Duxford Airfield (the band) Pt. 05

In some ways, she was probably very timid yet in other ways extremely bold and not afraid to color outside the lines. Looking again at the paradox between her buttons and defiant wild hair, the contrast suggests to me that she was both passive and aggressive in some way, maybe within the bedroom.

...Publicly she would never take a drink of alcohol but I'd guess she'd covertly have several bottles of liquor stashed within her private bedroom, - notice that she has the start of a whiskey mouth, even at her young age. She wanted to be a good person but, because of her alcohol consumption, never truly believed that she was, I don't think.

She was refined and probably played some type of an instrument, finding some form of solace in music and she probably played extraordinarily well. That may well have been her piano under the archway, over there against the wall, although she may have been a writer instead.

I'd venture to say that she was bored much of the time here in this house, and as a result, became a voracious reader and engrossed herself in books and fantasy as a form of escape.

She would feel divine love for children and also animals and prefer their company over most adults - but who doesn't?...

...She is very impatient with the superficial and mundane, most influential people during this time period had their portraits done in oil paintings, like your mom's portrait, Andrea. This girl wasn't patient enough to sit through all that, because her portrait held no meaning for her. She had this photograph of her taken instead; because it took much less time and also because it was undoubtedly taken for someone else's benefit, maybe her husband's.

This portrait was intended as a man's trophy, to be placed upon the mantle of a great house,...such as it now is...

...This girl had European good looks and everything that money could buy her yet I believe she felt unloved. She would have traded it all to be with a common railroad worker or automobile mechanic, living in a run-down shotgun shack; if it would have meant that she'd been truly loved. I believe that this huge house was intimidating for her and she felt incredibly lonely here, she probably befriended much of the hired help here, simply out of loneliness...

I believe this woman is incredibly loyal and she would take a bullet for someone she does love. She would also make a very, very dangerous adversary though, because I believe she is brooding, patient, and also very cunning. I would also guess that she could be very aggressive when pushed far enough.

...But then again, maybe I'm reading more into the portrait than is there" I said, closing my eyes and rubbing my forehead.

"I detect that you're correct on most of what you've said, Tim. However, I think she's a mom and the loyalty you're seeing in her eyes is most likely for her children, or children in general." Andrea said, studying the portrait carefully.

I nodded at Andrea's observation, a mom herself.

Andrea continued, "This photo is undoubtedly a one-of-one, meaning she took one single photo and no more. She's rigid and holding her breath in this photograph, out of some sort of anxiety. Maybe she just didn't like having her photo taken, as you've suggested. When I was modeling, it was almost impossible to get some of the gals to quit holding their breath during stills. Even some of our most seasoned models had to constantly work on their breathing techniques during a shoot. The girl in this portrait is also gritting her teeth, another bad habit for models and also a sign of anxiety. Notice too, that she's using her arms and the bouquet as an emotional shield, this girl was not comfortable with whoever took this photo, which was probably a stranger to her.

During this period, most people had their photograph taken only once in their entire lifetime, if ever, and many people were uncomfortable and also untrusting of the process of having their picture taken. The concept of photography was still relatively new and completely foreign to them. Remember, this was during the Industrial Revolution and the Civil War was only some twenty-five years past, most people were still traveling by horse and buggy during this time. I don't think the girl in this photo would be inclined to trust machines, modern technology, or the people associated with them.

From her facial expression, I'm inclined to agree with you, I believe that she would have been passive-aggressive in nature. Because of her exotic beauty, she'd probably been constantly patronized and manipulated by powerful and superficial men that were attracted to her and also arrogant. When she wasn't being dictated to, then she was probably patronized to the point of redundancy. She was most likely, the lone wolf, as you've mentioned, Tim, and I doubt if she had many female friends, simply because of her stunning looks. Contrary to popular belief, the Victorian Era wasn't always a model of morality and a lot of women were probably afraid of her sleeping with their husbands, which she could well have been, we'll never know.

Needless to say, most women would have been intimidated by her and she probably was quite lonely.

