“Is it Alix?” she asked, hoping that he wouldn’t do that infuriating male thing of making her drag it out of him.
“There’s nothing wrong between us,” he said as he looked down at his plate.
“Then is it Caleb?” she asked, and when Jared looked at her she drew in her breath. His eyes looked as though something deep inside him—his soul, maybe?—had been mortally wounded. She put her hand over his. “Tell me,” she whispered.
“I think maybe Caleb is going to kill Victoria.”
Jilly didn’t say a word. Long ago she’d learned that the first rule of listening was to do just that: to listen.
It took Jared nearly an hour to tell the whole story. He told of his grandfather leaving Valentina behind for one last voyage, then finding out that she’d married his snake of a cousin, a man who’d practically stalked her. “When Caleb heard that she’d given birth to his son, he traded ships with his brother and led them into a storm with the sails up. The crew was mostly Nantucketers and they all went down,” Jared said. “For years after that, it was a bad time to be a Kingsley on this island.”
“But Caleb came back,” Jilly said.
“Yes, he did.”
“Did Valentina ever see the ghost of the man she loved?”
“No. When he first showed up at Kingsley House, it was six years after his ship went down. By that time Valentina was gone and Obed had remarried. But Granddad’s son was there and he could see and talk to his father.”
“Was the boy’s stepmother nice to Caleb’s son?”
“Yes, she was. She had no children of her own so young Jared was greatly loved by her.”
“And the snaky cousin?”
“Died young,” Jared said quickly, then gave a look that said he didn’t want to talk about that. He quickly brushed over the next two hundred years to get to Alix and what she’d seen—and what Caleb had told him about at last leaving the earth.
“But he must not take Victoria with him,” Jared said, his eyes showing his fear. “She is so alive. She takes care of people and was such good company for Aunt Addy. They used to walk into town and have meals together and talk about how Victoria could tell the stories she’d read in the journals. Aunt Addy was quiet and hardworking, while Victoria holds court, like some queen of old. She draws people to her. They were perfect for each other.”
Jared looked at Jilly. “Granddad talks about people resembling each other and reincarnation, and that he knows he’s going to leave the earth on Izzy’s wedding day. But if he does really love Victoria, he won’t take her away with him. If Alix …”
“If Alix what?” Jilly asked.
“If I had to leave the earth, I wouldn’t be selfish enough to take her with me. I wouldn’t think that my happiness was more important than her life.”
“What does Caleb want to do?”
“He says he has no choice in the matter. He didn’t choose to be a ghost and he isn’t going to be able to choose what happens when he leaves.” He looked at Jilly as though asking for her advice.
“I think you need to keep Victoria away from here until after the wedding,” Jilly said.
“I agree,” Jared said, “and I believe I’ve done it.” He told her about Aunt Addy’s journals that Victoria wanted but couldn’t find. “As long as she thinks staying away from here will get her access to the precious Kingsley journals, she won’t come near Nantucket.”
“Good,” Jilly said.
Neither of them said the obvious: that death could find you anywhere.
Chapter Twenty-six
It was nearly six when Jared and Jilly left Lexie’s house. Neither she nor Toby had yet returned from work. Jared had changed back into his own clothes and he was feeling better after having talked to Jilly. Now he wanted to see Alix. Maybe he could clear his mind enough to think about a design project.
“Mind if I walk back to the house with you?” Jilly asked. “Ken will be home soon and I promised to make dinner.”
“You two seem to have hit it off,” Jared said.
“Very well,” she said, smiling.
“I’m sorry for dumping so much on you today. You must think—” He stopped talking as he looked out onto Kingsley Lane. It was usually a quiet little street. The only busy house was Sea Haven Inn and parking for it was entered through another street.