Beneath the Estate, page 28
“Good.”
“Hey,” she said, “I was wondering: Who takes care of Pepper while you’re away?”
“One of my students.”
“Oh, right.”
“I had FaceTimed her just before I left Bethesda, so that helped me remember to show you that photo.”
“You FaceTime your dog?”
“Yeah. It’s a little silly, but Pepper does wag her tail when I call out her name through the phone,” said Daniel.
“Aww, I bet she does.”
“I forgot to tell you about a development here at the estate.”
“What’s that?”
“They turned that massive tent that covered the South Terrace into an exhibit so visitors can see the progress on the machine.”
“So visitors are walking around you while you work?”
“I feel like a zoo animal,” he said. She laughed. “I don’t go up to the surface much in the daytime,” he continued. “I’ll be working at night, mostly.”
“I see.”
“How’s your father doing?”
“So much better. I was just thinking a moment ago that even after a few days, he seems cleaner,” she said as she exhaled. “His hair is always washed. I don’t know who, but someone shaves his face, too, and he just looks so good. He has a color I hadn’t seen before. Or at least I don’t remember it,” she explained.
“That is great to hear,” he replied.
“It’s great to feel that my dad is being cared for. I just don’t think I could have done much more. I didn’t know I was at the end of being able to care for myself, much less my dad.”
Daniel continued to console and listen as she sat on her front porch. She had said some things out loud for the first time and hadn’t realized that she had been keeping them inside. The conversation she had with Daniel that night would be imprinted in her memories. The sound of the wind in the trees above her. The cold on her skin. Sitting on the damp wood of the front porch steps. Explaining the feeling of the incredible relief she felt, the result of her father in the care of professionals, and Daniel on the other end of the line, listening to every word.
Her memory of that night also included cleaning the trailer: the rubber gloves, her shirt over her mouth, cleaning and scrubbing away years of inadequate healthcare. The olfactory section of her memory would remember when she bleached the horrid medicinal smells that came from his bedroom, the atrocious odors that combined in the air with the decomposing food in the sink. She was at a loss over the new predicament of sewage that had backed up in the bathroom toilet, though.
After seven hours and twenty-two trash bags, the interior was still unappealing to the eye, with broken cabinets and stained carpet; but the surfaces were clean, and the recliner made it out to the curb along with the trash. The nauseating odor from the backed-up toilet remained and would take a phone call and a bill from a plumber. Unable to shower or even use the toilet, she left the trailer park and drove to the nearby city of Flat Rock. Using some of the money acquired from Chef Colson, she checked into the Top Hat Motel for $71 and change. A hot shower later, Penny set her alarm on her phone and set it to DO NOT DISTURB. She turned out the light, and, just before she fell asleep, she grinned as she thought about the photo of Pepper and how worried she looked. I hope I get to meet her someday, she thought.
CHAPTER 64
Present Day
Biltmore House – Deerpark Restaurant
Two days after returning from Bethesda, Penny went back to work. She spent the first hour of her shift talking with her coworkers around the prep table as she sliced onions and chopped garlic and scallions. She told everyone about her father’s apartment at the facility and his medical care, and reluctantly told them about Daniel coming to visit. She knew Chef Colson and a few of the line cooks would tease her about the professor and how he was trying to make a move.
“He wants to date you and get you to bring his food for the rest of your life,” joked one of the cooks.
“I think he’s trying to make you into a maid,” added Colson as he shrugged his shoulders. Meera, the sous chef, a woman with an Indian accent, spoke up in her defense.
“He takes her to a ball, shows up at her worst moment, and calls her to make sure she’s gotten home okay. Sounds more like Prince Charming than a king with servants.”
“Thank you, Meera,” said Penny as she threw a few onion peels toward Colson. While everyone headed back to their stations, Penny placed ingredients into small plastic deli containers and felt a gentle tap on her shoulder. She turned and saw Colson a few feet away, walking away from her. He turned his head briefly and looked at her.
