her feet. "Remember Sunny Fairchild's will was signed by two witnesses. Harrison and Callaway."

"Do you suppose Mr. Callaway knew about the treasure?" Miriam asked.

"Perhaps that's what got him killed," Selene said. "Miriam do you know what that would mean?"

"It would prove Papa is innocent!" Miriam stood up. "We need to find that treasure and prove that's what Wendigo was looking for. If it exist than we have a motive for murder."

"Do you really think it can be found?" Taitiann asked.

Jessop cleared his throat and stood. "If I may." They stayed silent as he spoke. "That scroll was written in Aztec. If you were able to find that treasure...I could bet it would be the wealth of a world. Plenty enough money to hire a decent lawyer."

Taitiann suddenly grabbed his hand which made him jump in surprise. "You're the only lawyer for us, Mr. St. Cloud!"

Jessop smiled as he looked into her beaming treacle eyes. In all his years he had never seen such deep appreciation for something he had done.

Taitiann took a few steps back until she was in line with her sisters. "The seven daughters of Fairchild thank you." They curtsied in effortless unison and Jessop couldn't help but think these sisters were born for royalty.

/

The desire for the Fairchild sisters to return home burned like a forest fire. But such longings could not be abided by so long as Kincaid Keller still roamed the streets. In the blissful mornings of spring the sisters would set out blankets in the south garden near its pond and willow tree and discuss the dreams of going home and all that they would do.

"I see a room filled with toys to play with," Hannah said. "Endless toys! All the toys money can buy."

"We could get Mama her own carriage and fine dresses," Taitiann said. "Can you imagine Mama riding through the streets of Old Town, in a carriage drawn by two of the finniest horses? She'd be queen."

"And we'd be her princesses," Hannah said jumping to her feet and dancing around the garden. She danced onto Astrid's blanket and jostled her as she tried to sew a dress for a doll.

"You wouldn't have to work, Taitiann," Alifair said. "You could go off to college straight away. To Fisk, you've always wanted to go."

"We have to find the treasure first," Miriam said. "And even then we couldn't keep all of it."

"Why not?" Hannah protested.

"Because the scroll of the Captain said it's too much for one man," Selene kindly explained. "It would be far too grand for even the nine of us. It belongs in a museum."

Hannah shoved her hands deep into her pockets. One passed all the way through as she had not cared to repair her clothes. After sulking for a second she brightened up. "Who wants to play swords with me? Heloise?"

"Not at the moment, Hannah I'm trying to finish this poem."

"And don't even ask me," Alifair said. "You play too rough."

"I do not!" Hannah defended herself. "I play fair."

"Sure," Alifair said with a toss of her braid. "If you consider playing like an ogre to be fair."

Having enough of Alifair Hannah seized a clump of dirt from the garden and packed it into a ball around a stone that had been laying there. "I ain't no ogre!" She pitched the mud ball at Alifair and it stuck her in the head laying her out flat.

Her other's sisters stood to check on her but by then Alifair had righted herself into a sitting position. She rubbed her head and narrowed her eyes at Hannah. "You beast," she wept as the pain set in. "I never will play with you again!" With that she got up and ran indoors holding the swelling not on her head.

Miriam turned to Hannah with her hands on her hips. "Child, if you don't apologize to your sister then you have something else coming."

"You can't beat me!" Hannah said.

"But I can be sure to send you to bed without supper," Miriam said, "and make sure you never get any new toys. Or I could ask Alifair what she thinks will be a suitable punishments for your naughtiness."

Hannah only crossed her arms. "I'll apologize to Alifair when she apologizes for calling me an ogre."

"You impossible child," Miriam said. "I'll...I'll...I'll pitch you into the pond!"

Hannah screamed as he sister advanced on her and ran to Selene for protection only to receive none. Miriam, asking help from Taitiann grabbed hold of Hannah and carried her by her arms and legs down to the pond.

"No, Astrid, Heloise, Selene help me!" she cried as they held her over the water. "No, I'll be good! I'll be good. Sweet Lord Jesus, I'll be good I'll be good!"

