They filled their days on Sullivan’s with pleasurable activities while setting aside plenty of time to relax. They rode bicycles all over the island and drove a golf cart, which Julian had rented, to the small village for lunch. Becca, a certified swim instructor, worked with Ruby every afternoon in the kidney-shaped pool that belonged to the cottage and taught the older girls how to sail the sunfish she’d trailered to the island. They walked the beaches, searching for shells, and built elaborate castles in the sand. At night they roasted hotdogs and marshmallows in the small bonfire Julian built near the sand dunes. Abbott brought Lacey, whom Ellie was beginning to think of as a friend, down for a long weekend. When Ellie and Julian saw how much their family enjoyed their time on Sullivan’s, they agreed to start working with a realtor to find a place of their own.
Ellie was delighted that Maddie agreed to accompany them as their guest on their family vacation. She made their beds in the morning and put out baked pastries for breakfast, but she spent the majority of the week fishing off the end of the dock.
For two weeks, she and Maddie had been dancing around the subject of Lia’s death. Ellie sensed her old friend had something on her mind, and late one afternoon midweek, she decided it was time to find out what that something was. She ventured down to the dock with two glasses of sweet tea. She handed Maddie a glass and sat down on the warm cypress boards next to her with her feet dangling over the side.
“Where are all the fish you’ve caught?” Ellie asked, searching the dock for a cooler. “I’ve been watching you reel them in.”
“I throwed ’em all back. No sense in keeping them itty-bitty spots and croakers. I’m gonna catch me a great big flounder and fry him up for your supper.”
Ellie laughed. “Fried flounder sounds yummy as long as you promise to make some of your homemade coleslaw and cornbread to go with it.”
Maddie cackled. “You’re on.”
They sat in silence for a while, enjoying the salty breeze, watching the boats speed up and down the sound, and listening to the joyful sounds of the girls playing Marco Polo with Julian in the pool.
“I have to give you credit, Maddie. You were right about Lia all along.”
Ignoring Ellie’s gaze, Maddie stared down into the muddy water of low tide. “I wanted to be wrong about her. I truly did. To this day, I never understood how twins can turn out so different. You and Lia were night and day. Even as a young’un, you shone from the light within. But Lia, that poor chile, she could never escape the dark cloud that followed her around.”
Ellie allowed her mind to travel back decades. “I don’t remember her that way.”
“Because you could never see that side of her. She was your twin, your only playmate. You had no one to compare her to.”
“I hadn’t thought of it like that.”
“I promised your mama on her deathbed that I would look out for you. But I knowed it was for the best when your daddy came to take you away. You had no bidness living in this house with your mean old gramma. Mr. Abbot’s a kind man. He gave you a good life.” Maddie patted Ellie’s knee. “But I was beside myself with happiness when you found your way back to me. I’d do anything for you, Miss Ellie. I hope you know that. But when Miss Lia showed up . . . well, I couldn’t live through that hell again. I had to protect them twins, those sweet little girls.”
Ellie jerked her head up. “You sound like you had something to do with my sister’s death.”
“I don’t have that kind of power, but I know someone who do. I visited an old Gullah woman. Some say she’s a witch. I didn’t ask for her to bring death to Miss Lia. But I did ask for her to keep Miss Lia away from them twins. If God wants to lock me out of heaven because of what I did, then so be it. But I ain’t gonna apologize for my feelings. I seen too much sadness in that house.”
Ellie reached for Maddie’s hand and squeezed it. She didn’t know much about Gullah culture, but she certainly wasn’t one to question centuries-old practices. “You were not alone in this, Maddie. None of us wanted her to die, but we all wished Lia would go away and not come back. You’re a kind and compassionate woman. You’ve stuck by this family through our darkest days. The Lord won’t lock you out of heaven. He knows how much love you have in your heart.”
“You got the same kind of love in your heart, Miss Ellie. Just like your mama. You will be a kind and caring mama to all four of them little girls, like your mama never got a chance to be to you.”
<<<<>>>>
Acknowledgments
I’m grateful to the many people who helped make this novel possible. First and foremost, to my editor, Patricia Peters, for her patience and advice and for making my work stronger without changing my voice. To my literary agent, Andrea Hurst, for her guidance and expertise in the publishing industry and for believing in my work. A great big heartfelt thank-you to Kathy Sinclair, former social services special investigator and current criminal investigator with the Bartow County Sheriff’s Office, for her expert advice and guidance in matters relating to adoption, foster parenting, and the murder investigation. And also to my sister-in-law Dina Farley Foster, attorney-at-law and former family court judge, for patiently explaining the judicial system and social services procedures in regards to child abandonment and the placement of children whose parents have been imprisoned for serious crimes.
To my faithful readers for their support of my work and for giving me the confidence to write from my heart. And to Damon Freeman and his crew at Damonza.com for their creativity in designing this stunning cover.
I am blessed to have many supportive people in my life who offer the encouragement I need to continue my writing career. I owe a huge debt of gratitude to my advance review team for their enthusiasm of and commitment to my work, to my family and friends for their continued support and encouragement. A special note of thanks to Leslie Rising at Levy’s and the folks at Grove Avenue Pharmacy in Richmond for spreading the word about my books and to Alison Fauls for being the best beta reader ever.
I love hearing from you. Feel free to shoot me an email at [email protected] or stop by my website at ashleyfarley.net for more information about my characters and upcoming releases. Don’t forget to sign up for my newsletter. Your subscription will grant you exclusive content, sneak previews, and special giveaways.
Beyond the Garden (Magnolia Series Book 2) Page 21