Even though a part of me felt so guilty for holding something back that was Lucy’s daughters, I agreed as we continued to follow Lucy who was now walking in record time.
The moment I handed her the Bible, I could see the happiness on her face, especially when she found the letter Robert had written to Lizzy.
“And this letter was in the Bible?” Lucy asked with a confused expression.
“Yes. I assumed you had seen it before.”
She shook her head. “No, I had found Lizzy’s journal years ago in their house in Helena. That’s how I knew about Lizzy.”
“So, Robert and Lizzy were your great-great-grandparents?”
Ryder shrugged, “Great-great … great-great-great … what difference does it make?”
I playfully hit him on the chest. “A lot!”
Her head snapped up and she flashed me a wide grin. “When you’re moving around a bit more, we’ll head in and I’ll show you the house. It is a beautiful Victorian house Robert had built when Lizzy and he came over to America.”
“Why did he pick Montana?” I asked as Lucy took a picture of Robert’s letter.
“I would think the gold in the area. At the time they came here, the area was growing in population. The railroad and gold were big money makers and Robert invested in both. He needed to; he walked away from his birth right in England so he only had the money his mother had given him to start a future.”
“Who owns the house now?”
Lucy looked at me like I had grown two heads. “We do. It’s been in the family ever since it was built.”
My mind was spinning. Where did Kate find the letter and why didn’t she give it to her mother? In her own journal she writes about keeping a secret. Whose secret? Her’s or Lizzy’s? Whatever the hell it was why did Kate keep this letter away from her mom? Maybe the secret was in the old house?
Ryder walked up to me and placed his mouth to my ear. “I already see your mind working. We’ll visit the house tomorrow if you feel up for the drive.”
I wanted to squeal in delight I was so happy.
After showing Lucy where I found the Bible, and explaining Kate’s picture, she stood there staring at the bookshelf. “I must have brought Kate’s picture here, but how in the world did I miss the Bible?”
“Maybe Kate had it and placed it on the shelf. Sometimes when we’re searching so hard for something, we easily pass it over. The spine doesn’t even have any wording on it.”
Lucy nodded. “It would appear to be just another book … but … I wonder why Kate would have had the Bible?”
Ryder let out a chuckle. “Maybe she was wanting to research the family also.”
Lucy slowly shook her head. “You know, now that you mention it, she did ask me a lot of questions about Lizzy and Robert. She seemed to be interested in my thoughts about them running off together.” Lucy smiled weakly.
Ryder and I both chortled as we watched Lucy look over the Bible.
“Well, now that I’ve got this back in my hands, I can get to work on trying to figure out the rest of these names.” Lucy took the Bible and headed back to the main house to research the other names. I could hardly make out the handwriting, but she seemed to be able to.
The moment the door shut, I turned to Ryder and said, “I need to go upstairs and find Kate’s sketch pads.”
“Now?”
My heart was pounding so loud in my chest, I was sure Ryder could hear it. For some reason, I was desperate to find her work. Desperate to know more about her … and her connection to Lizzy.
What I didn’t know was how much my life was going to change when I found the things I was looking for.
OPENING THE DOOR, I smiled when I saw Nate standing there. “I hope you know getting this key away from our mother was damn near impossible.”
I patted him on the back as he walked in. “But not impossible.”
“No, nothing is impossible if you put your mind to it … and lie.”
I let out a chuckle. “What did you tell her?”
“That I was meeting an old friend in Helena and she was interested in old Victorian houses. Just the idea that I might meet and settle down with a girl here in Montana was enough for her to hand me the keys no questions asked.”
Laughing, I shook my head as Nate looked around. “Where is your evil girlfriend who tricked me into promising her my life? Mom would be so upset if she knew she wasn’t the one showing Ava the house.”
Rolling my eyes, I said, “That was your own stupidity to make the bet with her. And she’s upstairs with her head buried in Kate’s old sketches and Mom will never find out.”
