Page 10 of Unpacking Secrets

“You know, I always thought I’d be the one with a mystery inheritance,” she teased. “Maybe some distant uncle would leave me a creepy old house in Minneapolis or something. I didn’t expect you to end up living a fairy tale while I’m across the ocean!”

“Like traveling all over Europe for months is some kind of punishment.” I grinned and held the phone up to show her the rest of my surroundings. “I’ll send you some pictures of the gardens behind the inn, they’re phenomenal.”

“Have you met yourstaffyet?” she asked, saying the word like she was the Queen of England. “Any young hotties, perhaps? It’s about time you had some fun, girl.”

“They’re notmystaff, they’re the inn’s staff. I met them yesterday when I got in, they’re very nice. Mostly.”

Of course my best friend picked up on the qualification. “Mostly? Someone I need to throw down with?”

“No, I can take care of things myself. The manager is just . . . not very excited that I’m here. His grandfather has been the caretaker at the inn longer than either of us have been alive, though, so I don’t want to ruffle any feathers. Not more than I have already, at least.”

“Feathers have been ruffled, hmm? Let me guess—your temper got the best of you?”

I made a face at the phone. “Let’s just say if you’d been in my shoes, you probably would’ve broken his nose. When his grandfather said Henry could show me the books, I imagined he’d be a middle-aged math nerd.”

Sarah burst out laughing. “Show you the books? Guess you didn’t share your distaste of math with the guy, huh?”

“I figured it wasn’t smart to explain just how unqualified I am for any of this. I’m heading over for breakfast soon. Hopefully today will be a fresh start.” I paused to look out over the water before saying, “I’m really nervous. I wish my mom was here to explain all of this.”

“Oh, honey, I know. I’m sure she had her reasons, though. You were her whole world, Jules.”

Tears threatened, so I took a deep breath to get a handle on them. “I know. Look, I should go, andyoushould enjoy your trip. I don’t want Andre holding a grudge against me for the rest of our lives because I interrupted your vacation so many times.”

“You know he doesn’t mind. Go on, but I expect regular updates, especially if nerd boy messes you with again. I’ll need to know who to ship the glitter bomb to. Love you, girl. Kisses!”

I blew her a kiss and ended the call, then slipped the phone back in my pocket and stood at the edge of the water for several long minutes, mentally converting segments of the beautiful landscape into paintings, until my stomach grumbled.

Next time, I’d definitely have to sit down out here with my sketchbook,I decided as I started back toward the inn. The hardest part would be deciding what to draw first.

As I crossed through the gardens, I turned back toward the lake, wondering just where my grandmother had positioned herself to complete the artwork hanging in my new bedroom. The flowers were different now, but I meandered back and forth a bit along the path until I thought I’d found the right spot.

I lifted my head to stare out at the water beyond as I tried to memorize the view. I wanted to compare it to the painting when I returned to the cottage.

Finally satisfied that I would remember the image clearly enough, I headed in for breakfast. And while I steeled myself for another possible confrontation with Henry, I couldn’t bite back a smile at the image of him covered in purple glitter once Sarah got a lock on his location.

It was good to have friends, even if they were halfway across the world.

Five

Henry

Iwasfinishingthelastbite of my breakfast in the dining room when I saw Juliet meander into the gardens. The college art student ensemble was gone, replaced by dark denim that hugged every curve, a cream-colored sweater that fell off one shoulder as she shifted her position between the flower beds to look out toward the lake, and a wild tumble of red curls cascading down her back.

Shit.I had zero interest in exploring the battle of emotions waging in my chest.

Throwing back the rest of my coffee, I carried my dishes into the kitchen, stubbornly avoiding Sally’s eyes. I should have known better than to expect that to work.

“You should say good morning like a civilized human being,” she hissed at me when I passed behind her.

“Yes, yes. I’m perfectly civil.”

A cough that sounded a lot like“bullshit”echoed after me as I left the kitchen and entered the side hall instead of the dining room. I shook out my arms like a boxer preparing for a match and bounced on my toes a few times, hoping loosening my muscles would bring a cloak of calm over me, then listened quietly as Mrs. Gregson greeted Juliet at the door.

While their conversation drifted toward the dining room, I stayed hidden in the hallway dotted with the photos Nan had hung, each one carefully framed and positioned just so. I shifted to the left and paused in front of one of my favorites.

It was Nan and my Gram, dressed in florals and wearing big straw hats with ribbons streaming from them. Their arms were wrapped around one another and they were both smiling broadly for the camera, but there was a certain sadness lurking in Nan’s eyes. It was visible in every photo taken after her daughter left town.

“Why?” I whispered, touching one fingertip to the corner of the frame. “Why would you work so hard to build all of this, only to leave it to someone you never met?”

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