Page 11 of Kindred Lies
Chapter 6
It didn't take them long to get back to the inn. They had strolled along in silence on the trek back. Amethyst didn't let go of his hand the entire time. It made him happy that she allowed him to hold her hand the entire way. Cooper took it as a good sign that they could be more than friends. He hoped that sharing the journal with her would endear her to him. He knew that as soon as Ben could he'd be making a play for her. His best friend had dared him try and win Amethyst as if he didn’t have a shot in hell of coming out on top. Cooper didn't just want Amethyst for the sake of winning though. He actually liked her. He found her to be amazing and highly intelligent. He enjoyed spending time with her.
They stopped in front of the door of the inn. Cooper pulled the door open and they went inside. Olivia sat at the desk behind the counter typing away on the keyboard in front of the computer. She looked up as they stopped in front of the counter. She smiled as her eyes laid on Amethyst and said, “Oh good I see you found him.”
Cooper turned to Amethyst with surprise on his face as he said, “You were looking for me?”
Amethyst shook her head and said, “Um well...”
Olivia jumped in and cut off Amethyst as she said, “Don't be silly. She didn't go looking for you specifically. She wanted to see Ghost Peak. I told her that you had gone to your dad's to help him out and that Ghost Peak happened to be directly by your house.”
That made a bit more sense. He didn't think that Amethyst would have sought him out, at least not yet. She had seemed very aloof when they had first met. On the walk back she had also been very quiet. What had Uncle Nick said to her while he was in the house? She had seemed uncomfortable with him when he had first come out. He would ask Uncle Nick when he went home later, but right now he had other priorities.
He nodded at Olivia. “Can you stay longer? I know it's your day off, but I told Amethyst I'd help her with something. If you can't I understand.”
She waved her hands at him and said, “I don't mind. I only have about an hour to spare though. Do you think you'll be done by then?”
He turned to Amethyst. “It will give you a good start anyway. Is that okay with you?” Cooper didn’t think she’d say no, but he still had to ask. He didn’t want her to give up on the journals so easily.
Amethyst’s lips tilted upward into an alluring smile. “Oh sure. I'm not picky. I know you are doing me a favor.” He relaxed a little at her words.
Cooper turned his attention back to Olivia. He tapped on the counter and said, “Okay good. Liv, we will be in the family quarters. Let me know when you need to leave and I'll come take over.”
Olivia just waved her hands at him as she sat back down at the desk and began typing on the keyboard again. “Sure thing boss.”
Cooper smiled and gave Amethyst his full attention. “All right follow me.” He turned towards a door near the counter and opened it. They walked inside the room. It opened to a large open room with a sofa and big screen television. In the far corner a bookshelf graced the whole wall. Cooper quickly strode over to the bookcase and pulled out a leather bound book with warn edges. It appeared to be very old and well used. He gestured to Amethyst to follow him and they strolled over to the couch and sat down. He handed her the journal and said, “It's all we have on Marianne and Easton. It details her life before she met him and up to his death.”
Amethyst ran her hands over the journal and asked “Are you sure it's okay that I read it?” Excitement edged through her voice.
Cooper nodded his head at her and pulled the journal out of her hands. He opened it up to the first page and said, “How about we read it together?”
She opened her mouth and a small breath escaped. She looked at the journal resting in his lap with the first page open and then back up at him. She smiled and said, “I think that's a good idea. Maybe after a while you'll be more comfortable with me reading it by myself.”
Cooper smiled at her. She scooted closer to him and he held the journal up for her to read along with him. He felt her gasp as she read the first lines. He knew how much the history of the inn meant to her and it made him happy he could help her find the answer that she sought. Hopefully Marianne and Easton's story lived up to all of her expectations. It didn't take long for them to become engrossed in the first entry.
February 2,1953
Today, oh goodness…. How to explain the feelings growing inside of me? I met someone that has changed my life so completely. He is simply exquisite. No that description doesn't do him justice; he is perhaps everything I ever wanted and never knew it. All the boys around here are boring compared to him. No that’s not right either, Easton Hill is a man and acts like one. He is only two years older than I am, but it feels like so much more than that. When I first saw him I thought my life was finally beginning. Before him, life simply meant going through the motions and getting by….
Hannah thinks I'm being silly. How can she not understand how much he means to me? I know we just met, but I feel like my life has been forever altered just by that one encounter. My future surely lies with him. I believe he felt it too. Time will tell though. I hope he wants to be with me as much as I want to be with him. I know he is a businessman and came to town to start building an inn. I hope that more than the inn keeps him in town.
Amethyst stopped readingand looked up at him. She had a question and stopped him from turning the page so she could ask it. “Who is Hannah? I've never heard of her mentioned anywhere in my other research.”
Cooper smiled and said, “She bought this inn along with her husband. She was Marianne’s best friend.”
Excitement filled her eyes as she asked, “Oh that's so cool. Marianne left journals here at the inn. Did Hannah keep any journals?”
Cooper shook his head, as he said, “No, at least not that we are aware of. If she kept one she didn't leave it anywhere for us to find. It certainly would be interesting to have her side of the story.”
Amethyst tilted he head and asked, “What do you mean?”
Cooper closed the journal and set it on the arm of the chair. He looked back at her and thought about how to answer the question. Should he tell her now or let her read further along to find out the truth. He knew that Marianne believed that Hannah had played a part in Easton's death. That didn't make it true. Someone that grieved as hard as Marianne obviously had often struck out at those that made the easiest target. After thinking about it he decided to leave the decision to her and asked, “Do you want me to spoil all of the details or do you want to read the journal for yourself and find out?”
She chewed her lip as she thought about his question and said, “I think I'd like to unravel this mystery slowly. The information is better savored and slowly processed. It makes writing about it that much better.”
Cooper nodded at her and said, “I thought you might feel that way. Do you want to read another entry now?”
“I do,” she answered him and flipped the journal open and read the next entry.