He flopped down onto the sofa and kicked his feet up. “Don’t you think it’s crazy Ava is a designer and that is what Kate wanted to be.”
With a shrug of my shoulders, I replied, “It’s a coincidence that’s for sure.”
“And wedding dresses. You don’t find that a little … weird?” he asked lifting his eyebrow in question.
The moment we found the sketches, I could see it in Ava’s eyes how thrilled she was. When she opened the last sketchbook Kate had been working in, Ava gasped and stared at it. I finally just let her be as she poured over the books.
“I know Ava was thrilled to find Kate’s designs. Especially the stuff she was working on before she died. She kept going on and on about how talented Kate was and for being so young.”
Nate looked away. “I don’t understand why she had to die when she had such a full life ahead of her.”
I nodded but didn’t speak. Kate’s death had taken a toll on all of us. Dani and Jennifer, especially. The three of them had always been so close. Kate had always liked her alone time in the old house, but when the three of them got together it was endless laughter and romantic daydreaming.
We sat there for a few moments as we looked around. Our sister had died in this house, but for some reason it never really hit me until this very moment. “Why do you think this house meant so much to her?”
Nate shook his head. “I don’t know. She said she felt like she was more creative here. Like it was her secret garden or something.”
I nodded my head. “Ava says the same thing. She also keeps talking about how she feels like there is a presence here in the house.”
“Creepy. I’ve never felt comfortable in this house and I’m not really sure why.”
“Ryder?” Ava called out from up behind us. When we both turned to see her sliding down the stairs on her ass.
“What in the hell are you doing?” Nate asked with a snicker.
I jumped up and ran over to her, taking the sketchbooks from her hands and handing them to Nate. “Why didn’t you tell me you were ready to come down?”
With the sweetest smile ever, she scrunched up her nose and said, “Well, you were talking to Nate and I didn’t want to interrupt.”
Once I got her standing, she looked to Nate as he smiled and asked, “So? Are we headed to Helena?”
I could tell my brother was enjoying this little adventure probably as much as Ava, even though he would never admit it. That, or he knew a girl in the city and was planning on hooking up with her tonight since we would be staying overnight.
“Yes! I’m so ready, but first I have to show you both something your sister was working on.” She took one of the sketchbooks and put it on the table, opening it to the last drawing.
“She seemed to have a thing for gowns and wedding dresses. This dress, though … I can’t even form the words in my head. I have to show you for you to understand. Nate, will you hand me that pad over there?”
Nate spun around and walked over to the desk and picked up the color pencils I had on the sketchpad. When he looked at the wedding dress, he lifted his eyebrows. “Wow … Ava, is this your design?”
Her cheeks turned red as she took the pad. “It’s mine, yes. Ever since I got to the house, I’ve never felt so creative and I couldn’t wait to start on my own designs after I finished up what Maurice had sent me. I t
ruly felt like I could really step outside my normal thing, and by normal I mean the limits to which Maurice lets me step. But after a few days in the house, I started to picture this dress in my mind. I started it a week ago in my spare time. When I saw what Kate had been working on … well … needless to say I was stunned by the similarities to which her and I design.”
Placing her drawing down next to Kate’s, I could believe my eyes. “Here, y’all take a look for yourselves.”
“Wow,” I whispered as I took both gowns in. Clearly Kate hadn’t finished hers, and Ava was almost done with her design.
Nate leaned in closer. “If I didn’t know any better I’d … I’d say …”
“They’re the same design?” Ava asked.
Nate’s eyes caught mine before he looked at Ava. “Or they were designed by the same designer.”
Ava smiled. “I know. I won’t deny that it feels like I feel her presence. At first I thought it was silly and I was only feeling that way because she died in the house, but now after seeing this. I’m not really sure what to say anymore.”
