by Kathi Daley
“This is my apartment within the larger home,” he said. “When I’m home, I spend the majority of my time here. Archie has a mirror apartment in the wing on the other side of the house.”
“This apartment is larger than the space most people raise a family in, and yet it feels tiny compared to the whole.”
“Yes. It does seem that Bram Hemingway overdid things just a tad. This house more closely resembles the sort of huge estates you might find titled families owning in England, which I guess makes sense since Bram was born in London.”
“This space within a space is perfect. It’s warm and cozy, yet you have a lot of space to stretch out if you desire.”
He motioned toward the table, which had already been set with crystal and china. “Ruth has prepared a simple meal for us. I thought we’d eat first and maybe get to know each other a bit, and then we can discuss your mystery.”
“Sounds fine to me.” I looked toward the living area and found all three dogs lying on thick rugs in front of the fire. They seemed happy and content, so I allowed Adam to help me into my chair.
“Ruth made us a pear and walnut salad, seafood chowder, and freshly baked bread,” Adam said. “I hope you don’t have any food allergies. I guess I should have thought to ask.”
“No, I don’t have any allergies. And the lunch Ruth prepared sounds wonderful. Do you normally eat up here in your own suite of rooms?”
“Sometimes. If Archie and I are both in town, Ruth tends to make a meal which we share with her and Moses downstairs in the kitchen. I guess you could say that Ruth and Moses are the closest thing to a family that Archie and I have, other than each other, of course.”
“Do you spend time with your family overseas?” I asked after taking a sip of my iced tea.
“We do. Archie more often than me. They’re good people, but they aren’t our people if you know what I mean.”
I nodded. “I think I do. When my dad was alive, he was my family in a way that no one else was. Now that he’s gone, I guess I’ll need to find a new family. Don’t get me wrong. I have friends. Wonderful friends. But there’s something different about having someone who really belongs to you.”
“Exactly.”
“I’ve enjoyed getting to know the gang out on the peninsula,” I said as I dug into the wonderful-looking salad. “I’m not sure how long I’ll be staying in the area, but for the time being, they are beginning to feel like a family of sorts. Especially Jemma and Josie. I can count on one hand the number of dinners I’ve had on my own since I’ve been here. If they’re around, which they usually are, they make a point of inviting me over.”
“I’m glad you’re fitting in. The gang out on the peninsula is a special breed. They seem to truly care about each other and the community as well. Hope too,” he added, “even though she doesn’t actually live out there.”
We spent the next twenty minutes eating the delicious meal Ruth had provided and getting to know each other. Once we’d finished, we moved into the center of the large great room where sofas framed the fireplace. Adam asked me about my research to date, and I filled him in on the few new details I’d picked up since we’d last spoken. I hadn’t learned a lot, but I thought it was important that I’d figured out that my name had most likely been Ava when I’d stayed here a quarter of a century ago.
“That actually fits what I found,” he said.
I sat forward. “Found? What did you find?”
“Don’t get too excited.” He smiled. “I’m afraid it isn’t a lot, but after we spoke, I spent some time trying to figure out who might have been around in the summer of ninety-five. Archie and I both agree that neither of us was here during your visit, and we agree that our mother hadn’t been, either. Mr. Johnson has passed on. Mrs. Adaline moved to Texas. Unfortunately, the last address and phone number I have for her are no longer good, and I haven’t found any forwarding information. I can keep trying to find her, but it might take a while. I did manage to speak to Mrs. Rivers, and she reminded me that she went to England with us that summer, but she also reminded me that a young man named Timothy worked here at the estate helping Mr. Johnson during the gardening season. She’d kept in touch with Timothy, who was seventeen that summer, but is married and has children of his own now, so I called him, and he did remember two women who stayed here at the estate with two children for the majority of the summer.”
“Did he know who we were or why we were here?”
“No. Well, sort of,” he corrected. “Keep in mind that Timothy was a part-time outdoor helper who only worked during the height of the growing season. He was seventeen at the time, and not all that interested in two women who showed up with two children in tow, but he did remember that the blond-haired woman was named Marilee and the dark-haired woman was named Wilma. Timothy said that the blond-haired woman looked a lot like the two little girls. He thought she was an aunt and said the older of the two little girls called her Mame.”
I supposed that was why I initially remembered calling her Mama even though she didn’t feel like a mother. Mame wasn’t all that different than Mama. “Did he remember the names of the two children?”
“Not at first, but I talked to him for a while to try to stoke his memory. Eventually, he remembered that the older of the two was named Ava. He never remembered the name Avery, but when I asked him if the baby might have been named Avery, he agreed that sounded right.”
“Did he know why we were here?”
He shook his head. “No. He said he remembered the group showing up in early June, and he thinks they were gone by Labor Day. He worked out in the yard and probably never even went inside the house, but he did work with Mr. Johnson, who he remembered had been quite taken with you. I guess he talked about the cute things you said and did all the time.”
“Aw. I knew I liked him.”
“I know this isn’t a lot since Timothy had no idea why you were here or where you went after you left. I figure what he did remember won’t help much with the larger mystery you’re trying to solve, but I will keep looking.”
