Beatrice cleared her throat. “Betsy, I hope you don’t mind. But I’ve been meaning to ask you a question.”
Betsy had already turned to walk away. She spun back slowly, her eyes filled with curiosity. “I don’t mind at all, honey. Shoot.”
“It’s nothing, really.” She exchanged a look with her friends. Penny seemed uncomfortable. Evie appeared confused, but Taya urged her on with a nod of her head.
Charmaine had no idea what Beatrice was referring to, but she watched with curiosity as Beatrice reached for a thank-you card and began awkwardly attempting to thread a piece of cream-coloured ribbon through a small circular hole in the top of the card.
“As you know, I found a box of items a few months ago in a cave down by the ocean near my cottage. I’ve asked the police to give me some insight into what I found, but they simply tell me it’s an ongoing investigation and they can’t comment on it.”
“Oh, yes. I’d forgotten about that,” Betsy replied, her smile faltering.
“There was a driver’s licence in the box, with your brother Buck’s photo on it. But the thing I’m confused about is the name on the licence — it wasn’t Buck. It was Samuel Jay Gilmore. The address was in California.”
Betsy didn’t reply, simply bobbed her head.
Bea continued, her voice softer. “I suppose I was wondering what his real name is and why it would be different now to what was written on that old licence.”
Betsy pressed her hands together. Her purple silk kaftan glimmered in the soft lighting, and her eyes appeared to reflect the same colour back to them. “His name was Samuel—it’s true. I’m not sure how his licence ended up in an odd box of items hidden in a cave. It’s almost like a children’s mystery book, isn’t it?” She laughed, but the sound was hollow.
“Why did he change it?” Taya asked.
Betsy shrugged. “We both changed our names when we moved to Australia. It was a long time ago, and we’ve left that part of our lives behind us. But if you must know, we were raised in a cult. It wasn’t a happy time for either of us, and we’ve done our best to put it behind us.”
“Which cult was it?” Bea asked.
Betsy’s cheeks pinked. “I’m sure you can understand that I’d prefer not to go into details. It was so long ago, I honestly feel like a completely different person to the one who moved away looking for a new beginning. Buck has changed as well — he isn’t that person anymore. We escaped from a life we didn’t want any longer, and we’ve built something for ourselves here. The police know all about it. They’ve spoken with us both extensively.”
Beatrice smiled. “That makes a lot of sense. Thanks for telling us, Betsy. I’m glad the two of you managed to find your way out of that.”
“Thank you, honey. It’s been a trek, for sure. Anyway, you ladies have a lovely night.”
Betsy told them all goodbye then left them alone in the café. The women were quiet as they got to work organising place settings and composing flower arrangements for the tables.
“What do you think about all that?” Penny asked suddenly.
Bea shrugged. “I think it makes sense. I can understand why they’d want to change their names and start again somewhere new if they were escaping a toxic environment.”
“A cult? It’s so bizarre,” Taya said. “I don’t know…”
“I can imagine Betsy in a cult,” Evie added as she reached for a place setting. “She’s so nice, I think she’d be easily convinced. Plus, she’s into wearing kaftans and eating organic — maybe it was one of those hippy commune kind of cults.”
Charmaine had remained quiet throughout the entire conversation, processing everything she’d heard and seen. Betsy’s words rang true to her. It certainly explained some of the things that’d confused her about her boss, the situation with Betsy’s son and granddaughter, and the friction between them.
But why had it taken so long for Betsy to share the truth with her friends and neighbours? Perhaps she’d carried the shame of what they’d been a part of all these years. Charmaine couldn’t figure out if Betsy was protecting a guilty brother or fighting for an innocent one. But whatever the motivation, she was clearly a sister who wanted to protect her brother.
“We should talk about a wet weather plan,” she said, changing the subject abruptly.
Penny’s lips pursed. “No, it’s not going to rain. I forbid it.”
Charmaine laughed. “I hope it doesn’t, of course, but there is a storm forecast, so we should think about what we’ll do if it’s raining during the ceremony, since you’re getting married on the headland at Point Prospect. If there’s too much rain or wind, we won’t be able to manage it, I’m afraid. The reception is at the Blue Shoal Inn, so that’s covered. But we need to think about the ceremony.”
Penny shook her head. “Nope, it’s going to be fine. There’s no Plan B. Plan A is all we have. I’m pretty good at predicting the weather, and I can feel it in my bones — it’s going to be sunny and warm. Besides, we want the island to be part of our ceremony. It will mean so much to both of us to be standing on the beach when we say our vows.”
Bea and Taya exchanged a concerned look.
Bea arched an eyebrow. “That’s really romantic. And we all hope for fine weather, sweetie. But you need a wet weather plan. Everyone has a wet weather plan when they get married outdoors. It’s perfectly normal.”
Just then, Rowan stepped into the café and shut the door quietly behind him. He carried three pizza boxes over to the tables and set them down near Penny before leaning over to kiss her.
