The Secrets of Paper and Ink

by Lindsay Harrel

  “I don’t think I did either. Not fully. Not until I wrote it.” Sophia paused. “But that is my past.”

  Then she dug into her purse for the tiny trowel she’d brought with her. When Kathryn had given it to her, she hadn’t understood why. Not until last night, when it became very clear what she was supposed to do. “Will you help me?”

  He looked so confused, she almost laughed. “Well, it’s called the Story Tree, right? It’s probably seen a lot of beginnings. Maybe some endings. I just figured it’s a good place to bury my past. Maybe something good can grow from it.”

  William pursed his lips, shook his head. “You amaze me, Sophia Barrett.” He still gripped the pages in his hand. “Of course I’ll help you. But what will Claudia Vetters think?”

  “I got permission from her assistant. He looked at me funny, but said as long as the ground didn’t appear to be disturbed, he wouldn’t tell.” Sophia did laugh this time. Who knew she could be such a rebel? Emily had rubbed off on her over one hundred and fifty years later.

  Together, they dug a small hole in the soft dirt around the tree’s roots. Sophia placed the pages of her story in the earth and handed the trowel to William. Without a word, he softly covered it, leaving the last scoop of soil for her. She covered the final bit of white paper and patted the dirt down smooth.

  She stood, brushing off the specks of brown from her jeans. William did the same.

  Now for the last part of her plan. Sophia pulled a folded piece of paper from the left back pocket of her pants. “That was my past. This is my present—and, I hope, my future.”

  William pressed his lips together in that adorable focused way he sometimes did. He took the paper from her. On the front, she’d simply written, “I’m staying.”

  He stared at the paper for a while. “Really?”

  “Really.” She’d called Joy yesterday and explained the situation to her—that she no longer felt like social work was her calling, at least not like it had been. Her friend completely understood and confessed that Veronica had offered to buy LifeSong. Joy had just been waiting to see what Sophia decided before accepting.

  That meant for now, Sophia was jobless once again. But for the first time, she was actually excited to see what came next—and where God might lead her.

  “So.” William finally moved his eyes back to hers, and in them she saw love like she’d never experienced before. “What does that mean? For us?”

  “Turn the paper over.” Her whispered words nearly got lost in her throat.

  Time seemed stuck as he flipped the page and read the words she hadn’t been able to say out loud that day at the cliffs: “And I love you, too, William Rose.”

  In an instant, he had her in his arms. Tears leaked down her cheeks—and William kissed every one of them away.

  46

  GINNY

  Today was both an end and a beginning.

  Ginny sprayed furniture polish on the bookstore’s front desk and rubbed it in with a rag. How many times had she dusted this place? How much love and attention had she put into every nook and cranny?

  Nearly the whole town—from Mr. Trengrouse to Mrs. Lincoln to Mary Patrick and her whole clan—had stopped by at some point today to wish her well wherever the road may take her next. Thankfully, her identity didn’t come from a place. Or a person. Not anymore.

  The new owner would be here in a few minutes. They’d signed the papers this morning, and Ginny had requested one last closing before turning over the keys for good.

  It had all been much easier than she’d anticipated. In fact, until she’d given it up, she hadn’t even known what a burden she’d been carrying. The freedom she felt before the ink was even dry had surprised her.

  Of course, once she’d decided she was okay with selling, Garrett had backed off on his other divorce demands. Despite Mother’s insistence that they could crush him due to his infidelity, Ginny wanted no part in that. They’d managed to settle things quickly and amicably, and now were merely waiting for the courts to do their thing.

  Ginny’s parents had expected her to come “home,” but she’d finally gotten up the courage to tell them she was applying to culinary school. Her father had surprised her by telling her to work hard and make him proud. It would take time and patience, but maybe Mother would eventually accept that Ginny was her own person. It had taken Ginny herself long enough.