I cleared my throat and shook my head. “Wait. I mean I think this is all easily explained. Ava, you said yourself you needed some time to just design with no restrictions and pressures from the outside world. Don’t you think maybe your designing is just a reflection of that and merely a coincidence and that’s all?”
Her eyes looked sad, and I wasn’t sure if it was because I doubted her or if she honestly believed me. “Probably. But I still find it all very crazy weird that it’s so similar.”
“I agree with Ava. Kate’s dress looks almost identical to Ava’s.”
Pushing my hand through my hair, I looked around the house. “Maybe you picked up a magazine or a book that Kate looked at as well and saw the same dress.”
She pinched her eyebrows together and shot me a dirty look. “I think I know my job well enough to know I don’t unintentionally put someone else’s work into my own.”
I held up my hands in defense. I could see that pushed Ava to the edge. “I’m sorry … I guess it is a little strange how similar they both are.”
When I reached over, I began thumbing through some of Ava’s designs and my heart dropped. The last time I had sat in this very room with Kate, she had shown me some dresses she had designed. She said she was going to bring back the style our great-great-grandmother Lizzy wore. Ava’s sketches were eerily similar to those drawings as well. “Are you going for an older look with these?” I asked as I turned the pages back about four. The gowns almost seemed like they were from the early nineteen hundreds.
With a weak grin, she tilted her head and said, “I’m not sure. It was something I was feeling at the time, so I was mostly playing around.” With a deep breath in, she grinned bigger and said, “Maybe we should get a move on if we’re heading to Helena.”
My heart felt heavy as I watched Ava glance at the designs and then shut the books. I’d seen my sister Kate get lost in the world of her own, the last thing I wanted to see was Ava do the same. I’d help her with this little adventure, but as soon as we got back, I was going to suggest moving into the main house and out of the stone house.
I wasn’t sure how much longer Ava would be staying here in Montana, and as greedy as it sounded, I didn’t want to share her with some romance story of Robert and Lizzy. I wanted her to myself, but at what cost would that come?
THE FORTY-MINUTE DRIVE into Helena wasn’t nearly as bad as I thought with Ryder’s truck being plenty big for my stupid broken leg.
“This is it,” Ryder said with a huge smile as he pulled into the driveway of a beautiful Queen Ann Victorian house.
My heart was racing. I hadn’t had any time to read more of Kate’s journal because I was consumed with her drawings, so I wasn’t really even sure what I was looking for. Kate’s secret might not have had anything to do with Robert and Lizzy. But now that we were here, I couldn’t wait to see the inside of the house.
“Oh. My. Word,” I gasped. “This house is amazing!”
“Wait until you see the inside,” Ryder said as he parked and took my hand. Turning to him, I shook my head in wonder.
“Why is no one living in this house?”
With a shrug, he said, “Don’t know.”
Nate pulled up behind us and quickly jumped out to try and beat Ryder to opening the truck door and helping me out. I couldn’t believe it when they got into a pushing match right there in the driveway.
“Seriously? Are the two of you twelve?”
Ryder acted as if he was going to leave it be, but turned suddenly and tackled Nate to the ground. As they rolled around in the snow in the middle of probably one of the most prestigious neighborhoods in Helena, I managed to get out of the truck and get my own crutches. I wasn’t about to try to walk as I wasn’t sure if there was ice on the sidewalk.
“Stop putting snow down my pants, you asshole!” Nate yelled out as I waited for the two of them to grow up.
“I see some things never change.”
Turning to my right, I saw a woman my age walking up. She had blonde hair that was pulled up into a French twist. Even though it was freezing outside, she was without a coat. Her pencil skirt and tight blue blouse showed off her curvy body as she stood in I swear ten-inch heels. With a smile on her face, she reached out her hand to me. “Vanessa Emerson. I live next door.”
What? How in the hell does someone my age afford to live in this neighborhood? “You own the house next door?” I blurted out.
She must have caught my stunned expression because she chuckled and said, “Let me rephrase that. I live with my parents … next door.”
