A shiver ran down her spine.
What on earth was going on?
William’s footsteps moved away, back toward the dining room.
Eve waited thirty seconds, counted them off in her head, then slipped out of the restroom and returned to the table.
She settled into her seat just as William reappeared from the opposite direction, his expression calm and pleasant.
“I ordered you another sparkling water, Aunt Eve,” Lila said, gesturing to a fresh bottle of water on the table.
Eve blinked. “Thank you, sweetheart.”
William sat down, reaching for his water glass. “My apologies for that. Sometimes business doesn’t respect dinner hours.”
“It’s fine,” Julie said, but her eyes lingered on him with a question she didn’t voice.
Eve picked up her fork, but the food had lost its appeal.
Her mind was reeling, turning over William’s words, trying to make sense of them.
She glanced at Mia, who was laughing at something Lila had said, her face relaxed and open in a way Eve hadn’t seen since before the accident.
Eve made a decision in that moment.
She wouldn’t tell Mia what she’d heard. Not yet. Not until she knew more.
She couldn’t explain it, but she felt it in her bones. Mia and Lila were in danger. Maybe not immediate danger. Maybe not the kind that came with sirens and flashing lights.
But danger all the same.
And if Mary were here, she’d want Eve to keep her girls safe.
That was exactly what Eve intended to do.
The rest of the meal passed in a blur of conversation Eve only half-heard. She smiled and nodded and answered questions, but her mind was already three steps ahead, planning, calculating, trying to figure out what William was hiding and why.
When they finally said their goodbyes and headed back to the Inn, Eve’s jaw ached from holding her smile in place.
Back in her room, she changed into pajamas and settled onto the bed with her laptop.
She typed “William Moore St. Augustine” into the search bar and hit enter.
The results loaded slowly, each one adding another piece to the puzzle.
William Moore’s family was old money. Shipping magnates who’d built their fortune in the late 1800s and held onto it through smart investments and careful management. The Moore name was attached to buildings, charities, and historical societies all over St. Augustine.
William had an older twin brother who’d died many years ago. The articles were vague about the circumstances, just a line or two noting his passing.
The brother had left behind a son.
Eve clicked through link after link, searching for more information.
The son was listed as deceased as well. No details about when or how. Just a mention in passing in an article about the Moore family legacy.
But there was no name.
Not one article, not one obituary, not one historical record mentioned the nephew’s name.