  “Knock, knock.” Sophia opened the front door, her messenger bag slung over one shoulder, a huge grin on her face. “You ready?”

  “I think so.” Ginny put the polish away and grabbed her keys from inside her purse. She slid the bookstore’s key from the ring. With a slow turn, she took in every aspect of the bookstore.

  Sophia approached and stood next to her. “Are you okay?”

  “I am. I have a lot of great memories here, but it’s time to make new ones.”

  “Oh.” Sophia reached into her bag and pulled out a thick envelope. “Speaking of that . . .”

  Ginny caught the name on the return label and let loose a quick gasp. “Is that . . .?”

  “It is. I saw it in the mailbox and couldn’t resist bringing it inside.” Sophia thrust it into her hands. “Hurry up and open it.”

  The envelope was heavy—that had to be a good sign, right? “I’ll wait. This is your moment.”

  “Whatever. It’s our moment. And right now, you need to open that envelope.”

  Almost as if someone else controlled her limbs, Ginny ripped it open and pulled the top page from inside. Her eyes scanned the words. “I got in.”

  “Of course you did!” Sophia squealed and threw her arms around Ginny, causing the envelope and paper to fall to the floor.

  They both laughed.

  Ginny stooped to pick up what she’d dropped. She read the paper again, this time out loud. “The London Culinary Institute is proud to offer you acceptance into our Pastry and Confectionery program. Our courses are eight weeks long, and the next available start date is October 14.”

  “I thought you’d applied for January.”

  “I did. It says there was a last-minute opening for this term.”

  “Are you going to take it?”

  “Would that be nuts? I mean, that’s only like three or four weeks away and there’s a lot to do to get ready.”

  “It’s not nuts if that’s what you want to do. I’ll help you get ready, and I’m sure we could draft others into helping out too.”

  Ginny grinned. “I can’t believe it.”

  “I can. I’m so proud of you. You’re doing it. Pursuing your dream, wherever it takes you.” Sophia brushed a tear from her cheek. “Though I’m going to miss you something crazy.”

  “Man, I hadn’t really thought much about that part—moving away from everyone I know, to a new city.” Sophia and William were like the sister and brother she never had—since she’d never related much to her own—and then there was Steven, the one who’d encouraged her to dream bigger in the first place.

  After their encounter the day Garrett had shown up, Ginny had apologized, and of course Steven had shrugged it off and forgiven her. But things had been awkward, and that was her fault. She just couldn’t get past the feelings he stirred up in her, and she didn’t feel right pursuing something until her divorce was finalized. Even then, she needed time to heal before jumping into something new.

  Ginny shook away her thoughts. “Okay, your turn.” Wait, where was the key? She’d had it in her hand when Sophia had given her the envelope. Ah, there it was, peeking out from underneath the desk. She must have dropped it in her excitement. Ginny snatched it, then turned to face Sophia once again. “You have become my best friend, Soph. I don’t know how I would have made it through these last months without you.”

  “Don’t make me cry again.” But the words came with a few tears anyway.

  “It’s just . . . God knew I needed you.”

  “He knew I needed you too.”

  Ginny stepped forward and pressed the key i
nto Sophia’s palm. “You are going to make this bookstore into something even better than it is now.”

  “I have quite a legacy to live up to.”

  A few days after Ginny announced she was going to put the bookstore on the market, Sophia had come to her and made an offer. Ginny couldn’t believe she hadn’t thought of it before. Of course Sophia should have it. She loved books and believed reading was therapy—she would use this place not only as a business, but as a way to reach hurting people too. The townspeople already loved her, and surely it wouldn’t be long before William asked her to marry him.

  What a beautiful thing to happen to such a kind and caring person.

  “Well, I’ll leave you to your new place of business. Of course, it’s not like you haven’t been living here for nearly four months.” Turning over the key had been a mere formality. “Guess I’d better get home and start packing.” Sophia had purchased both buildings from Aldwin and Julia, but she’d told Ginny she could stay as long as she liked.

