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"They’re historical letters," Edith said

Other voices chimed in "What kind of historical?"

"Maybe they’re just old"

June Harlan spoke louder than the rest "How do you know they’re real? It’s is with the naked eye"

Pearl turned in her seat "You listen up, June, and let her tell it If Marlene says she has letters, there are letters"

"Well, where’d she find theain "The Bailey faave a proud smile "And we think our next festival should be a Buck Larsen festival"

June was looking frustrated She turned to Pearl, asking in a loud whisper, "Did she say Buck Larsen?"

Ruby spoke up, sounding confused "Buck Larsen’s dead He can’t come to the festival"

"No," Pearl said "He wrote the letters Isn’t that what you’re saying, Marlene?"

"No" Marlene regretted not telling this news to her aunts and ht it’d be a fun surprise, but the real surprise was how theinto chaos "The letters ritten by Sorrow Crabtree"

Emerald turned to Ruby "Isn’t that Edith’s child?"

Ruby nodded and piped up, "What’s that about Sorrow?"

"Sorrorote letters" Pearl was hard of hearing, and her whisper had echoed down the aisles

"Not our Sorrow," Edith said, exasperated "Our Sorrow found the letters, fro dawned, feh "Ahh"

Marlene put down her gavel "Turns out, Buck Larsen was one of the pioneers of our town If we theold rush, we ht draw more tourists"

Edith leaned in to add, "More tourists ot it and nodded enthusiastically "So you’re saying Buck Larsen is Bear’s kin"

Ehast "Bear skin?"

Pearl patted her sister’s hand "Bear Bailey They’re talking about his ancestors"

Marlene couldn’t take the circus anymore What this crowd needed was a spectacle She cleared her throat and spoke in her best assembly voice "Sorrow Crabtree was one of the early residents of Sierra Falls It looks like she had…an affair With Buck Larsen She had his baby" She paused drah, another wave of fe fell apart froet anyat the back of the hall and quickly wrapped it up

Standing to put on her coat, she turned to Edith "You never did tellyou a ride" The buzz in the hall drowned out her voice, and she leaned close to speak into her friend’s ear "Seems Billy Preston has an awful lot of business to tend at that tavern of yours"

Edith puffed up "He just happened to be there"

"Mm-hm" Marlene buttoned up "Lucky you Or should I say, your lucky daughter"

Edith inding her scarf around her neck, but her hands froze in midair "Sorrow, you mean?"

"Yes," Marlene said i around her apple bread and now this "Seeether a lot lately"

"Oh no, not him," Edith said "He’s a er"

"Well, that’s a silly thing to say It’s his ho died, not hiht and tall His sheriff’s jacket made his broad shoulders look even broader "See man Not hard on the eyes neither"

Edith made a little hmm sound "No, he’s not hard on the eyes, is he?"

Marlene squinted her eyes to focus better "He reminds me of…I don’t know…a cowboy fro her scarf around her neck "Not as handsoh he makes Damien look like a kid in coe, and I say twenty-three is old enough to start thinking about settling down" Edith’s eyes drifted back to the sheriff "Are you saying he’s looking to rele" style="display:block" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7451196230453695" data-ad-slot="9930101810" data-ad-format="auto" data-full-width-responsive="true"></ins>