Background
There are 3 boxes Elizabeth C Dubois opens. They represent the Trinity. She has not opened the third box which will unveil the Holy Spirit to help her see and understand...
Concentrating, meditating, and holding the locket that pictured the young boy apparently named Thomas, Elizabeth knew he was a mystery that required an answer. The boy, too familiar, visited Elizabeth in a dream. He called himself "your brother." Confused. Beth didn't have "a brother." As far as she knew, she is the only child. So, why did the boy say, "your brother?"
The back door opened. Eleanor came through as chipper as always. "Hello dear. How are you this morning? You slept late. Are you alright, dear? You seem sad, disturbed. What's troubling you?"
Beth paused before speaking. "Eleanor, who is Thomas?"
"Thomas?"
"Yes. No games. Straight out. Who is he?"
Eleanor put the winter flowers in a vase. She turns to Elizabeth and says, "come in the living room dear, and I will show you something."
Sitting on the couch together, Eleanor reaches in her tote. A bottomless pit. She lifts out photographs and asks, "Do you remember any of these people?"
Beth looks through the uncountable pictures of people, foreign places, but recognizes non. Then, the face of a brown haired, brown eyed young boy caught her eye. "Eleanor, he is the one who visited me in my dream last night. Is this Thomas?"
Elizabeth recognized Eleanor came for a purpose. Why? Who sent her? After all, Beth hadn't any surviving relatives on either side. Her father's family and ancestry were prestigious French politicians, lawyers, professors and scientist. Their rich heritage came from French aristocrats born before King Louis XIV relinquished the entitlements. They changed their name and became the 'Huguenots.' Later, in the 1700's, once again they became the 'Du Bois,' instead of the 'du Bois,' and migrated to England. Then, in the later 1800's they joined the other Dubois' who settled before 1804 for the 'Vente de la Louisiane' which was known as the sale of Louisiana or The Louisiana Purchase.
"On the other hand," Eleanor added as if she read Beth's mind, "on your maternal side, so little is known by you except you are English. Your mothers last name is Duke. And, it is because of the Dukes that I am here now with you."
"My mother's family weren't worthy of discussion, unlike my father's ancestry. Mum was a nobody to the Dubois." Elizabeth spoke from what she did remember, "the oddities of not knowing much about my mother's heritage angers me, as you know. They were never mentioned. They were commoners. The absurdity of it all. Who did my father think she was? A nothing? Oh, who cares, I'll never know. It doesn't matter and even if it did there would be no way to prove anything. After all, everything was destroyed in the fire. All records. Nothing remained.
She flashed back to a memory of her father. Tall, immaculate, polished, reserved and a Christian by title or belief. He was a church elder and a lord over her meek quiet mother. The memory of her mother was terribly dull and faded into almost nothing except Beth remembered a lovely smile. She was warm, but she said little. The nannies and maids raised Elizabeth. She remembered a lot of sadness and fighting. She remembered being forced to go to church as a little girl. She sat next to her mother every Sunday and this was her only true memory of her mother's smile. A smile that lingered momentarily. Then vanished. A disappearing smile was all she had. The arguments also lingered. But, they still went to church every Sunday morning. Mum and Father played a "Christian" game. Big smiles. Vicious behaviors. Little Beth rarely smiled. That she remembered.
Still, who was Thomas? She gently maneuvered the locket antique doors trying not to break them. They were old and fragile. She stopped for fear of breaking the locket.
Eleanor glances at Elizabeth, then the boy. "Look on the back of the picture, what does it say?"
Beth flips it over. "Thomas. Nobel Manor. Spring; 1952." She catches her breath. "Thomas?" A tear falls down her fair cheek.
"What? What dear, what do you remember?"
"I'm not sure? ... My father's family were always around, close. I remember them well"
"Well, your father's family were grand, but your mother's family was also special, delightful but, you never knew that. They were kept from your familiarity. Not on purpose, but the Dubois' seemed to control and were entitled. So, the Dukes were left out. Kind of, though not purposely."
Elizabeth listened.
"Your mother loved you dearly. She was kept from mothering you as the Dubois' insisted on maids and nannies and there was no room for another way. Your mother could only smile at you from a distance. But, she longed for you Catherine. Her name was Catherine as well. The arguments were over you and ... Thomas. She wanted to rear you two, but your father's family refused; vehemently. "
"Thomas? Tell me..."
"Thomas was your brother. You played all the time together. You weren't allowed children friends unless they were of pure bloodlines."
"Well, if mother didn't have 'pure bloodlines' why did he marry her?"
"She had nobility but not as your fathers.' Their was DNA was pure unlike your mums.' But, her heart was royal. A queen, if not kingly, but your father ignored this fact, he ignored her natural nobility. He often spoke derogatorily. Called her names."
"What names?"
"That's not important. He wasn't all bad. He had some good qualities."
"He sounds evil."
"Not totally." Eleanor reflected. "I'm here to talk about your mother and her family. They remained obscure and seemed infinitesimal, microscopic, small and minute. But, I'm here to tell you how wonderful they were and how much they loved you, dear. They tried and wanted to know you but were always last in line, but they waited. They tried. This is what they want you to know. You are special to them. They always think of you. They love you."
"How can they love me, they are deceased?"
"Well, just because your not flesh and blood doesn't mean one is dead, non existent."
Elizabeth cocked her head, "tell me?"
"Oh, you are so smart. Why haven't you figured this out? Hum?"
"Your strange Eleanor"... "Now, who is Thomas?"
"Tonight you will open box three."
Notes and citing:
"The Dubois family"
"The name du Bois is found for the first time in 1653.... Louis du Bois, son of the late Chretien DuBois, resident of Wicres in the vicinity of La Bassee, of the first part, and Catharine Blanchan, daughter of Mathieu Blanchan, bourgeois of Mannheim, of the second part, were married at the French (Protestant) Church of Mannheim (in the Pfalz, German Palatinate), the 10th of October 1655. (Note: A photostatic copy of this record is included in the DuBois Family History)"
the Maison Royale de France, the 'famille du Bois' is mentioned as 'Grand Masters of the Forests of France.'
He became a Huguenot and was deprived of his nobility in consequence. He settled on lands.
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