*****
They rode in silence for the first hour, each focused on their own thoughts.
“Laura, we both need to loosen up. Why don’t you tell me about you and Alec? How did you meet and fall in love?”
Laura told him about taking her class to Alec’s art gallery and finding him more fascinating than the artwork. “His sister, Beatrice, did not approve of me and it forced us to keep our relationship a secret. I never questioned why Alec, a grown man, was afraid of his sister. When the woman who posed as his wife approached me, the secrecy of our relationship made sense. I’m sorry, now I didn’t confront Alec. I could have saved myself a lot of heartache.”
“I don’t know why Ms. Danforth wouldn’t approve of a sweet lady like you. She should be proud to have you in the Danforth family.”
Laura smiled. She and Nelson talked about his wife and daughter and how he missed teaching but found administrative work challenging. “It keeps me busy and keeps my mind active and helps with the loneliness in that big house of mine.”
“Have you thought of dating again, Nelson?” Laura asked.
“No, Sarah was the only woman for me. I’m not interested in replacing her.”
“I understand, some teachers at school have suggested I join singles clubs and increase my social activities but I will always be a spinster schoolteacher.”
They stopped for an early lunch. Both had been too nervous to eat breakfast. Talking about their feelings and their former loves helped them relax, and they realized they were hungry.
*****
When Nelson pulled into Hillsboro, nothing looked familiar to him. It was as though he was visiting the town for the first time.
He made the turn on the highway toward Evergreen. The main street enchanted the pair. Laura let out an audible gasp when she saw the sign for Danforth Art Gallery, Alec Danforth, Proprietor.
“Do you want to stop?” asked Nelson.
“Not yet,” Laura replied. “I’d like to get settled in my room at Coventry Hill first. If my reaction to seeing his name overwhelms me, I need a chance to breathe before I see him in person.”
Coventry Hill is at the end of Main Street on a hill that overlooked the town on one side and Lake Hillsboro on the other. Molly told Laura it had been built a year before but looked as though it came from the early twentieth century. The building was white with black shutters and a wraparound porch with small tables and chairs, a porch swing and several overhead fans hanging from the ceiling. A couple sat at a table sipping iced tea and eating salads.
Nelson’s thoughts drifted to Sarah, how he wished she could be with him, she would love this place. He looked at Laura and saw her smiling in awe, he knew Sarah’s reaction would be the same.
The lobby didn’t disappoint, there was a large fireplace surrounded by overstuffed sofas and chairs. Beyond the sitting room, they could see a dining area with intimate tables throughout covered with white cloths. Water goblets sparkled when the sun reflected on them through the skylights. The place settings were in order and the centerpieces were fresh summer flowers.
After registering, they were shown to their rooms on the second floor by a polite young man, Laura wondered if he would have been a student of hers if she’d stayed in Hillsboro. Although the inn was air conditioned, the window was open in Laura’s room and she could hear the waves splashing gently to the sand beach. The room was decorated in soft pinks, lavenders, and light greens. It reminded Laura of the first signs of spring when the early flowers bloomed. The four-poster bed was covered with a pastel quilt in the same floral colors. I wish I could stay in this room forever, she thought to herself.
Nelson’s room was comfortable and masculine with a golf motif. The window in the room overlooked the Evergreen golf course. Nelson wasn’t much into design but he knew what he liked and he liked the look and feel of this room.
Laura heard a soft knock on her door. She picked up her purse from the bed and greeted Nelson.
“Are you ready to face our ghosts, Laura?”
“As ready as I’ll ever be. I’d like to stop at Buds and Blooms to say hello to Joanna and Molly before I get up the nerve to visit the gallery.”
Chapter Seventeen
Stephanie looked up from the display case she was arranging.
“Hello, are you looking for Joanna? You must be related, you look so much like her.”
“My name is Laura Abbott, Joanna is a friend although not a relative. I thought you were Molly Ryan when I walked in the door, I knew she had a twin but the resemblance is remarkable.”
