Page 44 of Dreams of Falling
“Looks like you got some sun,” he said, smiling at Larkin.
“Bennett took me out in his johnboat this morning. He remembered how much I loved the sunrises.”
Mack raised his eyebrows, an unspoken question. Ignoring him, Larkin reached for the eggs and handed the platter to Bitty. “Would you like some?”
They made small talk while everyone served themselves. Ceecee watched as Larkin placed food on her plate, then poured herself a cup of coffee. Sipping it carefully, Larkin looked over the brim. “Bennett said somebody’s been taking care of the martin houses atCarrowmore. It wasn’t Mama, because he found some fresh twine and things after Mama went into the hospital. Considering how abandoned the whole place is, we thought it was strange.”
Ceecee’s expression didn’t change. “It wasn’t me. And until we found Ivy there, I didn’t think anybody had been there for years. Have you asked Carol Anne?”
Larkin shook her head. “No, but Bennett said he’d ask—although I sincerely doubt it’s her. It’s just... odd.”
Ceecee leaned back in her chair. “Maybe not. There’s a legend about the martins and Carrowmore. That as long as there are martins living on the grounds, there will always be a Carrowmore.”
“Like the ravens at the Tower of London?” Mack asked, spearing a slice of bacon from the platter.
“Exactly. I’m guessing someone who knows the legend has been tending them. I’d like to know who—so I can thank them at least.”
Bitty began another coughing fit and pushed her chair from the table. “Excuse... me... ,” she managed, backing out of the room but not before picking up her cigarettes and lighter.
“You’re going outside for a smoke?” Ceecee asked indignantly.
“You won’t... let me smoke... inside,” Bitty said from the doorway.
“You need to go to the doctor,” Larkin said, her face full of concern.
Bitty finished with another coughing spasm, then said, “He’ll just say that I should quit smoking, and I already know that. This way, I save myself the money and the aggravation.” She left the room then, heading toward the back door, the sound of her coughing trailing in her wake.
They were silent for a moment while Larkin took a small bite of eggs from her plate and chewed thoughtfully. “Why do you think Mama had this sudden interest in the trust and the insurance money?”
Ceecee fought hard to keep her face calm, to lift her fork to her mouth and chew, but the food might as well have been cardboard for all she tasted. “I don’t know. I didn’t realize she remembered Carrowmore at all. I hadn’t taken her there since she was a little girl. I thought she’d forgotten all about it until you were born and she decided to set up a trust for you.”
Mack placed his hands carefully on each side of his plate, and Ceecee noticed he wore his gold wedding band, something he hadn’t done in a long time. “Bennett and I were thinking it’s because of the developers who are showing interest in the property, and she was trying to establish its value for Larkin’s benefit.”
Ceecee slowly placed her fork on her plate, trying to come up with the right words. “I spoke with the developers once but only because they approached me, and only to hear what they had to say. Ivy must have found out that I had, but she never came to talk to me about it.”
“Then why?” Larkin asked. “And it wasn’t spur-of-the-moment, either. Jackson told me she recently came to see him about the insurance payout.”
“She did?” Ceecee asked, pouring herself a cup of coffee and spilling most of it in her saucer.
“According to Jackson.”
“Did he think she seemed upset?”
“No—he didn’t mention it,” Larkin said. “So, you have no idea what all that was about?”
“Not at all. But you know how your mother is. Always looking for something that might distract her into thinking she’s happy. For all we know, she wants Carrowmore to be turned into an artists’ colony, and she thought you would be more likely to agree to it than I would.”
Larkin frowned. “I doubt it. This really makes no sense. I guess it’s just another thing I need to ask her about when she wakes up.”
Ceecee shared a glance with Mack, then reached over and squeezed Larkin’s hand. “You’re right, baby. We’ll just have to wait and ask.”
After the breakfast dishes were cleared away, and Mack had gone to the hospital and Larkin on her run, Ceecee carried two cups of coffee out onto the porch for her and Bitty. Placing a cup on the coffee table, Ceecee moved away the cigarettes and lighter, ignoring her friend’s protests.
She sat down across from Bitty, sipping her coffee. “I know you heard every word—you left the door open on purpose. What do you think was in Ivy’s head?”
“You’re her mother, so you know her best,” Bitty said withinnocent eyes. “At least that’s what you’re always reminding me.” She regarded her friend for a moment. “I wonder if it has anything to do with the ribbon she had in her hands when they brought her to the hospital. It said something about Margaret.”
“‘I know about Margaret.’ That’s what it said.” Ceecee stared at the dark coffee in her cup. “Ivy’s always known her mother died in that fire. I can’t imagine what else she thinks she knows.”
