Page 13 (1/2)

Clara looked to Peter who shrugged The old Hadley house was abandoned now Had been e he’d left part of himself in it Not a hand or a nose or a foot, thank God But things that had no substance but fantastic weight He’d left his hope there, and trust He’d left his faith there too What little he had, he’d lost There

Peter Morro the old Hadley house icked It stole things Like lives And friends Souls and faith It had stolen his best friend, Ben Hadley And the ave back only sorrow

Jeanne Chauvet floated back to the fire and dragged her chair closer to them so that she was finally in their circle She placed her elbows on her thin knees and leaned forward, her eyes brighter than Clara had seen theht

Slowly the friends all turned to Clara, who took a deep breath That house had haunted her ever since she’d arrived in Three Pines, a young wife to Peter, o It had haunted her and almost killed her

‘There’s been aAnd attempted murder And murderers have lived there’ Clara was surprised how distant this list sounded and felt

Jeanne nodded, turning her face to the erate

‘Balance,’ she finally said ‘It hter, as thoughinto another mode ‘As soon as I arrived here in Three Pines I felt it And I feel it tonight right here, right now’

Monsieur Béliveau took Madeleine’s hand Peter and Clara ether Clara closed her eyes and tried to feel whatever evil Jeanne was sensing But she felt only –

‘Peace’ Jeanne sreat kindness here I went into the little church, St Tho into the B & B, and sat quietly It felt peaceful and content This is an old village, with an old soul I read the plaques on the walls of the church and looked at the stained glass This village has known loss, people killed before their time, accidents, war, disease Three Pines isn’t immune to any of that But you see on to the bitterness Those murders you speak of, did you know the people?’

Everyone nodded

‘And yet you don’t seem bitter or bound by that horrible experience Just the opposite You seem happy and peaceful Do you knohy?’