Felicity rolled up her sleeves and joined Gran at the kitchen counter, breathing in the scent of the tart lemon. She picked up a wooden spoon and began stirring a bowl of batter. Gran looked up from her work and smiled at her, flour dusting her cheek. “I always say the best place to do your thinking is in the kitchen.” She nodded, her eyes sparkling. “Something about the rhythm of baking just helps clear the mind.”
She grinned at her grandmother. “I thought you always say that the rhythm of knitting clears your mind.”
Gran laughed. “That, too.”
Chapter13
The next morning, Felicity headed downstairs to help Gran with breakfast. And if she happened to see Brent too, so much the better. The scent of yeast and cinnamon surrounded her as she hurried down the stairs. Smelled like Gran’s cinnamon rolls.
When she entered the kitchen, Gran was pulling out a fresh batch of rolls. She’d been right. “Morning, Gran.”
“Morning, sweetheart. Did you sleep well?”
“I did. But no matter how early I get up, you’re always up before me.” She went over and kissed Gran’s cheek.
“Years of running a B&B. The mornings are my busiest time.”
She grabbed an apron and started helping Gran ice the cinnamon rolls. They worked side by side like they had so many times before. The familiarity of the routine soothed her. She could get used to this.
“Oh, Gran. I forgot to tell you last night, Brent found out more information about Prince Lawrence. It seems he came to the island regularly. Then he did some research into the whole sister island thing that some of the islands had going on back then. Regular visits were unusual. There was usually just one big ceremonial gathering. Brent thinks maybe Lawrence kept coming back to visit someone. Maybe he was involved with someone here on the island?”
Gran’s expression was unreadable as she paused, the frosting knife hovering over a roll.
“What’s wrong, Gran?”
“Nothing, dear. It was all so long ago. I’m sure it doesn’t matter much now.” Gran’s tone was slightly dismissive, but there was a hint of something else beneath the surface.
She frowned. This wasn’t like Gran at all. Usually, she loved to talk about the island’s history. “I thought you enjoyed learning about Magnolia Key’s past as much as I do.”
Gran sighed, setting down her knife. “I do. It’s just… sometimes the past is better left where it is.”
“But don’t you think it’s strange? A prince from some tiny country visiting our little island so often?” She pressed, her curiosity aroused by Gran’s reluctance.
“People have their reasons for the things they do. Maybe he just really liked it here.” Gran’s words sounded convincing, but her eyes told a different story.
She knew her grandmother well enough to recognize when she was holding something back. “Gran, if you know something about Prince Lawrence and his visits, you can tell me. I promise I won’t share it with anyone, not even Brent, if you don’t want me to.”
Gran hesitated, clearly torn. She opened her mouth as if to speak, then closed it again, shaking her head. “It’s not my story to tell. Please, just let it be.”
She wanted to push further, but the pleading look in Gran’s eyes stopped her. She nodded slowly, respecting her grandmother’s wishes. “All right, Gran. I won’t ask again.”
“Thank you, dear.” Gran’s shoulders relaxed, and she picked up her frosting knife once more. “Now, let’s finish these rolls before our guests wake up, hmm?”
She followed suit, but her mind was bursting with thoughts. What could Gran possibly know about Prince Lawrence that she didn’t want to share? And why did she seem so uncomfortable talking about it? It wasn’t like Gran to hide something from her.
As they worked in silence, she couldn’t shake the feeling that there was more to this story than met the eye. She glanced at Gran, noticing the faraway look in her eyes, as if she were remembering something from long ago.
Felicity’s curiosity burned, but she had to respect Gran’s wishes. Still, she wondered about the mysterious prince who had once walked these very same halls of the Bayside Bed and Breakfast.
After breakfast, Felicity met up with Brent. She wanted to tell him about how Gran was acting strangely this morning, but she thought that was an invasion of Gran’s privacy. Although she hated keeping anything from Brent. Especially something about the very prince they were looking into. What could Gran possibly know about something that happened before she was even born?
“You ready to head to Dale’s?” Brent asked, picking up his satchel stuffed full of his research.
But now, she didn’t know how she felt about researching Lawrence. Especially if Gran thought it was a secret that should stay in the past. But she’d promised Brent she would help him. “Yes, I’m ready. Let’s go.”
They strolled down the sidewalk toward Second Finds, their footsteps in sync. The morning sun warmed her face as a gentle breeze carried the scent of salt and blooming flowers. Her mind churned with conflicting thoughts about their research and Gran’s.
“You’re awfully quiet this morning,” he said, glancing at her with a concerned look. “Everything okay?”