  Now, though, Ginny had somewhere new to go. With only a short time before classes started, she would need every spare moment to prepare. But there was somewhere she needed to stop first.

  With another quick hug, Ginny left and walked the cobblestone street until she reached a place she’d been avoiding. At her knock, Steven opened his door. Between the five o’clock shadow and rumpled red hair, Ginny must have caught him in the middle of a nap or a long evening of work.

  “Hi.” She shuffled her feet on the porch.

  “Hi.” He moved aside. “Come in.”

  “Okay.”

  He closed the door behind her and they both stood there in silence. Where was the easy camaraderie? Had she destroyed it forever?

  She reached into her bag and pulled out the packet from the culinary school. “I wanted you to be one of the first to know.”

  He raised an eyebrow. “Know what?”

  “I’m going to culinary school.”

  He held out his hand, searching her eyes with his own, asking permission.

  She handed over the envelope.

  Pulling out the paper, his eyes scanned it. A slow smile spread across his face. “I knew you’d get in.”

  She folded her arms across her chest. “Thanks for believing in me when I didn’t.”

  “So . . . you’re leaving.” For a moment, the smile disappeared.

  “Yeah.”

  “Okay.” He returned the envelope to her hand. “Hang on. I’ll be right back.” He exited the room and headed down the hallway toward what she assumed was his bedroom. A moment later, he came back with a small box in his hands.

  A ring box.

  Had she given him the wrong signals? How could he possibly think . . .? “Steven, what are you—”

  “Calm down.” He laughed. “I’m not proposing to you.”

  “Oh. Right. Of course. I didn’t think that.” Ahem. “So what’s that?”

  “Here.” He took one of her hands and placed the small box in her palm. “I hated seeing you lose it.”

  It couldn’t be. But as she opened the box, she couldn’t help the gasp that flew from her mouth. Nestled inside the satin lay her grandmother’s ring.

  “But I sold it. How did you . . .” She paused. “You saw me right after I’d left the antique store.” Then he’d taken off on some errand.

  “I bought it back, to give to you someday.” He held up his hands. “Not like that.” His fingers pulling through his hair made it even more mussed. “I thought you should have your ring back because it was your grandmother’s, not because it represents your first marriage. I hope I didn’t screw that up.”

  “Um, no.” Ginny stepped up to him, rose on her tiptoes, and kissed him on the cheek, lingering to whisper in his ear. “This is the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me. It’s perfect.” She stepped slightly back to face him again. “But it must have cost you thousands. I can’t repay you.”

  “Are you joking? This moment is payment enough.”

  They stood like that, a breath apart, for what seemed like minutes when it was really only seconds.

  Finally, Ginny moved away. She slid the ring from the box and placed it on her right hand’s ring finger.

  This man was something special. And while she wasn’t ready for a romantic relationship right now, her heart knew that she wasn’t going to need healing forever.

  “You know, I’ll be awfully lonely up in London. I’d love for you to come visit sometime. Once I’m settled in. Maybe after the holidays?”

  He stepped forward and grabbed her hand, rubbing his thumb over the ring—and her fingers. “You couldn’t keep me away. And that’s a promise.”

  47

  SOPHIA

  Stories always had endings. Sophia knew that. But she hated to see this one reach its conclusion.

  Ginny was leaving for London tomorrow. Before she left, they had one thing they wanted to do.

  They stashed a basket of goodies—Ginny’s cupcakes and a few rare books from Sophia’s bookstore—into the trunk of William’s car and got inside, where William and Steven waited.

  Sophia squeezed William’s arm. “Let’s do this.”

  He winked at her and pulled onto the street. “I look forward to meeting this woman who made such an impact on you ladies.”

  “Hopefully she’s home.” She could have called, but Sophia wanted to surprise Kathryn.