“Molly and I get that all the time. We are new to sisterhood so it’s always fun to hear how much we look alike. Joanna is helping Molly in the workshop, I’ll ask her to come out front.”
******
Joanna and Molly both joined the ladies.
“Did you come to Hillsboro to see Alec?” Joanna asked.
“Yes, I’m here with Mr. Fisher. He has some unfinished business himself. I hoped you could break away and come with me to the gallery. I know it’s silly but I’m afraid to face Alec alone.”
“I’ll come with you. Alec will be happy to see you in person. He’s been painting portraits of you for the past ten years.”
*****
Laura asked Molly to join them for moral support. She agreed knowing it would be a happy reunion for the couple. Alec was a different man since he’d stopped taking his so-called vitamin pills.
*****
Alec was busy rearranging his art work on easels in the gallery when he glanced out the window and thought he was dreaming. Ten years hadn’t changed Laura, he would know her anywhere. She looked nervous when Molly opened the door to the shop and gasped when she looked in those piercing eyes of the man she’d never stopped loving.
“Laura,” was all Alec could say.
Laura smiled at him and fought the urge to rush into his arms.
“We can leave these two alone, Joanna,” said Molly as she opened the door to leave.
Alec and Laura didn’t realize they had left, they stared at each other until Laura whispered “Hello, Alec.”
Alec turned the open sign to closed and locked the front door without taking his eyes off Laura.
“We have so much to talk about, shall we go to my office where we will have privacy from the passersby?”
Laura nodded and followed him. A tear fell from her eye, she was filled with joy at seeing him again.
“What happened, darling? Why did you leave without telling me? Molly found your ring in the lake; did you hate me so much you threw it away?”
“I didn’t throw it away, I meant to return it to you but I couldn’t bear to let it go. It was the only thing I had of yours after I left town. Someone took it from me and fate brought it to Molly. I left Hillsboro because my heart was broken. A young woman approached me and told me she was your wife and she was carrying your child. I was such a fool to believe her, Alec.”
“Who would have told you that, you know I loved only you. Who was the woman who lied to you and why did she do it?”
“She was forced to tell me the falsehood. Please don’t blame the woman, she was young and in needed money for her education.”
“Needing money is no excuse for perpetrating a lie that changed our lives. Beatrice was the one paying her, wasn’t she? I believe my sister has been manipulating me for years. I don’t want to talk about her, Laura, I want to hold you in my arms and feel you close.”
Laura walked toward him and they kissed with overpowering passion and knew they would never be parted again.
*****
Nelson Fisher drove his car through the winding driveway to the Danforth mansion. I’m making a terrible mistake coming here. It’s haunted me I might have taken advantage of that young girl so long ago. Is my only motivation appeasing my conscience? Nelson kept driving despite his doubts. He thought he saw a curtain move in the upstairs window. He was being ridiculous. He’d asked Laura if she was ready to revisit her ghost an
d now, he was seeing them.
The bell sounded loudly and was answered within seconds. An elderly man stood before him with a quizzical look on his face. “Yes?” he said brusquely.
“Hello, sir. My name is Nelson Fisher. I would like to speak with Miss Danforth if she is available.”
“Wait here.”
Within a few minutes, the door opened again. “Come,” said the man, Miss Danforth will receive you in the salon.”
Nelson followed him into an area he referred to as the salon pointing to a settee that Nelson was afraid might collapse if he sat on it. The room was filled with ornate furniture he suspected had been in the room for a half century or more. He detected the faint aroma of mothballs and was reminded of his explorations in his grandmother’s attic when he was a youngster.
An older woman dressed in a maid’s uniform entered the room carrying a tray with a silver tea service and two dainty china tea cups and saucers. She left the room and Nelson was unsure if he was expected to pour himself a cup of tea or wait to be served. At that moment, he was sorry he didn’t have a glass of whiskey although he hadn’t touched the stuff in years.
