She set down her hairbrush and stared at the side drawer, trying to make up her mind. The drawer called to her, and she slowly opened it, not sure if she was making the right decision. Her fingers searched the back until she felt the edge of the envelope. She hesitated for a moment before pulling it out.
Opening the worn, wrinkled envelope, she slipped out a photograph. It was a picture of Jonah, standing in front of the old Magnolia Key lighthouse. The same lighthouse that appeared in the photograph Brent had found of his mother, Joanie.
Jonah stood there, a wide smile on his face. He’d had such a wonderful smile that never failed to warm her every time she saw it. Back then, all those years ago… and now, to this day. Though now, it brought with it a sadness that seeped through her.
The two photographs—the one of Joanie and the one of Jonah—had been taken on the same day, a day etched in her memory. She’d kept Jonah’s photograph hidden away all these years, rarely allowing herself the luxury—and pain—of taking it out and looking at it.
Her eyes traced the familiar lines of Jonah’s face, a face she had once known so well. The years had passed, but the memories remained as vivid as ever.
Along with the regrets.
Her fingers trembled slightly as she held the photograph, a reminder of the secrets she’d carried for so long. The secrets wrapped around her, like the heavy fog that sometimes covered the island, surrounding it in a blanket of impenetrable mist.
But now, she glanced away from the smiling man, so full of life and vitality. She just couldn’t afford to remember the good times, and the pain was too searing to remember the bad times, some of the darkest days of her life. Days she had to hide her pain from everyone. Her family. Her friends.
No one knew about Jonah, not even Darlene. So this secret, at least, could remain in the past. With a long sigh, she slipped the photograph back into the envelope and returned it to its hiding place. She closed the drawer, sealing away the memories once more.
Winston stirred at her feet, sensing her distress. She reached down and patted his head, finding comfort in his warm, soft fur.
She picked up the face cream and spread it on her face with rote motions as thoughts bounced around her mind. If only Brent wasn’t so intent on stirring up the past. But truth be told, she liked Brent in spite of herself. She liked his thoughtfulness. His intelligence. His curiosity. His determination to find out what happened to his mother. She could see little glimpses of Joanie in him.
Maybe his whole quest to find out more about Joanie and his family would lessen his desire to find out more about Prince Lawrence. But she doubted it. Brent didn’t seem to be the type to let his research slide.
She could only hope that if the truth about the prince finally came to light, it would not destroy her family’s reputation. For now, she would continue to guard the secrets, just as the lighthouse guarded the island’s shores.
Chapter16
Felicity helped Gran clean up after breakfast the next day. Brent had come to breakfast this morning and still sat out in the dining room, sipping coffee and looking through one of his constant companion files. She went out to collect another tray of dirty dishes and Gran came out after her, looking around the room.
“I’ll get those last dishes. I wondered if you could do me a favor. I thought it might look nice to put up some pinwheels in front of the porch. We’re supposed to have a light breeze for the next few days. They’ll look cheerful, don’t you think?”
“They would.” Gran was always trying to make the porch even more inviting. Flags on the Fourth of July, pumpkins at Halloween, and of course, she went all out for Christmas. But Gran was right, the pinwheels would bring a pop of color to the porch. “Are they in the storage shed?”
“No, I think they’re in the house. In the back room.”
“I’ll go hunt for them.”
Gran looked at Brent. “Brent, would you mind helping Felicity? There are so many boxes in storage and I haven’t had time to organize them.”
She shot Gran a glare, knowing perfectly well what her grandmother was doing. She was trying to get them to spend time together.
“Of course, I’ll help.” Brent rose and collected his folders. He sent Felicity a quick look as if asking for her approval.
She hesitated momentarily, still feeling awkward around him after their conversation about just being friends. But she pushed those thoughts aside and nodded. “Actually, that would be great. Would appreciate the help.”
They made their way to the storage room, an awkward silence stretching between them. She turned on the light, illuminating the cluttered space. “I’m not sure where to start.” She looked around the fully packed room.
“I’ll start in the back.” Brent moved to the far end of the room.
They began shifting boxes, carefully setting them aside as they searched. They fell into a rhythm, working together despite the lingering awkwardness.
As Brent moved a particularly large box, he paused, frowning at the wall behind the shelf. “Hey, come take a look at this. Does something seem off to you?”
She walked over, peering at the section of wall he was staring at. At first glance, it looked normal, but as she studied it, she noticed a slight irregularity in the paneling. There was something odd about the way the wall looked. It was as if it wasn’t quite flush with the rest of the surface.
“That’s strange.” She frowned. “I’ve never noticed anything unusual about this wall before.”
He reached out, running his hand along the surface. Suddenly, there was a soft click, and a small section of the wall sprang open, revealing a hidden compartment.
