“That doesn’t surprise me. A lot of people don’t know about the history of the area.” Penny handed him a photo. “This is a picture of the mural Eleanor created on the outside of the last cottage I remodeled. Instead of painting over it, we carefully removed the boards and stored them in the old steamboat museum.”
The faded mural showed people enjoying the lake on a hot summer’s day. Looking at the swimming costumes, it must have been painted at the beginning of the twentieth century.
Penny pointed to a woman sitting on the edge of the mural. “We think that’s Eleanor. She was a talented artist who painted murals on several buildings in Sapphire Bay. In the 1920s, she vanished without a trace. Rumors spread around town about her. Some people said she’d eloped, while others thought she was kidnapped and murdered. I tried looking for more information about her, but I couldn’t find anything.”
Liam was surprised that no one had told him about Eleanor. “I’m talking to the chairperson of the Heritage Protection Society tomorrow. I’ll ask Percy about her.”
“If you discover anything, let me know.” Penny looked through one of the living room windows and smiled. “I’m hoping the gorgeous dog in your truck is yours and not a friendly stray?”
“That’s Trixie. She comes with me to most of my appointments.”
“She looks like Charlie, my sister’s dog,” Penny said warmly. “Would she like to run around in the backyard with him? We have a fenced-off area where they can play.”
“That’d be great,” Liam replied, grateful for the offer. “I always feel bad about leaving her in my truck while I’m talking to people.”
Penny stood up. “Why don’t you get Trixie? We’ll introduce her to Charlie.”
While Penny made her way to the backyard, Liam fetched Trixie from the truck. As soon as she saw the open space and Charlie, she dashed off to join her new friend.
“It looks like they’ll get along just fine,” Penny said with a laugh. “Would you like a cup of coffee and some of my sister’s home baking?”
“Only if you’ve got the time.”
Penny checked her watch. “I don’t have to be anywhere for another hour. Do you have more questions about Abraham Lincoln’s letter or anything else in Sapphire Bay?”
Liam had a few more things he’d like to ask her about the letter, and even more questions about Chloe. But he had a feeling she’d be less likely to talk about her friend—especially when he couldn’t understand why Chloe had left a great job to serve customers in a small café in Sapphire Bay.
CHAPTER 4
As Chloe walkeddown Main Street on Saturday afternoon, a rare burst of sunshine made her smile. Baskets of colorful flowers hung from under the stores’ verandas, and cheerful bunting fluttered in the breeze. If she’d let her imagination free, she would’ve said that Main Street looked like a scene straight out of a storybook.
Oscar skipped along beside her, chatting about the town’s Santa Parade and all the activities he wanted to be part of. Chloe enjoyed hearing the excitement in his voice. Fall was her favorite season and, this year, it would be even more special with everyone coming together to organize some incredible Christmas events.
While she was helping Kathleen in the café, she’d heard all about what happened in Sapphire Bay over the holiday season. In a way, she felt privileged to be part of the activities, even if it wasn’t where she’d thought she’d be.
As she entered The Welcome Center, she waved at Mabel and the other volunteers she recognized. It looked as though half the community was here. Her gaze slid across the people in the reception area and stopped on Liam.
When he saw her, he gave her a friendly wave and came over with Trixie, his golden-haired Labrador.
“Hey, Chloe. The center’s busy today.”
“Hi, Liam. Pastor John organized a meeting. We’re talking about the Christmas events a special committee has planned for the town. People come from all over Montana to enjoy the program.”
“But it’s only the beginning of October.”
“The committee has been working on the events for three or four months. They like to be super organized in case something happens.” Chloe looked down at Oscar. He was cuddling Trixie, and she was enjoying every moment.
“It sounds like it’ll be an interesting meeting,” Liam said. “Do you mind if I join you? I’m curious to see what everyone’s doing.”
“You’re more than welcome,” Chloe replied. “It should be great fun, even if you aren’t here for Christmas.”
They made their way into the meeting room and found three chairs at the back of the room.
Oscar whispered something to Trixie, then put his hands over the Labrador’s ears. When Chloe raised her eyebrows, Oscar leaned toward her. “It’s noisy. Trixie might get scared.”
Chloe smiled. She didn’t blame Oscar for being worried about Liam’s dog’s hearing. Everyone’s excited chatter was much louder than usual. “That’s a good idea, but it looks as though Trixie’s used to lots of noise.”
Oscar sent the Golden Labrador a searching look before slowly taking his hands off her ears. Instead of being confused about what was happening, Trixie licked the side of Oscar’s face and snuggled closer to him.