“Mr. Fisher,” came a disagreeable voice, “what do you want of me?”
“Miss Danforth, we have not met since we were young people, my cousin and I attended a party uninvited and I wanted to offer my apology.”
“You want to know if you sexually assaulted me. Is that what you are asking?”
“I truly hope that isn’t the case, ma’am.”
“Whatever happened between us is better left in the past. If you will excuse me, sir, I don’t believe we have anything more to say to each other.”
Beatrice walked out of the room with a calm she didn’t feel.
“Jasper, escort Mr. Fisher to the door.”
What is he doing here? If he sees Alec, he will know the lad is his son. As much as I want him out of my sight, I can’t let him go.
“Jasper,” she called, “don’t let Mr. Fisher leave. Bring him back to the salon please.”
Beatrice reached in her pocket and emptied a small envelope in Nelson’s cup pouring tea over the powder.
“Please forgive my rudeness, Mr. Fisher. I was appalled at the implication of your question. I’m afraid we both had too much to drink the evening we met. You were a perfect gentleman, I can assure you. Please have some tea and we will catch up on old times.”
Nelson took a sip of the tea. He didn’t know what old times they would catch up on because his memory of the one time he met Beatrice Danforth resulting in his passing out drunk.
“I’m a principal at Carter Elementary School in Pineridge. I’m staying at Coventry Hill Inn in Evergreen. I find Evergreen charming.” Nelson knew he was prattling but couldn’t seem to stop talking.
“Drink your tea, Mr. Fisher, it is the finest money can buy.”
Nelson didn’t care for tea but felt compelled to finish every drop. He asked Beatrice about her activities.
The fool, being mistress of Danforth Estate is more than enough to keep me busy. Why is it others think I should be involved in good works like my mother? I tend my rose garden, isn’t that enough?
When Nelson finished his tea, Beatrice called Jasper once again to escort him to the door.
Nelson felt nothing but relief when he opened the door to his car and sat behind the wheel. He fastened his seatbelt and drove back down the winding driveway. It was an easy drive to the inn. He drove with the window lowered breathing in the scent of pine trees along the highway. He felt flush but tried to ignore it knowing he would be at the inn soon. He felt as though his head was detached from his body. He would never know if Sarah appeared before him or he’d imagined her telling him to stop the car and dial 9-1-1. He pulled off the side of the road reached for his cellphone and dialed the emergency number. With all the strength he could muster, he told the operator his location and fell across the front seat of the car.
******
Two hours later, Nelson woke up in the emergency room of the hospital. He had a hard time focusing and felt for his glasses.
“What happened?” he asked in a weak voice.
“Mr. Fisher, I’m Doctor Adam Sloan, you were brought here by ambulance, do you remember calling 9-1-1?”
“Vaguely, what happened and how do you know my name?”
“The police officer traced your automobile license and discovered the automobile is registered to Nelson Fisher, is that you, sir?”
`“Yes, I’m Nelson Fisher. I’m groggy, did I have an attack?”
“No, sir, you suffered the effects of a sedative. Were you anxious? Did you take anything to calm your nerves?”
“I take a mild blood pressure medication every morning, but never had an adverse reaction from it.”
“Your condition had nothing to do with blood pressure medication. You either self-medicated with a sedative or someone slipped you a mickey.”
Nelson couldn’t believe Beatrice Danforth would drug him for any reason. It made no sense. He’d had lunch at a coffee shop on Main Street in Evergreen. Could a drug accidently have gotten into food? If so, was Laura sick too?
“Doctor, I would like to call my traveling companion, her name is Laura Abbott. She planned to see a friend of hers at Buds and Blooms Flower shop.”
“My sister-in-law, Molly, owns the shop. You use the phone on the nightstand. I’ll give you the number.”
“I’m afraid I can’t see the numbers without my glasses, are they with the rest of my belongings?”
Adam handed Nelson the plastic bag containing the clothing he wore when the paramedics brought him to the hospital.
