Page 56 of One of Six

Behind me, Violet hands a handkerchief to David, who slips it into my hands. I clean myself up and force myself to stay calm by closing my eyes and thinking about the field of wildflowers I'd seen in Den Hollows. The flowers had been so beautiful: poppies, blue-eyed Susan’s, bloodroot, swamp dogwood, and azaleas, to name a few. Their vibrant colors and delicate petals brought me a sense of peace and reminded me that beauty can be found even in the darkest moments. As I take a deep breath, I feel a glimmer of hope that things will eventually get better.

"Bea," David whispers, "it's over."

I surprise him with a smile and pat his hand on my shoulder. "You called me Bea. Twice."

He shrugs uncomfortably and leads me away from the grave.

I feel like I can breathe again.

Looking around, I notice a tall man standing alone next to a black SUV. It's someone I don't recognize. His dark gray suit is neat, as is his white shirt. The tie around his neck is light gray. His tousled blond hair is slightly overlong. His eyes are staring straight at me. Who is he?

Realizing that Richard is about to ambush me, I move toward the man. Is he the lawyer who called me?

The man's eyebrows shoot up to his hairline as I approach. His Adam's apple bobs, and then he lets out a sigh.

"Who are you?" Blunt and to the point.

He offers his hand, which I take. "Edwin Carter. Hello, Beatrice."

Surprised, I say the first thing that comes to mind. "You don't look like an Edwin." I wince. "I'm sorry, that was rude. I didn't know you'd be here."

"I couldn't not be here." His eyes follow behind me. "I'm staying in Den Hollows. Come see me if you can get away," he mumbles.

I nod and almost jump a mile when Richard joins us. "Carter, what are you doing here?"

Confusion rushes through me. Richard knows this man.

"Paying my respects to Elisabeth's daughter." He shakes his head, gets into his SUV, and drives away.

Richard looks at me, so I ask, "Who is he? He only gave me his name.” He does not need to know that I know who this man works for. I still don't know his connection to my mother.

"Someone who is not welcome." Richard takes my arm in a tight grip. "The wake," he mutters. "Your mother had a new lawyer and a new will drawn up. Do you know anything about that?"

"Why would I know?"

He shoots me a glare and drags me toward the car. I see Essex standing with Boone. His eyes blaze with anger as he watches Richard drag me away. Essex takes a step toward me, then another. Panic rises in my chest as he moves faster to intercept us. Boone is with him, and I notice his brothers and mother joining him.

Richard stops when Maggie Redd says, “Richard,” in a voice that means business.

He pulls me to a stop, and I feel the shock of seeing her shake him in the way his hand trembles on me.

I keep my eyes on Essex as I manage to pull my arm free. I massage the pain and subtly shake my head as I notice Essex twitching, wanting to hold me. I want him to, but it can't happen out in the open like this. Not yet.

“Maggie,” Richard says, his manners kicking in, even if it's just for show with the other townsfolk milling around, "this is a surprise."

"We wanted to offer our condolences to Mrs. Lincoln's daughter," she says, her eyes drifting to me. "Please accept our condolences on the loss of your dear mama, Beatrice."

I take a step toward her and find myself in a warm embrace. "Thank you," I whisper for her ears only. I inhale her scent and pull away, clearing my throat. "The wake is at the house. If you and your family would like to join us."

Richard makes some sort of noise, but I ignore him. She pats my hand and says, "See you there." I watch them walk toward the two trucks they are traveling in today.

"How dare you!" Richard seethes.

I take a few steps away and bump into David. He turns and puts his arm around me. "What's going on?" I'm sure the question is directed at his brother. Judge comes up and stands next to Richard.

"She just invited the Redd family to the wake," he hisses.

"She did what?" Judge.

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