“I’m glad you’re doing better,” he said with a nod and disappeared around the corner. The sincerity in his voice felt like a thick blanket. Being back at work felt incredible to Penny, since she knew she didn’t have to go home to Justina and whatever incident that may have transpired that day. Her mood had an element of happiness to it, the kind that couldn’t be touched. She felt an incredible joy as she ordered Daniel’s food on the POS screen and doubled the order at his request.
The routine of bringing him his food and spending time with him in the basement while eating together was something she looked forward to. This routine continued for the next few weeks while Penny soaked up every moment. Nothing warmed her skin more than the hello and goodbye kisses blossoming between them as their relationship grew ever so slightly.
CHAPTER 65
Friday, January 4, 1907
Buckspring Lodge
Whenever someone asked Edith “How far away is Buckspring Lodge from your home?” she would always reply “A bumpy and jostling carriage ride away.” Their arrival took place during the evening hours, and they opted to sip on tea beside the crackling fireplace, sitting side by side on the couch. The next morning, after breakfast, George and Edith bundled up with coats, scarves, and hats before they headed out of the warm cabin to feed handfuls of silage to the sheep. One of the farmers in Mr. Vanderbilt’s employ procured pasture grass during the summer and pickled large quantities of it by storing the ensiled grass in old milk cans. This way, the sheep would be able to eat during weeks of heavy snow or later in the summer when the pasture wasn’t as fruitful. In the basement of Buckspring Lodge, many milk cans were lined against the wall, with two cans set aside to test whether the pickling was a success. The test feeding had been purposefully left for George and Edith, at their request. As they walked out to the back of the cabin, two farmhands uncapped the milk cans and began scooping out the damp grass into two metal buckets. Once these were handed off to George and Edith, they headed out toward the sheep that were gathered into a warm, wooly cluster standing way off in the middle of the field. George attempted to whistle, but all that came out was an inaudible breeze.
“My lips are dry,” he said.
“I’d clap, but I do not wish to remove my gloves,” Edith said.
“I know it’s cold, darling, but we could just walk over to them.”
“Fine by me, Bear, but that just means extra cuddles by the fire to get me warm again.”
“Oh, goodness. These poor sheep are gonna need four buckets,” he said, causing Edith to giggle.
Ann Phillips walked into the chamber holding a sandwich wrapped in paper. In her other hand, she carried a water glass filled to the top.
“Lunch is served, Mr. Andolini,” she said with a grin. Setting his food and drink on his workbench, she noticed that something was bothering him. His expression carried a weight behind it that was a look she hadn’t yet seen in him. Without his translation book at hand, he tried to communicate without it.
“Apology, I need to tell you something,” he said, hoping he made sense.
“Yes?” she replied while wearing a confused expression. Antonio began the explanation, telling her that he would need to focus on completing the machine and was very careful to clarify that he wasn’t going to be ignoring her.
Still speaking without the help of his translation book, he said “I need moments to concentrate without … uh … interruption … interruzione … many apology, many apology,” he pleaded. She knew what he meant and thought him to be gentlemanly about explaining his needs and took his explanation to mean that the less she was around, the better he would be able to focus. She removed her translation book and quickly put together the sentence I understand, and I will see you soon, and replied in Italian while smiling.
“Capisco e ci vediamo presto,” she said as she backed away. A look of relief washed over Antonio.
“Grazie! Grazie,” he said.
Just before she was no longer visible in the tunnel, she said “Buona fortuna, Antonio,” wishing him good luck. Feeling relieved and grateful, Antonio felt that a burden had been lifted as he unwrapped his sandwich and took a bite.
