The Letter(6)
Madeline could tell she was going to get that question quite often in this town. She took a deep breath, hoping that once again she didn’t sound like a crazy person for trying to figure out why the letter had been hidden in the writing desk for so long. She explained her story to Larry and Rebecca. They didn’t give her any strange looks, so she took that as a good sign that they didn’t think she was totally nuts.
“There’s a Gil Amaud in town, he might know something. His sister, Bella, lives here, too.” Larry suggested. “I think they had more family, but none in town anymore.”
“That’s what Becky Lee at Magnolia Cafe said. I’m going to head over there this morning and talk to him.”
“So how do you think that letter got in the desk, all the way in St. Louis?” Rebecca asked.
“My grandmother used to live in Comfort Crossing when she was young. Not sure what age though.”
“What’s your grandmother’s maiden name?”
“Lula Madison.”
Rebecca looked thoughtful and pushed a fly-away hair back behind her ear. “Well, we’ve lived here our whole lives and know a lot of the folks. The name Madison rings a bell, but I can’t really figure out why. I’ll think on it a bit.” Rebecca sighed. “I’m getting ready to bake a pie. I always do my best thinking while I’m baking. Maybe I’ll remember.”
“I’d appreciate that. I don’t have any family left to ask.”
“Well, we’ll see if we can help you get this mystery all sorted out.” Rebecca slowly walked toward the kitchen, lost in thought.
Larry winked at Madeline. “That’s my Rebecca. She’ll figure it out. She always does. She has years of town knowledge tucked up in that pretty little head of hers.”
~ * ~
Rebecca cleaned up the mess she’d made making breakfast for their guests. The last guest had finished breakfast right at ten o’clock. She wanted to get things cleaned up, bake a pie, then spend a few hours knitting. She was making a baby blanket for her first grandchild-to-be. Her daughter assured her it was going to be a girl. They could tell from the ultrasound. She hoped that ultrasound was right, because she was knitting the baby blanket with pink and purple yarn. Washable yarn. She knew how little time a new mother had. She’d never had an ultrasound with her two children. She’d learned what sex they were the old fashioned way—when they were born.
She reached over and grabbed a plate and rinsed it under the warm running water. Madison. Why did that name sound so familiar? And that Madeline girl, she looked so lost, all alone in a strange town trying to solve a mystery of a letter written years and years ago.
Larry came into the kitchen with the last of the dishes from the table. He walked up behind her and put his arms around her. “I can hear you thinking from here, woman.” He kissed her neck.
“Larry, now let me finish up my chores. No nonsense.” Not that she really minded, she was still crazy about the man after all these years. Would be until her dying day. She’d fallen in love with him in high school and they’d been together ever since. Through good times and, unfortunately, their share of bad times. But Larry had always been her rock.
“I know you’re thinking about that Madeline girl.” Larry took the dish towel from her hands and dried the skillet. “Trying to figure out a way to fix things and sort out her life, aren’t you?”
“No.” Rebecca sighed, it was useless to hide anything from her husband. He had a point, she was always trying to give other people their own happily ever after. “Well, maybe. It’s just so very sad that she has no family. She’s off on this quest to find out why that letter was hidden in her mother’s desk. I don’t want her to be disappointed.” Rebecca paused before splashing her hands down into the sudsy water again. “And the name Madison. There is something I know about that name. I’m just not sure why I recognize it.”
“It will come to you, hon. It always does.”
Rebecca smiled at her husband. He was right. If she gave it enough time, these things usually sorted out for her in their own time.
~ * ~
Gil Amaud glanced up from the counter when the bell jangled as someone pushed through the door of the Feed and Seed. He paused from putting out a box of dog treats. He liked to give a treat to the dogs that many of his customers brought with them. He didn’t recognize the short-haired woman coming into the store. Her hair was all a crazy mess of tousled brown curls, probably from the brisk wind that had picked up today. She reached a hand up in an attempt to tame her hair. She looked a little lost and out of her element at his store, especially in her precisely pressed jeans with a crease ironed into them for Pete’s sake. Who ironed their jeans? Those heels didn’t look very practical either. Bet she had a heck of a time walking on the cobblestone street.