“They aren’t here. I wonder if they could have fallen off in the car? I’m afraid I need them to see.”
“I’ll ask the front desk to check with the impound lot. By now, your car has been towed for safe keeping.”
Adam called Molly asking her to notify Laura of Mr. Fisher’s hospitalization.
“Laura, I hate to interrupt your reunion with Alec but I thought you’d want to know your friend, Mr. Fisher, was involved in an accident and is in the hospital. Dr. Sloan says he is not in danger. I’ll be glad to drive you to the hospital and will be at the gallery in a few minutes.”
Chapter Eighteen
“I’ll go with you,” said Alec. “Now that I’m with you again, I don’t want to let you go.”
Laura worried about her boss, she noted that he was a careful driver on the way to Hillsboro. She was happy to have Alec with her when Molly’s car pulled up in front of the gallery.
“Adam said except for a few bruises and losing his glasses, Mr. Fisher is doing well. Apparently, he had a medical issue that caused him to lose control of the car.”
“Oh dear, Mr. Fisher needs those glasses. He said his eyes are sensitive to light, and that is the reason he wears glasses with tinted lenses. I wonder what brought on his sudden illness. He is in great shape for a man in his late sixties.”
******
Molly and Alec waited in the emergency waiting room while a volunteer escorted Laura to the cubicle Nelson was occupying.
The lights were dim but Laura could see her boss’s eyes. She had an intake of breath and covered her mouth.
“Mr. Fisher, I’ve never seen you without your glasses. Your eyes look like…” her words trailed off. “I’m sorry, you look so different, I hope they could find your glasses. What happened to you?”
“I’d rather not speculate, Laura. Tell me how your reunion went with your young man?”
“It’s as though we have never been apart. I’m so happy we came to Evergreen although I’m sorry about your accident. Is the car damaged?”
“No, the police said I pulled off the road and stopped the car before I dozed off. I thought I’d slept well at the inn last night,” he chuckled.
Laura couldn’t stop looking at Mr. Fisher’s eyes. With the tinted lenses he always wore, she never realized they were the same color as Alec’s. She had a strange feeling
in the pit of her stomach it was more than a coincidence.
*****
Talking with Alec while Laura was in with Mr. Fisher, Molly was no longer wary of the man. He had lost his slightly maniacal look and had a pleasant and handsome face. He talked about Laura and how happy he was she had reappeared in his life. He was grateful for the opportunity to open his gallery and never mentioned his sister.
******
“I’d like to meet your young man, Laura.”
“He’s in the waiting room with Molly, I’ll ask him to come in if you are up to it.”
“Other than being a little groggy, I feel well. Please ask him to come in.”
*****
Laura walked to the waiting room. “Alec, Mr. Fisher would like to meet you. It’s the strangest thing, Molly, I have never seen him without his tinted glasses before and when I saw him now, I could swear I was looking in Alec’s eyes. Why don’t you come in with us, I’m curious if you have the same reaction?”
******
Nelson looked up when the threesome walked into his room. He knew the minute he saw Alec standing there that Beatrice Danforth lied to him. He was looking at his son.
Alec felt an immediate bond with the man lying in the emergency room bed. He stared at him unable to speak for a moment.
Seeing the two men together, Molly spotted the similarity immediately.
“Hello, son,” Nelson said unintentionally, “I’m happy to meet you. As soon as they spring me, I’d like to get together with you and Laura. I don’t want to intrude on your reunion but I’d like to get to know you.”
“I’d like that too, sir. I wonder if our paths have crossed. I have the feeling we have met before.”
A nurse walked into the cubicle. “Mr. Fisher, the doctor says you are free to go. A police officer dropped off these, I’m sure you are happy to have them back,” she handed Nelson his glasses, he put them on immediately to get a better look at the man he knew, in his heart, was his son.
******
Molly drove the group to the impound lot where Nelson retrieved his car.
Murder in Evergreen Page 10