Once he had eaten a few bites and gulped down the water from the drinking glass, Antonio brought every oil lamp he could find to the surface of the South Terrace to help illuminate the scaffolding as he continued to temporarily tie down the parchment to each joint. He worked late into the evening as he assembled the machine. And when he least expected it, at a time when he was completely engrossed in his work, he saw it from the corner of his eye: a wicker basket was sitting on the pebbled ground. He looked around and saw no one. “Ciao?” he said aloud. There was no answer. He climbed down off the ladder and walked over to the wicker basket. After removing the lid, he found corned beef and cabbage with stewed carrots. The cold air made the steam coming from the dish more pronounced. Using the steam to warm his hands, he waited until the food was much cooler before consuming it all. Over the next few days, a pattern began to form. If Antonio was working in the basement, deep inside the chamber, he would turn to grab a tool off the workbench, only to discover a wicker basket sitting near his tools. To his amazement, Ann Phillips could somehow enter and leave unnoticed. “How does she… ?” he would say whenever he discovered the basket. As always, Antonio would scarf down the food and return to his work.
At 3:18 a.m., surrounded by nine oil lamps, Antonio took a deep breath as he stood on the surface of the South Terrace next to the engine-order telegraph. Only a single metallic dome in the center of the South Terrace was visible. Ready to test the machine, he pulled back on the brass lever. The mirrored dome flipped back on a hinge as the giant white parchment structure slowly rose out of the ground, cleared the hole, and stopped. While there was more to the machine than this, the initial testing of the mechanics that helped it rise out of the chamber was complete.
Pleased with the results so far, Antonio rushed down to the chamber and stood next to the cylinder. Reaching inside, he flipped a mechanical switch and ran back up to the surface. When he pulled on the brass lever of the engine-order telegraph, the folded white parchment began a mechanical descent into the ground. As it passed through the opening in the South Terrace, a latch engaged with the domed mirror, which pulled the dome forward on its hinges. Gradually, the dome lowered until it was flush with the ground. The machine was no longer visible from the surface except for the mirrored dome in the middle of the South Terrace.
Antonio smiled and left the engine order telegraph sitting in the hexagonal keyholes on the terrace as he ran back down to the chamber again. When he made it to the machine, he looked it over. He examined the cylinder and the components. With everything appearing mechanically sound, he felt confident in the completion of The Heart and The Canvas. Now, the only thing left to test was The Glass.
CHAPTER 66
Present Day
Frontline Engineering and Fabrication, located in Crescent City, California, had used Daniel’s AutoCAD software project files to help fabricate The Glass. In truth, Daniel’s AutoCAD skills were somewhat lacking, and it took several videoconference calls with an engineer to correct a few measurements and to ensure that the fabrication would be precise.
The easiest component that Daniel ordered was The Canvas. While he didn’t use parchment, he used a textile that hadn’t been available to Antonio in 1906 but accomplished the same result. Canyon Lake Textile Mill, located in Canyon Lake, Texas, received measurements from Daniel for a one-piece fabric thirty feet in height and sixty feet in diameter with four-inch flanges every six feet.
When The Glass arrived, it was packaged in a very large box with Instapak foam packaging technology that ensured its safe arrival. When The Canvas arrived, it came in a large box with the fabric double-wrapped in thick plastic in order to waterproof it.
With every component of the machine ready for assembly, Daniel began early in the morning assembling the jointed spider-leg scaffolding, thinking it might take a few hours. After his sixth hour with no end in sight, he used his phone to call Natalie.
“You all done?” she asked, knowing he wasn’t.
“Very funny. I need some help.”
“What can I do?”
“I need three guys who can each bring a ladder and can easily stand on it. I’m struggling with the scaffolding.”
“How long do you need them?”
“An hour or two. Two tops.”
“I can send three maintenance guys over.”
“That’ll work.”
Once the assembly of the machine was complete, the night before the big reveal, Daniel stood on the surface of the South Terrace with the engine-order telegraph placed into the hexagonal keys. It was 7:12 p.m., and the tent entrance was closed and no one was around. Using the floodlights as his light source, Daniel held Antonio’s journal and reviewed his instructions in Italian. While he knew what to do, he preferred for its final test to do it exactly as Antonio had written it down.
– Mirror dome must be polished to a perfect mirror.
– Cylinder must be turned to exact date on the brass band at the top.
– Timing mechanism on The Glass must be turned to exact time and wound fully.
– Both springs must be wound on bottom of cylinder.
