The bell above the door chimed as Theo entered, his sandy hair slightly tousled from the breeze blowing off the lake. He moved with the purposeful stride of someone who knew exactly why he was there, but his easy smile suggested he planned to take his time getting to the point.
“Good morning, ladies,” Theo said, approaching the counter with the casual familiarity of a regular customer. “I’ll take my usual—large coffee, black, and one of those cranberry muffins that smell like heaven.”
Chloe shot Kathleen a sideways look as she reached for a ceramic mug. “Coming right up, Theo. Early start to the day?”
“You could say that.” Theo’s eyes found Kathleen’s. “Actually, I was hoping to chat with you both about something interesting I heard last night.”
Kathleen felt heat creep up her neck. She focused intently on wiping down the already spotless counter, buying herself a few seconds to think. “Oh? What kind of interesting?”
From the corner of her eye, she noticed Mrs. Henderson and Mabel Terry at their usual corner table, their conversation suspiciously quiet. Both women had stopped pretending to read their respective copies of the Sapphire Bay Gazette and were listening with the focused attention of seasoned gossips.
Theo accepted his coffee from Chloe and took a thoughtful sip. “Well, I was covering the preservation society meeting for the station—you know, the usual community interest piece about the historical survey project. But toward the end, there was some mention of a new discovery. Something that might change our understanding of Victorian-era life in Sapphire Bay.” He paused, letting the words hang in the air. “Percy was quite mysterious about the details.”
Kathleen’s pulse quickened. She could practically feel Mrs. Henderson’s ears perking up from across the room.
“A discovery?” Chloe asked, her voice carefully neutral. “What kind of discovery?”
“That’s what I’m hoping to find out.” Theo’s smile was disarming, but Kathleen recognized the tenacious gleam in his eyes. “Kathleen was at the meeting, so I thought you two might have heard something. You know how news travels in a small town.”
The scrape of a chair being pushed back made all three of them turn around. Mrs. Henderson was rising from her table with the determined air of someone who wanted to be part of their conversation.
“Excuse me,” Mrs. Henderson said, approaching the counter with her empty teacup. “Did I hear you mention a historical discovery?”
Mabel Terry wasn’t far behind, her silver curls bouncing as she hurried to join the group. “Oh my, yes! How exciting! We were just saying yesterday that this town could use some good news. What kind of discovery are we talking about?”
Kathleen felt trapped between the espresso machine and a growing audience of curious faces. She caught Chloe’s eyes, hoping for rescue, but her friend looked equally uncomfortable.
“Well,” Theo said slowly, “that’s what I’m trying to find out. With Chloe’s background at The Smithsonian and Kathleen’s knowledge about remodeling a Victorian house, I was hoping to interview them for the radio station.”
Mrs. Henderson’s eyes lit up with the fervor of a true history enthusiast. “How marvelous! You know, I’ve always suspected there were untold stories hiding in some of our older buildings. The Victorian era was such a fascinating time in Montana’s development.”
“It was,” Mabel agreed, practically vibrating with excitement. “And goodness knows we could use another discovery to put Sapphire Bay on the map. Ever since my girls found the letter Abraham Lincoln wrote to his son, people have been much more interested in our community’s history.”
Kathleen’s mind raced. The hidden room in her basement had remained secret for over a century. The thought of it becoming a tourist attraction, of strangers tramping through her home and speculating about the women who had once sought refuge there, made her stomach churn. Those women had needed privacy, safety, and anonymity. They deserved better than to become the subject of curious gawkers and sensationalized news stories.
“You know,” Kathleen said, forcing her voice to remain steady, “discoveries can be tricky things. Sometimes, what seems significant at first turns out to be less interesting when you take another look at it.”
Theo tilted his head, studying her with renewed interest. “That’s true. But preliminary excitement often indicates there’s at least something worth investigating. The preservation society takes these things quite seriously.”
“Oh, absolutely!” Mrs. Henderson chimed in. “Why, just last month they authenticated that wonderful photograph collection at the museum. And remember the fuss over the still they found in the old steamboat museum? Of course, that turned out to be quite valuable and such an interesting discovery.”
Mabel nodded enthusiastically. “Exactly! And with people coming from far and wide to see our town, a new attraction would be good for business.”
Kathleen watched Chloe’s face carefully. Her friend had seen the carefully preserved evidence of lives lived in secret and desperation. She understood the delicate nature of what they’d uncovered.
“Historical authentication is a complex process,” Chloe said diplomatically. “It requires careful analysis, proper documentation, and often consultation with multiple experts. Rushing to conclusions can sometimes do more harm than good.”
“But surely,” Theo pressed gently, “if something significant has been found, the community has a right to know about it? Especially if it relates to our local history.”
Mrs. Henderson stood a little taller. “Absolutely! Transparency is so important when it comes to preserving our heritage. If Mabel and her daughters had kept the Lincoln letter discovery quiet, Sapphire Bay wouldn’t have made it to the top ten historical sites in Montana.”
Kathleen felt the walls closing in. The Lincoln letter had been one thing—a historical document found in an old dresser, safely removed from its original context and properly studied by professionals. But the room in her basement was different. It was part of her home, still holding the echoes of the women who had hidden there. Making it public felt like a violation of their privacy, even across the span of more than a century.
“Sometimes,” Kathleen said carefully, “the most respectful way to honor historical discoveries is to study them quietly, without turning them into public spectacles.”
The silence that followed her words was charged with curiosity and speculation. Theo’s journalist instincts were clearly in overdrive, and Kathleen realized she might have said too much.
“That’s a very thoughtful perspective,” Theo said slowly. “It suggests you might have some personal experience with the issues around historical preservation.”