The strength you see in this girl is from her sterling posture and the way she holds her head up and chin out, Tim. In modeling, this would be known as a defiant-set. As you mentioned, it looks to me as if she's left her hair intentionally wild as a sign of rebellion and also to possibly attract potential lovers, - two things which propper Victorian women weren't supposed to do. The reason this photo is so spooky is that she's challenging the camera - she's staring it down with what's really inside her guts at this moment, which is pent-up rage.

She's saying 'F-YOU!' to the camera.

...From the looks of it, she's probably an emotional walking timebomb." Andrea said sadly, staring up at the tintype.

"I think you're probably right, Andrea," I said quietly.

"This place gives me the creeps, no wonder she was so up-tight," Kendall said, herself staring up at the large portraiture.

"Notice that she's only showing her right hand, tightly holding the flowers, almost like a fist. She was either widowed, single, or hated her husband" Helen said bluntly, still peering up at the large tintype of the girl.

"What do you mean?" I asked looking at Helen.

"During the Victorian era, propper married women always showed their left hand and their wedding band, if their hands were visible at all in a portrait," Helen said.

"I think you've been reading too many romance novels, Helen," I said, suddenly tired of looking at the haunting girl within the tintype.

Helen ignored me with slight disgust showing on her face at my reply.

"Tim, I think Helen's right, this girl certainly doesn't seem like she cares to show her wedding band with any enthusiasm," Andrea said.

"Maybe not, I wonder who she was?" I asked aloud, again.

"I need to call Mom now, it's time for her to take her medication," Helen said in a serious voice, glancing at her watch and digging out her phone to dial a number.

The phone was on speaker and echoed within the large foyer.

"Yesterday's Ne-" A female voice said on the other end before Helen interrupted.

"-Mom, Mom it's me, it's time for you to take your meds now, you doing OK?" Helen asked.

Obviously, it was Diane back at the clip-joint in L.A. that Helen was talking to now, I realized.

"...Uh, Helen, is that you, dear?" Diane asked, slightly confused.

"Yes, it's me, Mom, and I can only stay on the line for a minute. You need to take your meds now, OK? Is Kelly there with you now?" Helen asked holding her phone up to her face.

"...Uh yes, she's,...uh... oh, I see what you mean now, yes, I took my medication just before you called sweetie, you doing OK? Where are you now, honey?" Diane asked.

"I'm still in Texas with Tim and Andrea, we'll be back soon, it looks like. Right now we're in an abandoned Victorian mansion called Prominent House which you'd love but I can't take any photos to send to you, sorry but those are the rules" Helen said into the phone, rather disappointed.

"Oh, that's alright, honey. Have you met any nice young men there yet?" Diane asked.

"-Mom, please, let's not go there right now OK?" Helen asked with a huff; while turning away from Andrea, Kendall, and me out of embarrassment.

"You're a beautiful girl but you're not getting any younger, Helen, all I'm saying is that-" Diane began with the start of an old and obviously very repetitive lecture on courtship.

"-Mom, I know, OK?" Helen insisted.

"Your father and I met for the first time when I was twenty-one years old and we-" Diane began.

"-Couldn't go a single day without each other, I know," Helen said as she finished Diane's own sentence.

There was a frustrated silence on the other end of the line now as Helen swirled around in a complete circle with her eyes closed and left hand on her head in exasperation at having her laundry publically aired in front of Andrea, Kendall, and myself.

Taking a deep breath and still holding her phone at face level with her right hand, Helen then abruptly asked "Is everything OK with Kitty and Horsefeathers, are they behaving alight for you? "

"-Helen, this is Kelly, Diane took her meds about thirty minutes ago and she's on the verge of sleep now. Your mom and I took a nice walk today and had lunch, we're doing fine. The critters are all fine and so are we, thanks for the call though, I see what you're saying though" Kelly explained.

"Yes, we're at a mansion called Prominent House, here in Odessa Texas but I'm not allowed to send any photos, sorry" Helen repeated for Kelly.

"Oh that's fine honey, you can tell us all about it when you get back from your trip," Kelly replied soothingly.

"Yes, it was Danny's house," Helen said, almost as an afterthought.

"Sounds wonderful dear, Danny was such a nice man, I see what you're saying now," Kelly said again.

"Just keep me in the loop alright? Helen asked.