  They drove the winding path toward the B&B where everything had changed six weeks ago. So much had happened since then, including making up with William, changing professions, hiring a moving company to pack up her house and put her things in storage until she was able to get back to sort it all, selling her house in Phoenix—it had gone for top dollar after one day on the market—and spending every spare moment she could with the man she loved.

  Her mom had made plans to come visit next month, and Joy hoped to come out around Christmas as long as her parents were doing okay. They planned to travel up to London so Joy and Ginny could meet—and William had mentioned maybe coming along and trying to hang out with Garrett. Things were far from perfect between them, but if Sophia and William did end up getting married, she knew William would want his brother at the wedding. The fact he was trying spoke volumes about who he was.

  Yes, her story was working out better than she had ever imagined it—or could have written it herself.

  “There.” Sophia pointed to the mile marker on the side of the road. “It should be just up here on the left.”

  Ginny and Steven stopped chatting in the back seat as they drew nearer.

  Here the trees bent closer together, creating a canopy over them, obscuring the sun except in a few places where it filtered through the branches. The leaves had begun to turn a variety of colors—from brilliant reds to cheery yellows and burnt oranges.

  William turned down the drive toward the B&B and pulled into the small parking lot. All of them climbed from the car, and Ginny grabbed the basket from the trunk. Sophia took in a deep breath, and crisp air filled her lungs. A bird chirped somewhere above, and a few fallen leaves skittered past her feet as they walked up the front steps and through the door.

  Alice stood behind the front desk again. “Why, hello! You’re back. And I see you brought friends.”

  Sophia and Ginny greeted Alice with a hug.

  “We did.” Sophia grabbed William’s hand. “This is my boyfriend William and our friend Steven.”

  Alice smiled at them both. “Welcome to the Rambling B&B. Were you all wanting to stay the night? You’re in luck, if so. A big party just canceled and we have several rooms available.”

  “I wish we could, but we just stopped in to see your mother. Is she here?”

  “Oh no. She’s actually on holiday visiting my sister in Edinburgh. She won’t be back for another week. I’m sorry.” Alice snapped her fingers together. “But you know what. She did leave something for you. She had a feeling you’d be back soon.”

  Ginny raised an eyebrow. “How
did she know that?”

  As she headed behind the registration desk again, Alice waved her hands in the air. “Mum has a sixth sense about people, it seems. Try growing up with that. I couldn’t get away with anything.”

  They all chuckled as Alice rummaged behind the desk and finally popped up holding the archival box that Kathryn had placed in Sophia’s room on her last visit. She handed it over to Sophia.

  There was another note on top:

  For Sophia and Ginny, two amazing women,

  I hope by now you have both found your peace and realized that the God of the universe loves you and is capable of anything. Please do me one last favor and return this journal to its rightful owner. I have a feeling that Hugh Bryant is finally ready to see this again, and that you should be the ones to return it. You will bless him greatly by giving it back. Help him remember who he once was.

  All my love,

  Kathryn

  Sophia lifted the lid of the box and found Emily’s journal inside.

  Ginny took the note and read it. “I’m still a little confused why this belongs to Hugh in the first place. He was related to Edward, not Emily, right?”

  “Yeah.” Sophia shrugged. “It was discovered on his family’s land. As far as I know, it’s the only piece of evidence that reveals Robert Appleton’s true identity. That makes it pretty valuable.”

  “I guess. It seems like all this should be about more than money, though.”

  “I agree.” Sophia bit her lip. “All I know is, we’ve been given one last task. Shall we?”

  “Absolutely.” After they thanked and hugged Alice—who was eagerly eyeing the cupcakes they’d given her and Kathryn—they headed back to the car.

  An hour later, they all stood on Hugh Bryant’s doorstep.

  When Hugh opened the door and saw Sophia and William, he actually smiled. “I was hoping you’d return.”

  “You were?” Sophia couldn’t keep the surprise from her voice.

  He opened the door wider and pointed to the box in her hands. “Did you find it?”