“Can you think of anyone else who might know something?”
“In addition to the staff who lived on the estate, there were a lot of part-time helpers. I remember the cleaning staff coming in most weekdays, and there were delivery people and the caterers who helped with parties and events. There is good reason to believe that someone who might have been more interested in two women with two children in tow than Timothy was might have stopped to chat with one of the women. Maybe they even asked a few questions.”
I leaned back into the soft cushions of the sofa. “Thank you for everything. Really. I’m sure chasing down the details to my story has been time-consuming, and I know you’re a very busy man.”
“I don’t mind helping if I can. I have to say that your story has intrigued me.” He placed his hands on his knees. “My father kept an office on the third floor. I never go in there. As far as I know, Archie doesn’t, either. I do know that he left files and files of documents behind. Most of it is related to business dealings, but he had shelves with photo albums and boxes of old letters and diaries. There are employee records as well. I can’t promise I’ll find anything, but I’m home for the next eight weeks, so I’ll have some free time on my hands. I’d be willing to see what I can find.”
“Thank you. That is so nice of you. I really appreciate it.”
He shrugged. “As I said, I have some time on my hands. Once I go through and get things sorted, maybe you can come back by and help me look through everything a bit more closely.”
“I’d be more than happy to. In fact, I’d really enjoy that.” I paused and looked out the window. The rain had stopped, but the sky was still heavy with clouds. I’d heard the storm was supposed to blow through, and the sky should lighten, but I also knew that the weather didn’t always cooperate. I was really enjoying my time with Adam, but I didn’t want to end up driving home in a downpour.
“Did someone tell you about t
he Winter Ball?” he asked.
I turned away from the window and looked at him. “Josie mentioned it that day she came up here with me.”
“It will be on the nineteenth this year. Archie is the one who organizes the whole thing, and I’m sure he’ll think to send you an invite, but in the event that it slips his mind, I want you to know that you are invited.”
I smiled. “Thank you. It sounds like fun.”
“It’s a bit Cinderella for my taste, but Archie is really into the elegance and romance of the whole thing, so I show up in tails and dance with all the eligible ladies in the land. Actually, I try to dance with all the ladies, eligible or not. It makes Archie happy, and I know that giving him exactly what he wants from me one night a year won’t kill me.”
“I take it the dancing you’re referring to is of the ballroom variety.”
“Yes. It’s all very formal. Do you know how to dance?”
“No, not really. I mean, I’ve spent time in clubs where all I had to do was move my body to the sound of the music, but when it comes to anything more formal, I’m afraid I’ll be lost.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll teach you.”
“You’re going to give me ballroom dancing lessons?”
He shrugged. “I don’t see why not. Archie will want you to be there, and you’ll feel awkward if you don’t at least know how to waltz. When you come by to look through the items in my father’s office, we can practice.”
I hated to admit how very good that sounded. Not only had I always wanted to learn ballroom dancing, but I imagined that waltzing around an empty ballroom with Adam would be magical.
“How long have you been holding the ball?” I asked.
Adam answered. “Before my parents died, they held a ball every year at Christmas. At least every year that I can remember. Then after they died, Archie and I decided that we really weren’t into it, so we stopped hosting the balls. Then about five years ago, Archie met a woman whose attention he was determined to attract and announced that it seemed time that the House on Piney Point once again did its part for the community by decorating the way our mother used to and then holding the grandest ball in all the land.”
I laughed. “Did it work? Did Archie get the girl?”
Adam shook his head. “I’m afraid not. The girl did come to the ball, where she met one of our cousins who lives overseas. They are very happily married and expecting their first child, a son, from what I’ve heard.”
“Ouch. Poor Archie.”
“Archie is fine. He really isn’t the sort to settle down, and this particular girl definitely had settling down on her mind. But he did enjoy the ball. He seemed to enjoy decorating the house and planning the food as much as the event itself, so in a moment of weakness, I allowed him to convince me to swear that no matter what else was going on in our lives, the Winchester Brothers would always be together to do Christmas and the Winter Ball like they really should be done.”
“I think that’s a sweet story, and I, for one, can’t wait to see all your decorations. I’ve never been to a ball, but it does sound magical.”
“You’ll need a dress. I doubt you will be able to get what you need here in Gooseberry Bay, so you might need to make a trip to Seattle.”
“I can do that. I haven’t been anywhere since I arrived. I’ll see if Jemma and Josie want to come along. We can have a girl’s day. If that doesn’t work out, I’ll order something online.” I glanced out the window again. “I should get going. It looks like we might get another good dump before the storm blows through.” I stood up. “Thank you again. And please call me if you find anything. And as far as helping with the stuff in your father’s office and ballroom dancing lessons, anytime is great with me. You have my cell number. Just call or text.”
“Okay. Give me a day or two, and then we’ll set up a time to meet.”
I looked at my two large dogs, who were sleeping next to Adam’s large dog. “I think this was more of a sleep date than a play date. I don’t think any of them have moved since they first settled in.”
“Hitchcock sleeps a lot. I assume your dogs do as well.”
“They do.”