– Insert the engine-order telegraph into the mount.
– Brass release should be in ready position.
– Using the wooden handle, pull on brass lever.
Daniel did as instructed. He double-checked the checklist and then pulled the brass lever. The mirrored dome flipped back, and the machine began rising out of the chamber. While the machine worked, the telescoping dowel rods came to a halt halfway out of the ground. A mechanical gear inside the cylinder was misaligned, and the toothed edges weren’t catching the next gear. Daniel also seemed to think that one of the springs needed a tension adjustment. He took a deep breath and headed inside the house and down into the basement, thinking he might know what to do.
Just before 8:00 p.m., Penny brought food from the restaurant while Daniel worked on adjusting the springs. He carried on a conversation with her while lying on his back and underneath the cylinder as if he were changing the oil on a car.
“It’s looking like it’s coming together,” said Penny as she looked at the machine with the white parchment draped over the top of the cylinder.
“Yeah. I would say it’ll be ready for a full-scale test later tonight.”
“Are they taking the tent down?” she asked.
“Yep. Tomorrow morning,” he answered as he used a torque wrench. After a brief lull in the conversation, something from Antonio’s journal popped into his head. “Hey, did you know that Mr. Vanderbilt spent most of his time in the library?” Daniel asked.
“No. I didn’t,” answered Penny as she chewed a forkful of salad. She looked over at him and could only see his legs sticking out from underneath the cylinder. She couldn’t see his face.
“Antonio writes that one time, he found Mr. Vanderbilt asleep on the rug in front of the fireplace on a cold winter day, and he accidentally woke him.”
“He did? Mr. Vanderbilt was sleeping on the floor?”
“When he asked Mr. Vanderbilt why he didn’t just move his furniture closer to the fireplace instead of resting on the floor, he responded that,” Daniel started to say and then scooted out from underneath the cylinder. He got up off the floor and picked up the journal from the workbench. He flipped the pages to find the paragraph. While he quickly searched, Penny took another bite of her food. “He responded,” he said aloud before reading from the journal, “‘I guess I am a bit of an old dog,’ and Antonio writes that little moments like this made him think fondly of Mr. Vanderbilt.”
“I can see why. I guess I never thought about it. I wonder what he was really like.”
“There’s more in here,” said Daniel as he set the journal down. “Maybe I’ll get a chance to translate it so you can read it.”
“I’d like that,” she said with a smile.
CHAPTER 67
Thursday, January 17, 1907
Biltmore House
Mrs. Vanderbilt’s Birthday
George and Edith Vanderbilt observed their birthdays with celebrations and gatherings with friends and family, often at their home. The big celebrations always came on the weekend following the actual day of their birth, and, since Edith’s birthday fell on a Thursday in 1907, the big celebration was scheduled for the entirety of the weekend, beginning on Friday afternoon, the day after her birthday. A big dinner with many guests had been planned for that Friday night, followed by horseback riding on Saturday morning. After lunch, a pool party would be held in the heated pool in the basement, followed by appetizers served at the bowling lanes. Cigars and spirits would be abundant, and the bowling scores would be kept on a chalkboard, and a record would no doubt be playing on the phonograph. The party would continue through Saturday night and into Sunday; but as for the actual date of her birthday—that was reserved for just her and George.
Instead of dinner being served in the Banquet Hall, dinner was served in the library. A small, two-person table had been brought in and set in front of the fireplace. While the four-course menu was served, Antonio had taken to the South Terrace in a borrowed winter coat. Instead of being in plain sight, he stood on the back staircase and peered over the edge of the terrace, waiting for the partiers to come outside. At Mr. Vanderbilt’s request, a wooden table had been placed on the terrace close to the house, with the wooden box on top and the engine order telegraph inside the box. An oil lamp had been placed next to the box; and as the sky grew darker and darker, the oil lamp appeared to have gotten brighter and brighter. After waiting for more than an hour outside in the cold, Antonio heard footsteps on the pebbled ground, and he ducked out of sight.