Heloise, Selene and Astrid couldn't help but laugh as Hannah's pitiful cries for mercy went unheard as Taitiann and Miriam swung her back and forth over the pond.

"What's going on out here?" Jessop's voice interrupted their laughter and immediately the sisters all froze. He stepped out the door into the garden with Alifair just behind him holding a rag to her head. Miriam and Taitiann released Hannah onto the ground and the little girl scrambled away among the hedges. Jessop took a bite of the fruit he was eating and waited for an answer.

"Oh it is nothing, sir," Miriam explained through giggles. "We were only teaching Hannah to mind her sister's feelings."

"My feelings!" Alifair exploded. "She almost knocked my brains onto the ground!"

"Alifair, let's not exaggerate," Miriam said. "We were only all fooling around and got out of hand. Heloise, make sure Hannah doesn't run off too far, thank you."

Heloise unfolded herself and got up and went after her youngest sister. Still fuming, Alifair took a seat on her blanket to nurse the knot on her head.

Heloise found Hannah seated on a bench with her knees drawn up to her face. Taking a seat next to her she tapped her on the shoulder. "There really is no need to cry," she said. "They weren't really going to throw you into the pond."

"Easy for you to say," Hannah sniffled. "It was horrifying!"

Heloise stiffed a laugh. "Well that really was unkind to through mud at Alifair. Of course it wasn't very nice of her to call you an ogre either."

"I don't care," Hannah said.

"Then why are you crying?"

Hannah looked her sister in the eye and burst into tears. "I wet my pants!" she wailed.

Heloise sprung up from the bench and checked the back of her dress for moistness. "Well then." She quickly recovered before Hannah realized why she had stood. "Come, I'll help you change." She took her hand and led her indoors.

Back at the pond, Jessop had found himself an empty spot on the blanket where he talked and smacked his fruit at the same time. "Last night," he said to Taitiann nearest him. "I couldn't sleep. I kept thinking about you all and these people that are looking for you. Then I remembered from the time I was a boy about this old haunt that was supposed to live in a shack up the road from us. The other boys and I wanted to catch him because they say if you did you would grow up to be a rich man."

"Did you catch him?" Taitiann asked.

"Of course not." Jessop said though the smile on her face told him she had only been joking. "Getting to the point, we set a trap of spiced food and a freshly killed coon. He was supposed to appear if he smelt these things. We called it the ghost snare."

"Ghost snare?" Selene repeated and Jessop nodded.

"That got me to thinking," he went on. "That perhaps the best way to catch wendigo is to bring him to us."

"You want to bring that awful man here?" Miriam exclaimed. He hands suddenly felt clammy so she wiped them on her skirt. "Why?"

"I don't want to," Jessop said, "But there is no way we could possibly hunt him down." He reclined back on the blanket as the sisters exchanged glances.

"But if he comes here, who will protect us?" Astrid asked.

"I will," Jessop said sitting up. "I mean what I have planned will. We'll catch him, but you won't ever have to see him. I know you all are afraid and I am too but you want to go home don't you?"

"You're afraid of him?" Astrid asked and Jessop had to turn away from her wide doe eyes. "Sir?"

Jessop looked around at the sisters as they waited for an answer. "Yes," he admitted heavily as if such a confession would send him to the gallows. "I am."

Astrid turned away and Jessop crawled to the edge of the blanket he was on until he reached hers. "Hey," he said taking both her hands. "This man who we are looking for he's hurt a lot of people. Look at me, rabbit." He waited until she faced him again. "He has hurt a lot of people and we are not the only ones afraid of him. You understand? That's why we have to catch him so he can't hurt anyone else."

Astrid nodded with uncertainty and Jessop looked over his shoulder at Miriam. Her dark eyes seemed to look into him and read him like a book. He felt then that all his secret fears had been bled out of him onto the ground to be read by all eyes. She averted her eyes away for a second then they found him again. It was a silent word said that when spoken aloud was Justice for all.