“Ava Moore, and I’m sorry for the stunned expression, it was rude.”
With a bigger smile, she simply said, “No worries.”
Vanessa glanced over to Ryder and Nate and shook her head. “You’d think they would be too old to do this.”
Putting her fingers up to her mouth, she whistled so loud I was sure I would hear ringing in my ears for the next two weeks.
“Holy shit balls!” I said.
Ryder and Nate immediately stopped and turned to see who whistled. When they both saw Vanessa they began pushing each other to stand up first.
Once they stood up, they both shouted, “Vanessa!”
“I see the two of you haven’t changed much.”
I’d never seen Nate move as fast as he did. “Hey how have you been?” he asked, engulfing Vanessa in a hug.
When Ryder followed suit, I wasn’t sure how to take the way it made me feel. I’d never been a jealous type of person, but for some reason I didn’t like something about this whole Vanessa thing.
“Vanessa, you look amazing! Are you still working for Judge Walter?” Nate asked.
“Yes I am and loving every minute of it. How long are you boys in town for? I’m sure my mom and dad would love to have you over for dinner.”
Nate spoke up first. “Just tonight.”
“Well then how about I see if they are free.”
Ryder shook his head, “Oh no, Vanessa don’t do that. No need to bother your parents.”
I stood there like an idiot … not to mention I was freezing my ass off.
“Sorry to break up your little reunion here … but this Texas girl is cold.”
All three of them looked my way. It only took Ryder a second to realize I had been standing there waiting before he quickly rushed over to help me navigate up to the house.”
“Shit! Ava, I’m so sorry, sweetheart.”
“Sweetheart?” Vanessa asked as I stole a peek.
“Sorry, Vanessa. Ava, this is Vanessa, an old friend of the family. Vanessa, this is Ava Moore.”
I wasn’t sure why it hurt that he hadn’t elaborated on me being his girlfriend since he felt the need to say Vanessa was an old friend.
“I’ve got it, Ryder,” I snapped when I made it up to the front door.
His expression was one of confusion, but I didn’t care.
&
nbsp; “Um … let me get the door unlocked. Nate had the caretaker come over and turn everything on so the house will be warm.”
It was childish for me to be having an attitude, but right now I didn’t care.
The door opened and my eyes widened in surprise. The sight before me had my skin tingling with just the idea of staying in this house.
“Oh wow.”
“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Vanessa said walking into the foyer and making herself right at home. “Mr. and Mrs. Montgomery had it fully restored to how it would have been when it was first built. Right down to the original colors and wallpaper. The furniture is all original to the house as well.”
What in the hell? Did I ask for a guided tour?
Vanessa made her way into the living room and spun around. “Isn’t it amazing? I’d do anything to live in this house.”
“I bet,” I mumbled under my breath.
Vanessa tilted her head and looked at me as Ryder asked, “What was that, Ava?”
“Nothing. Nothing at all. I’m enjoying our little guided tour.”
My eyes wandered the room in delight. The wainscot on the living room walls was beautiful and continued up the elegant wood stairs. At the first landing was an amazing stain glass window that I was dying to know if it was original, but I’d rather gash my eyes out than ask Vanessa.
“If we make our way into the dining room, you’ll really see some beautiful architecture.”
Nate followed Vanessa like he was a lost puppy and she was the key to finding his way home. Ryder went to follow but remembered me and stopped to help me. When he put his arm out I snapped at him. “I’m fine. Go one with them … it’s clear I’m holding you back.”
Ryder pulled his head back in surprise and was about to say something when the tour guide called out for him. “Ryder! Come on, and bring Ava with you.”
Thank goodness the house wasn’t full of furniture so I was able to make my way around fine.
“I love the coffered ceilings in here,” Vanessa gushed as Ryder and Nate both looked up like they had never seen them before.
Ugh.
“Over here is the sitting room. Parker got the fire going for you in this room only.”