by Terri DuLong
“Promise.”
“I was just wondering if maybe I could drive you to Gainesville tomorrow. I don’t want to intrude, but I thought maybe we could have lunch together at a great French restaurant there. And I’ll wait in the car while you’re with the attorney. I won’t cramp your style.”
I frowned. “Absolutely not. Absolutely not you’ll wait in the car. You’ll come into his office with me. And yes, I’d love for you to drive me, and I accept your offer for lunch.”
42
I accepted the menu from the waiter and smiled across the table at Noah. How did he find such an authentic French restaurant in a university town in north central Florida? Stepping into Chez Collette was like what I imagined a Paris bistro might be. Small, with only six white, linen-covered tables. Dimly lit after the brightness of outside. A flickering candle at each place setting. Dark wood and shining brass comprised the interior with large prints of the Champs Elysées, Montparnasse, Eiffel Tower, and the Seine adorning the walls. Completing the authenticity were the French accents of the staff.
I allowed Noah to choose a glass of French wine for each of us.
“You’re quite the savvy Frenchman, aren’t you?”
Noah smiled while reaching for my hand across the table.
“I spent many years in Paris. It became like a second home to me. Except for Cedar Key, it’s my favorite place in the entire world.”
I returned his smile and sighed. “Ah, romantic Paris. How I’d love to visit there someday.”
“And you will, if you’d really like to. I suggested you take some time off from the shop.”
“I’d be hopelessly lost over there. I don’t speak a word of French.”
“I didn’t mean for you to go alone. My French is fluent and I’d love to take you to Paris—just the two of us for a couple weeks.”
“God, you’re really tempting me,” I said as excitement filled me. “Let’s do it. Let’s make plans to go after the first of the year. I’ve already let too much life pass me by. And like Sybile told me, once your chance is gone, nothing will ever make it quite the same. I’m not passing up this chance.”
Noah squeezed my hand. “It’s a date.”
I crossed my legs, adjusting the hem of my skirt at my knees. Glancing around the attorney’s office my gaze went back to the man behind the desk. I’d been surprised that Richard White was younger than I’d imagined. For some reason I thought Sybile would have chosen somebody more her age to manage her affairs. But this fellow in the Armani suit and looking more like a soap opera star was barely forty. A smile formed on my face. Then again, it was undoubtedly those handsome looks that allowed Sybile to entrust him with her estate.
“Now then,” he said, in a professional tone. “Everything seems to be in order here.” He flipped through pages in a folder. “Yes, Sybile made certain of that.” He smiled across the desk at me, leaning forward. “From what I understand this is to be a surprise. That’s how Sybile wanted it.”
I shot him a blank look causing him to continue.
“According to Sybile’s will, she has left the entire bulk of her estate to you.”
“What?” Now it was my turn to lean forward, my face covered in surprise. “No, that can’t be possible. I know for a fact that her will states the Marine Lab is to get her house so they can sell it and take the money for research.”
“Yes, well, that was what the original will stated. However, Sybile changed her will in early August. She did leave a sizable amount to the Lab.”
Managing to find my voice, I said, “But I just assumed whatever there was would go to her sister, Dora.”
He nodded. “She did make a small provision for…” He paused, scanning down a page. “A Eudora Foster and her daughter, Marin.”
“But, but…What do you mean that she left the entire estate to me? I have to sell her house, right?”
Richard grinned. “Not unless you want to.” Placing reading glasses on the bridge of his nose, he again read from a page. “I won’t bore you with all the legal jargon,” he said, removing his glasses and putting the stack of papers down. “But in layman’s terms, you have inherited everything she owned. The house and entire contents, her stocks, her bank accounts. Oh, and she did leave some sizable stock in her granddaughter’s name.” Referring to a paper, he said, “A Monica Webster.”
“So you mean I don’t have to sell the Lighthouse? That I could just…just move in there if I wanted to?”
Richard smiled again, nodding. “Free and clear. You are now the owner of the Lighthouse on Cedar Key.”
With no warning, I burst out crying.
Richard jumped up to come around the desk touching my arm. “Are you alright? Can I get you some water? I know this is all a bit surprising.”
My sobs quickly turned into laughter immediately followed by hiccups. “Could you just…just get my…my friend in the outer office?”
Noah was by my side within moments as I continued to vacillate between crying and laughing. “I’m the owner of Sybile’s Lighthouse. Sybile left me everything.”
A broad smile crossed Noah’s face as he scooped me into his arms. “Congratulations to you, Miss Heiress.”
During the drive back to the island, the aftermath of my jubilation had simmered to a pensive quietness. I could feel Noah’s glances across the front seat. He allowed me time to absorb everything the attorney had told me.