“They’re great dogs. Feel free to bring them with you any time you stop by.” He paused. “Well, maybe don’t bring them to the ball, but any other time is fine.”
“Okay. I will. And thanks again.”
“I’ll show you out.”
After Adam walked me downstairs, he walked me out to my car. As I was pulling away, I noticed Ruth open the door. He walked over to where she was standing and kissed her on the cheek. It was sweet that he was so close to his employee. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Adam put an arm around Ruth’s shoulder, and then the two of them walked into the house together.
Chapter 11
I’d called Parker about my conversation with Vanessa, and we decided to meet for dinner to come up with a plan to help Vanessa find her family. I wondered if Josie got tired of cooking for everyone almost every night, but I figured if she didn’t want to continue, she could always say something.
“So, how was your lunch with Adam?” Jemma asked before I even stepped into the cottage through the doorway.
“It was productive. I won’t go so far as to say that I learned anything earth-shattering, but Adam did speak to an ex-employee who confirmed that two women stayed at the house during the summer of ninety-five. He also was able to find out the women were named Marilee and Wilma, and that the older of the two children was called Ava. He wasn’t as sure about the baby, but when Adam fed him the name Avery, he said that sounded right.”
“Well, that’s something,” Jemma said.
“It is something,” I agreed. “Adam is going to look through documents his dad left in his office, and we’re going to get together again. I really appreciate the number of hours he’s putting into this thing. I know he’s a busy man, so it means a lot that he’s willing to dig into this. He could have just said that he doesn’t remember meeting the women and children and leave it at that.”
“I told you that Adam was a good guy.”
“You did. Everyone did. I’m not sure why I didn’t believe it. I guess I had this image in my mind of someone who was a bit of an elitist. But so far, Adam mostly seems pretty down to earth. Maybe not quite as down to earth as Archie is, but still a really nice guy.”
“He is. And it sounds like your trip up to the bluff was worth your time.”
“It was. Not only was I able to further confirm that I’d most likely spent several months at the house during that summer, but I managed to score an invite to the Winter Ball as well.”
Jemma smiled. “It’s a wonderful event. Josie and I have gone the past two years, and I’m sure we’ll go again this year. We can all go together if you want.”
“That sounds like a wonderful plan. I’m going to need a dress. I’m afraid I don’t have anything even remotely appropriate to wear to an event like that.”
“Maybe we can all go dress shopping together,” Jemma said just as Josie walked in the door from work.
“Did I hear someone say dress shopping?” Josie asked, setting down two large grocery bags.
“Ainsley mentioned needing a dress for the Winter Ball, and I thought we could all go dress shopping. Maybe even make a weekend out of it.”
“I love that idea,” Josie grinned. “But the only weekend I have totally free before the ball is this weekend.”
Jemma smiled at me. “I’m free this weekend. How about you?”
I hesitated, glancing toward Kai and Kallie. “I’m not sure about going anywhere for the entire weekend. I have Kai and Kallie to consider.”
Josie shrugged. “We’ll ask Tegan and Booker to watch the dogs and the kittens. If they don’t have plans, I’m sure they’d be willing. Tegan loves animals.”
“Okay,” I said, picturing the perfect Cinderella dress. “If Tegan and Booker can watch the animals, I’m in.”
“Tegan should be home,” Josie sai
d. “She left the bar and grill before I did, and I had to stop for groceries. I’ll call her.”
As it turned out, Tegan was thrilled to babysit the animals, so it looked like Josie, Jemma, and I were going to Seattle on the Saturday morning ferry.
We spent the next twenty minutes talking about dresses, and the type of dress we each hoped to find. Josie dug two dresses out of the back of her closet, so I could see what she’d worn the past two years. Jemma had been a bit more practical and had sold the dresses she figured she’d probably never wear again to a second-hand store, but she had photos to share. Just talking about the magical night caused me to feel a tingling of excitement I hadn’t experienced in a very long time.
“Parker’s on her way up the walk,” Jemma said a short time later. “Based on the bags she’s carrying, it looks like she brought Thai from that new place that just opened up down near the harbor.”
“I’ve been wanting to try that place,” Josie said. “I hear the food is really good and different from the food you can get at other places in town.”
After we’d all served ourselves from the takeout containers, we settled around the dining table to discuss Vanessa’s conversation with me. Since I’d already filled everyone in on the specifics relating to the reason the family felt the need to run in the first place, tonight’s meeting had more to do with figuring out a way we might be able to help Vanessa reach out to her sister. I had to admit that with all the aliases in the mix, it was hard to decide how to refer to each player. Vanessa felt more like Vanessa than Hannah to me since I’d actually met the woman, so I suggested we all refer to the eldest sister as Vanessa. As for the second oldest sister, who was both Courtney and Jennifer, we decided on Jen.
“Okay, so Vanessa voluntarily cut ties with her family after she turned eighteen so she could set out on her own,” Josie started us off. “In order for the family to agree to set her free, she had to promise to let them go and never attempt to find them. The problem is that after five years, she’s beginning to regret that promise, especially since by this point, she’s convinced that the danger her father has spent a decade running from is all in his mind.”