“Well, I’ve got to run.”Donna glanced down the sidewalk, planning her escape.“Sorry I don’t have longer to stay and chat.”
She turned and hurried away before they could ask her anything else. But now she had questions of her own. Why had her sister taken a full-time job, and why had she been talking to Steve Anderson? And why would she talk to a brand new realtor instead of one who had been here for years in Moonbeam?
So many questions, and she was going to get some answers. She walked over to Evelyn’s and rang the doorbell. The thought flitted through her mind that it was strange that she rang the doorbell at Evelyn’s but her sister just walked into her house calling out she was there. Well, all the family just walked in and called out as they entered her home, and Evelyn was no exception.
She waited for a minute, then rang the doorbell again. Where was Evelyn’s housekeeper? Even if Evelyn was gone, the housekeeper would answer the door.
Finally, the door swung open and Evelyn stood in the doorway, an apron wrapped around her slender waist, a surprised look on her face.“Donna, what are you doing here?”
Donna stepped inside without waiting to be invited.“I came to talk.”She looked at the foyer and the long hallway off to the side. Boxes were stacked everywhere. She turned to Evelyn.“You want to tell me what’s going on?”
“I’m just getting rid of a few things. Come, have some tea.”
She followed her sister to the kitchen a frown resting on her face. Evelyn was not telling her something. She knew it.
Evelyn poured them some tall glasses of iced tea and led the way out onto her beautiful patio overlooking the harbor. They sat down in matching chairs.
Donna took a sip of her tea, set it down, and turned to her sister.“Okay, now talk to me. The girls told me you’re taking a full-time job at the cafe. And you took the job with The Cabot coordinating their gala. I want to know why.”
“Because—”Evelyn stared out at the water for a few moments.“Well, I enjoyed the work on the gala. And found I liked getting paid for the work. I love to bake. Why not bake for the cafe and help out?”
“Nice try. What are you not telling me?”She pinned her sister with a look that she hoped showed she wasn’t leaving until she had an answer. A real answer.
“I don’t know what you mean.”Evelyn’s face held a carefully crafted innocent expression.
“Evie, come on. Talk to me.”She was certain her sister was not telling her everything.
Slowly Evelyn set down her glass, and Donna swore there were tears forming in her sister’s eyes. She hadn’t seen her sister cry in years. Probably since they were young girls. Her sister just…didn’t cry. Not at happy events, not at funerals, not at sad movies. Never.
“I—I’m in a bit of a mess right now,”Evelyn finally said.
She reached out and took her sister’s hand.“What kind of a mess?”
“I have no money. None.”
“What do you mean you have no money?”She frowned. This was the last thing she thought she’d hear from her sister. She and Darren had tons of money. Didn’t they?
“It seems like Darren—”Evelyn closed her eyes for a moment, then they fluttered open again.“Darren left me.”
“He what?”
“He left me. And when we got married I signed all these papers. Didn’t really know what they said, but I trusted Darren. It seems though, in the event of a divorce, I’m left with…nothing. Only what I earned during the marriage. And you know that Darren never wanted me to work…”
“That can’t be right.”Donna squeezed her hand.“We’ll talk to a lawyer.”
“I have, actually. Two of them. Both of them said the paper was ironclad and that I should never have signed without having a lawyer look at it. But, of course, I did. I was young and foolish.”Evelyn stood and walked to the edge of the patio.“So, I’m boxing up some things that were gifts and a dealer is coming to get them. I’m hoping to get some money from them. I’ve been boxing up my personal items. I have thirty days to move out of the house.”
“No.”She jumped up and went to her sister’s side.
“Yes. I mean, I can’t afford the house, obviously.”
“This isn’t right.”
“But it is what’s happening. He’s moving back in with…someone new.”
“Oh, Evie. I’m sorry.”She’d never liked Darren. At all. But even this was low for him.
“After all those years and everything I did for him…I was such a fool.”Evelyn took a deep breath, her eyes filled with regret.“Anyway, I need a place to live and a job. I need to learn to support myself.”
