Ever After (Nantucket Brides 3)

“I had an interesting morning,” she answered and ignored the little snort Jamie gave.

“So I heard.” Kit nodded for Raine to put the box on the coffee table. “Should we empty the cabinet before it’s moved?”

Kane gave a snort identical to his son’s. “I think we can manage it fully loaded.” He looked at Raine and the two big men easily moved the huge old dresser away from the wall, then stood back. “It’s yours,” Kane said to Hallie, meaning that she could look first.

Leaning against the wall they’d exposed were two pieces of old paper, one about ten by twelve, the other half that size. Whatever was on them was hidden from view. The fact that they’d been there, untouched, for over two hundred years didn’t surprise Hallie. Her dream had been so vivid, so clear, that it was as though she’d lived it.

When she picked up the papers, an envelope fell forward. On the front, in beautiful copperplate writing, was the single word “Kit.” In one movement, she hid the envelope under her shirt, then got up and put the papers face down on a tea table.

As the men moved the dresser back in place, she caught Kit’s eyes and he understood that she had something to show him. As he walked past Hallie, she surreptitiously slipped the envelope to him.

When they’d all gathered around the table, Hallie said, “Is everyone ready?”

“With breath held,” Kit said.

Hallie turned the large one over first. The ink drawing was exactly as she’d seen it in her dream. Two beautiful young women were stretched out together on the window seat, one with her head on the other’s shoulder. Their pretty dresses draped about them, nearly encasing them.

The artist had caught what looked to be sadness in their eyes. But then that was understandable. On Juliana’s wedding day, they’d known it was their last moment together in the same house. The next day, Juliana was to leave with her new husband. What they didn’t know was that within a week, death would separate both of them from everything they loved.

Hallie looked at Kit in question and he nodded at her. Yes, these were the young women he had seen.

“And what is that one?” Kane asked.

Hallie flipped over the other paper—and gasped. It was a drawing of her father. He was wearing a high-collared shirt and his hair was longer than he used to wear it, and he was very young, but it was most certainly her dad.

“Whoever he is, he looks like you,” Jamie said. “You have the same eyes.”

She looked at the others standing around the table and each one nodded in agreement.

Hallie picked up the drawing. “I guess this is Leland Hartley, my ancestor.” She looked at Jamie, his father, and Raine, noting the resemblance among them. Her father had been the only blood relative on his side she’d ever seen, but here was evidence of someone else related to her.

When she looked at Jamie, he seemed to understand. This discovery needed privacy.

“Okay, that’s enough,” Jamie said. “Everybody out.”

“I agree completely.” As Kit started for the door, he nodded at the big box by the couch. “I think you’ll find the contents of that interesting.” He left with Raine.

Kane paused by his son. “Your mom will send dinner over later, so you two don’t have to worry about that. Enjoy yourselves.” With a warm smile at both of them, he left the tea room.

Hallie looked at Jamie. “He doesn’t think you and I are…uh, together, does he? I mean, he doesn’t know that this morning we—” She couldn’t say what was in her mind.

Jamie didn’t want to lie, nor did he want to confess, so he said nothing.

But Hallie understood. Yes, he knew. Embarrassed, she stepped out the door. “I think I need to clean up the gym, so I’d better go.” But the sky suddenly opened and rain pelted down on her. She ran back in and shut the door behind her.

“You’re wet,” Jamie said. “Stay here.” He went into the kitchen and returned with a stack of dry kitchen towels, put one over her hair, and began to rub.

“I need to go upstairs and change,” she said.

Suddenly, Jamie did not want her to leave the room, didn’t want either of them to leave it. He pulled the folded blanket off the window seat and wrapped it around her shoulders. Rain was coming down hard outside and they could hear it lashing against the windows. It was a fierce summer storm.

When Hallie shivered, Jamie put his arm around her. “This looks like it may be coming down for a while. How about I build us a fire and we go through the box Uncle Kit brought over? And you can tell me about your dream that seems to have been real.”

Hallie put the towel around her neck. “I think that’s a great idea. Do you know how to build a fire?”

Jamie couldn’t he

lp shaking his head in disbelief. “Of course. I’ve watched the butler do it many times.”