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/>My father was a hard man, and I wish I could say I loved him but if there was any love it was born out of duty and not affection Before he died he told me how he paid the Prescotts to take Iris and ain or else he would ruin our mother’s name I can only assume the scandal was her infidelity
If we had to be separated, at least she ith our fa easier than mine After Father died, I initiated contact between us She’d been denied her family but so had I Unfortunately, I think some wounds are just too deep Iris was determined to leave this part of her life behind
There has always been speculation about why I ran a home for unwed mothers The truth is that I fell in love once, and with someone utterly unsuitable by Father’s standards Father forced h, and the baby was stillborn The complications left me unable to ever have irls as I could—either finding good hoet started on their own I never h I could have more than once That’s not what it was about
So noe come to the box Inside you’ll find a few keepsakes I wanted to pass on especially I’s, which were the only jewels I have that were my mother’s There are some pictures too, and knickknacks that have senti a jewel box that soo
I wish you love, and happiness, and peace It’s past tih of all three
All my love,
Your Aunt Marian
“She could have toldup the letter and handing it to Tom She was touched by the sincere words and emotion hich her aunt had written
To her hand the whole while “Wow,” he said, co to the end “Even Marian had her share of secrets”
Abby sht not have a pirate, but it see in the Foster closet”
“Why do you think she sent this to you now?”
Abby sighed and slid over into his lap She leaned her head on his shoulder for a moment “I suppose because I’d provenhaul” She s into the dark depths of theht into his soul, and he into hers
“You definitely are,” he decreed, and he s at the creases of his eyes
A ht her attention at the threshold of the kitchen Edith, dressed in the same plain blue dress But this time her lips held a secretive smile Abby felt Tom stiffen beside her, and he sed thickly as Edith turned and walked aithout looking back It was, Abby realized, good-bye And with a startling realization, Abby knew that she was going to miss her
“That was her, wasn’t it?” Tom’s voice was low and awestruck