Chapter Fourteen
Harper’s mind swirled as she closed the diary, her fingers still gripping the leather cover. The weight of Mary’s words lingered in the air, heavy with the gravity of secrets long kept in the shadows. A forbidden love affair, betrayal, and a tragedy deliberately concealed from the town—it was almost too much to take in. A tight knot of fear twisted in her chest, her pulse quickening as she tried to piece it all together.
She glanced at Cas, still sitting beside her, his expression equally serious. He’d been her rock through all of this, steady and unflinching, but even he couldn’t hide the worry in his eyes. Harper’s mind raced with questions. Who was Mary’s forbidden love? What family betrayal had driven such desperate actions? And perhaps most hauntingly, what had Mary been willing to risk to protect the person she loved?
Part of her wanted to shove the diary back into its hiding place, and forget she’d ever found it. The truth was already tugging at threads she wasn’t sure she wanted to unravel. There was a comfort in not knowing, in the safe confines of ignorance that shielded her from the darker side of her family’s past. But the other part of her, the part that had survived so much already, knew that hiding from the truth wouldn’t make it any less real. She couldn’t ignore the echoes of her great-grandmother’s pain or her determination to see justice done. Mary’s words had been meant for someone. Maybe even for her.
“Harper?” Cas’ voice cut through her thoughts, bringing her back to the present. She looked at him, the concern etched on his face grounding her. “You okay?”
Sighing, she nodded slowly and stared at the diary on her lap. Her resolve hardened despite the fear gnawing at her gut.“I just need to know. I can’t let this go. My great-grandmother deserves the truth to be told, even if it has buried some ugly secrets.”
His hand covered hers. “I’m with you, whatever you decide. But we need to be smart about this. If Mary was protecting someone, that means there are people out there who might still be trying to keep this hidden.”
Harper squeezed his hand, drawing strength from his support. “I know. But I can’t stop now. We’re too close. If we’re right and that fire was deliberately set, then the families of the three people who died deserve to know the truth.”
Cas nodded. “Perhaps your cousin might know of some family rumors or stories.”
“If not, maybe our parents do,” she said, rising to her feet. “Do you think it’s okay to go to Sadie’s?”
“Yes,” he replied, standing up. “As long as you don’t go outside the house without me.”
Fifteen minutes later, as they drove to Sadie’s, Harper’s mind wandered back to any of the hushed conversations she’d overheard as a child. Fragments of stories about lost loves and untimely deaths always spoken in low tones and swiftly brushed aside. She wondered now if those whispers had been echoes of Mary’s secrets, passed down through generations but never fully confronted.
They arrived at Sadie’s house, the familiar comfort of her cousin’s home that had once been Mary’s, offered a brief respite from the heaviness of their mission. Sadie greeted them with her usual warmth, though she quickly picked up on the underlying tension.
“What’s going on?” Sadie asked, her eyes flicking between Harper and Cas as they settled into the living room. “You both look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
Harper took a deep breath, pulling the diary from her bag and placing it on the coffee table. “We’ve been reading Mary’s diary, trying to piece together what happened with the fire and some other things. But it’s getting complicated. There’s talk of a forbidden love, family betrayal, even murder. We’re trying to figure out if any of it connects to us to the family.”
Sadie’s brows knitted together as she leaned in, her expression serious. “A forbidden love? Murder? I knew our great-grandmother had some heavy stuff in her past, but that’s unreal. What exactly are you looking for?”
“Anything you might have heard,” Cas replied, his tone gentle but urgent. “Family rumors, old stories, anything about Mary that might give us a lead. We’re hitting a lot of dead ends, and this diary is only telling us so much.”
Her cousin thought for a moment, her eyes narrowing as if she were sifting through her memories. “I remember Granny talking about a lost love of her mother’s. She used to say it was the reason Mary never remarried after her first husband died. But she never went into details, just that it was ‘one of those things you don’t talk about.’” Sadie paused, glancing at Harper. “There was also something about a death in the family, but it was always so vague, like it was this shadow over everything. I figured it was just a part of life back then—people dying young and all. But maybe there was more to it.”
Her heart raced. “Do you remember any names? Anyone specific?”
Her cousin shook her head, frustration flickering in her eyes. “No, it was always just hints. But I do remember one time Granny got really quiet when I pointedly asked about Mary’s lost love. She said something like, ‘Some things are better left in the past, Sadie. There’s no need to dig up bones that are meant to stay buried.’ I thought she was just being dramatic, butthinking about it now, maybe she was trying to protect us from something.”
Harper exchanged a glance with Cas, the pieces clicking into place but still leaving too many gaps. “If there was a forbidden love and someone in the family tried to cover it up, maybe that’s what led to the fire,” Harper mused aloud. “And if Mary knew who was responsible, that would explain why someone’s still trying to keep this buried.”
He nodded, his expression determined. “If your great-grandmother’s love was part of what triggered all this, and if there was a death involved—”
“Then it’s possible the fire was just the cover for something even bigger,” Harper finished, her voice low but steady. “Maybe Mary’s love wasn’t just forbidden, it was dangerous.”
Sadie leaned back, her expression troubled but resolute. “If that’s true, then it makes sense why someone’s trying to scare you off, Harper. But you’re right. It needs to be known. We can’t just let it stay buried.”
Harper nodded, feeling the fire of determination flare up inside her. The fear was still there, gnawing at her edges, but she knew now that stopping wasn’t an option. Mary had carried this secret, lived with the weight of it, and it was up to her to see it through.
“Thanks, Sadie,” Harper said, pulling her cousin in for a quick hug. “I know it’s a lot to ask, but we need all the pieces we can get.”
Sadie returned the hug before drawing back. “We’ll figure this out.”
“Belly rubs,”Tesla’s button stated.
Bless the sweet cat for lightening the mood.
Harper and Sadie both burst into laughter, the unexpected interruption breaking the heaviness of the moment.