“I wonder what it says.” I broke the silence waving a business-size envelope in the air.
“I imagine it’s a final good-bye from Sybile.”
I looked at the large, bold writing of my name on the envelope. Richard had said Sybile mailed it to him two months before and instructed it be given to me after she was gone.
“I’m going to read it now,” I said, removing the typewritten page.
To my daughter Sydney,
I’m not much of a writer but since I’m now gone, there’s a few things I wanted to say. By now you know you’re the owner of the Lighthouse. Yes, I’ve passed the gauntlet to you. My only request is, if you shouldn’t want the house, would you please then ask Monica if perhaps she would like it? I know a house is simply lumber and brick, but the Lighthouse was always much more than that to me. It was my sanctuary, my place on this island, but when you came into my life all these years later, it was also my salvation—something from my soul that I could leave to you. Due to the choices I made, I was never a mother to you in the official sense. And I certainly have no right to make requests of you, but since the blue moon gathering I feel perhaps you’ve gained some understanding. Therefore, I’d love nothing more than for you to now have this house. I saw how your eyes lit up gazing out to the view on the water. I once accused you of having no spirit. Maybe you didn’t, but over time you learned how to acquire it. This house has a lot of spirit—so soak it up, enjoy it and love it. Because I do love you, Sydney. And maybe over time, you learned to love me too.
Sybile
I reached into my handbag for a tissue. “Are you alright?” I heard Noah ask softly.
I nodded while wiping my eyes. “That Sybile, she was some special woman, wasn’t she?”
“Like mother, like daughter,” Noah said as he slowed the car to the requisite forty-five on SR 24.
I reached out to touch his arm. “Do me a favor? When you get to the Number Four bridge, could you pull off the road for a minute?”
“Sure.”
A few minutes later, Noah pulled over as instructed. I got out, recalling the first time I’d seen this vista when I drove onto the island. Looking to the north, I saw clusters of lime-green patches dotting the blue water. A houseboat lazily bobbed to the rhythm of the waves. I felt Noah standing behind me, pulling me to him.
Resting his chin on my head, he said, “Breathtaking, isn’t it?”
I nodded and glanced above as a flock of white ibis flew over the water. “Angel wings. Somebody once told me that in the utter silence of the island, when the ibis fly over, the whisp
ering sound they create sounds like angel wings.”
I spun around, throwing my arms around Noah’s neck. “Hey, do you own a sleeping bag?”
“I’m pretty sure I do. Why?”
“Because a very wise woman once told me that there’s nothing better than sleeping out in the open, under the sky and stars. And I can’t think of a better spot than the deck of the Lighthouse.”
Noah smiled. Opening the car door for me, he said, “Let’s go test that theory.”
A READING GROUP GUIDE
SPINNING FORWARD
Terri DuLong
ABOUT THIS GUIDE
The following questions are intended to enhance your group’s reading of SPINNING FORWARD.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
It has been said that after a life-altering event, such as a death, we should wait a year before making major changes in our life. Do you think Sydney should have remained in the Boston area to start over? Why or why not?
Sydney admitted to Alison that she should have paid more attention to financial matters in her marriage. Why do you think she didn’t?
In college, Sydney was a strong and independent young woman. What do you think accounted for the change that resulted in her loss of identity?
Do you agree with Monica’s opinions of her mother?
Did you feel Sydney harbored resentment for being given up at birth? Why do you think, at age fifty-two, her need to find her biological mother became stronger?
Do you think that Noah’s attitude toward acquiring a lease on the shop accounted for Sydney’s desire to open her yarn shop?
When you were first introduced to Sybile, what was your opinion of her? Did it change through the story? If so, in which way?
Do you think Monica was too tough on Sydney? What do you think accounted for her change toward her mother?
Which character do you think had the most impact on helping Sydney go forward?
Discuss the sister relationship between Sybile and Dora.
Discuss the blue-moon celebration. Why do you think it created a turning point between Sybile and Sydney?
What were your feelings toward Saren throughout the story? Do you think Miss Elly was only a figment of his imagination? Why do you think she disappeared at the end of the story?
Discuss Sybile’s request to have Sydney assist in her death.
Do you agree with Sybile’s statement “Not everyone is cut out to be a mother”? Did you think she was selfish to feel this way?
Sydney considers herself very different from Sybile. Did you observe any similar traits between the two women? In which way did Sydney grow and change by the time Sybile died?
KENSINGTON BOOKS are published by
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New York, NY 10018
Copyright © 2009 by Terri DuLong
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the Publisher, excepting brief quotes used in reviews.
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ISBN: 0-7582-4992-6