"We will Helen, it's time to administer Diane's brandi now, doctors orders," Kelly said.

"OK, we'll call you later from the hotel, give Mom a hug for me" Helen instructed.

"I will," Kelly said as the two ladies clicked -off and Helen replaced her phone into her purse.

Later at the hotel? We're getting on the plane in a few hours, I now thought to myself with some alarm. Helen was up to something but I wasn't quite sure what it was yet. I really didn't think Diane was Helen's mom but what did I know?

"You're Mom OK?" Andrea asked"

"She's hardheaded as hell but she's a tough old broad" Helen said, running a hand through her hair and closing her eyes.

"Will she be OK?" Kendall asked.

"It's just some periodic anxiety that she deals with sometimes but the meds and brandi help her; when she remembers to take them. Helen sighed.

"I didn't know Diane was your mom, Helen," I said.

"She has been for sixty years, so far" Helen replied dismissively.

Somehow I didn't think any of this was true but I kept my mouth shut...

"Let's venture into the kitchen now, at least I think that's the kitchen," Andrea said, leading us and nodding her head toward a set of double doors.

Walking toward the kitchen now, we stopped beside the piano.

"OH my God, this is a Steinway D-274 Concert Grand Piano! This is the Cadillac of pianos!" Helen suddenly exclaimed as she ran her hand along the dusty wood.

"How would you know anything at all about pianos?" Andrea asked Helen.

"Danny learned how to play the piano on one just like this; when he was a little kid. He used to talk about it all the time with his next-door neighbor, who's a concert pianist. I couldn't shut them up whenever they'd get together, they'd talk about pianos the same way some guys talk about cars and motors" Helen replied, rolling her eyes at me.

"It's so sad to see it in this condition," I said, looking at all the dust and rodent droppings within the felt hammers and strings.

"I don't think it's beyond restoration and I never would have thought you'd be sentimental towards an old piano, Tim," Helen said, a little surprised.

"I'm not, Helen, but I do know a quality piece of equipment when I see it. Playing this piano would have had the same feeling, for some people, that driving a long-nose Peterbilt has for me, it's indescribable....This thing must weigh a ton" I speculated.

"It's an instrument, Tim, not a piece of equipment" Andrea corrected.

"I guess it's all in a person's perspective, Andrea," I said in reply, as all of us began walking toward the kitchen again.

...The kitchen was the size of a used car lot and had a set of large double swinging doors on each end of the huge room. Pots and pans were hung neatly along the white-tiled walls in chronological order according to size. There must have been sixty or seventy of them along each wall. Looking down, I noticed that there was a small amount of desert sand on the floor which had undoubtedly found its way into the kitchen over the decades during Texas dust storms - but otherwise, the entire kitchen was immaculately clean in every way.

"My God, just look how clean this place is, and it probably hasn't been used in sixty years or more," I said in awe.

"These people were all the absolute very best within their respected fields and they earned every damn cent they were ever paid, I can assure you of that, Tim," Andrea said seriously, looking all around the spotless kitchen.

"This place must have had at least, twenty or twenty-five full-time employees, cooks, housekeepers, and so on," I said.

"Sixty full-time servants were working here during the house's hey-day, I do know that much" Kendall replied.

"That probably doesn't even include all the plumbers, carpenters, masons, and electricians that were always on-call" Helen interjected.

"Money was no object to this guy, whoever the hell he was. I'll bet he was an arrogant sonofabitch" I answered sternly.

"Not all people with money are arrogant, Tim," Andrea said.

I now looked all around me. "Try to imagine the chaos that took place in here whenever there'd been seventy or eighty snobby guests invited to a four-course meal. The waiters and cooks must have worked their asses off and those double doors probably never stopped swinging for hours. Imagine the clean-up time it took to wash all the dishes and utensils. They didn't wash the dishes here, there must have been a separate room for that." I said, speculating.

I reached for the door of the dumbwaiter.

"Ah-Ah-Ah, we're not in Alaska anymore, Toto! If you're going to open anything in this house, then use a stick, Tim. We already know birds are living in this house, there's probably more critters living here too" Andrea said as I quickly pulled my hand back from the door of the dumbwaiter.

Helen handed me a long metal spoon which I rapped sharply on the door with and then slowly slid the dumbwaiter door open with the concave end of the spoon, first looking for snakes and then glancing downward.

"...Looks like the dumbwaiter crashed at the bottom of the wine celery," I said, sliding the door closed again.

"I wish we had brought flashlights," Andrea said.

"How could we have known?...Did Danny ever mention this place to you, Andrea?" Helen asked.

"Never, I wonder why? Did he ever mention it to you, Helen?" Andrea asked, doubtfully.

"No, and if he had, I would have bugged him until he brought me here." I love this place! It's a perfect setting for a romance novel - but I read too many of those, at least according to some people" Helen said, looking at me and rolling her eyes again.

...Helen was starting to warm up to me, a little more than I was comfortable with, although I didn't think she was really conscious of it....Andrea and I were getting on a plane within a few hours so I decided not to give it any more thought. In the morning Andrea and I would be thousands of miles away from Helen which would give all of us time to reboot and start all over again. I genuinely felt that Helen was a wonderful person but she was also lonely and confused right now, concerning romance.

This combination made Helen Lunsford very dangerous...

"Let's go up the grand staircase and check out the first floor now ladies, Andrea and I need to be on a plane soon," I said, leading the way.

"Which grand staircase, Tim? There are two" Helen said sarcastically.

"Whichever one your heart desires, dahling" I said, returning Helen's sarcasm.

In a way, I didn't want to get on a plane now, I wanted to explore this amazing wonderland of grandeur that had been frozen in time for decades. I knew that Andrea would have YouTube'd this place if she'd been allowed to.

...Walking toward the staircases now, it felt as though it took us a whole minute and a half to cross the empty foyer past the piano and long-dormant water fountain, which had been painted an aqua green within its reservoir, and was in fact empty. The fountain had two marble, three-foot-high, angels within its center which were quite erotic and kissing passionately.

The fountain stank horribly of bird droppings...

"I'll bet that most of these birds were born inside this house and have never been outside," Andrea said.

"They must have some source of food, probably rats. Either that, or there's an open food celler here," Helen replied.

"We'll be able to smell it; if there is," Kendall said.

...Walking further, we discovered that the west-wing marble staircase itself was adorned with more elaborate scrollwork along its hand-railing and also the steps themselves. Climbing the huge marble staircase felt like taking a journey back into time itself, it was eerie to ponder who may have climbed or descended these very stairs, a hundred years ago...

Reaching the top of the staircase, I looked down a long and foreboding hallway which was the width and length of a neighborhood street. I suddenly comprehended that the front of the house, where the foyer stood, was only the beginning of the massive house. I now realized that the layout of the house was shaped like an upper-case "T" and we'd only been just inside the entryway, or top portion of the "T" itself.

All along this floor, close to the foyer, were wooden benches with ornate iron frames and large white porcelain pots that had once held exotic plants. As with everything else in the house, the porcelain pots were ornately engraved with more intricate scrollwork.

...Looking down the massive hallway again, it appeared to go on for an entire city block or more, it was hundreds of yards long, trailing off into the darkness of the far reaches of vision with only a dim shaft of light shining at the very far end of the hallway. The light probably coming in through a window or another skylight I suspected. It was no exaggeration to say that I could easily pull a set of full-size double trailers, with the Peterbilt, down the long hallway. My thirteen-foot exhaust stacks would have cleared the ceiling with ease...

I also saw a hundred or more of the gold-plated doorknobs decorating rows of closed doors that neatly lined each side of the hallway. Each of the doors seemed to be fitted with a gold latch plate and a keyhole for another one of the massive keys. More of the green rug carpet lay within the center section of the long hallway, over what appeared to be yet more marble flooring. The green rug carpet reminded me of a paved highway along a desolate route running through the Mohave desert, it seemed endless.

Intricate scrollwork also lined the edges of the marble ceiling and wall paneling here as well. Other than a slight degree of dust and minute amounts of peeling paint, the hallway looked like it could have been in use last week.

I now looked at the hallway's panel of light switches, there were probably two dozen of these switches within the gold-plated panel. These antiquated porcelain light switches moved in and out, with one switch for "on" and another switch below, for "off".