her discomfort, Penny mustered up a smile. “The tea should be ready.” Rising from the chaise lounge, she strode the few feet into the kitchen.
Desperate to change the subject, Kat said, “You have lovely artwork.”
“Thank you. Dad collected most of it. In fact”—her face brightened—“there’s one I want to show you.” She motioned for Kat to join her in the kitchen. “This one is my favorite.”
Although the photograph had clearly been taken decades earlier, Kat instantly recognized the stately home perched on a bluff overlooking the ocean. “That’s Hope Hideaway.” Her gaze traveled the well-known path to the beach, resting on two small girls building a sandcastle. The youngest couldn’t have been more than two years old. Her breath stalled. “Is that—”
“It’s the two of us. My dad took it the day he brought me to Starcross Cove, hoping to win Helena back. After all those years, he’d never stopped loving her.” Penny’s voice trembled, and Kat struggled to keep her own emotions under control.
“I don’t remember,” she whispered, grazing the edge of the wooden frame with her fingertip.
“We were too young. But now we can make new memories together.” Penny turned to face her, her eyes shimmering.
Kat’s throat burned and she found it difficult to swallow. This woman had been nothing but kind, and yet Kat couldn’t even tell her the truth about their mother’s death. Not without facing feelings she’d long suppressed.
“Gosh, listen to me.” Penny sniffled. “I’m standing here blubbering when we have a brooch to find.” Smiling through her unshed tears, she led the way to the fireplace, cautiously testing the temperature of the bricks.
Kat followed, uncertain if she should regret or rejoice that the moment had passed.
“I think they’re cool enough,” Penny announced, running a finger along the crumbling grout. “If this is anything like the movies, there’s a loose brick here somewhere.”
Joining her sister, Kat felt along the grooves, her heart beating faster as they searched.
“I found it!” Penny cried after several minutes of combing every inch of the firebox.
Kat held her breath as Penny carefully slid the brick from its slot, the sound of scraping clay filling the suspenseful silence.
She expected to see a small pouch or trinket box inside, but instead, another square of paper stared back at them, sullied and singed around the edges.
“Oh, Kat. I’m so sorry,” Penny murmured as she removed the next clue. “I really thought we’d find the brooch this time.”
Kat pressed her lips into a thin line, words failing her. Instead of disappointment, her heart had filled with relief. But she couldn’t pinpoint the reason. Or rather, she couldn’t admit it—even to herself.
Penny shook flecks of ash from the note before carefully unfolding the corners. “I can’t believe it survived in there for so long.”
“Considering your dad planned all of this for your Christmas break, I imagine he only meant for it to be hidden for a few days. What does it say?”
“‘A tale as old as time, a love beyond refrain, a story penned in rhyme, a rose by any name.’” Beaming, Penny cried in excitement, “I know this one!”
“You do?” Kat asked, surprised she’d solved it so quickly.
“It’s Romeo and Juliet!” Dashing across the room, Penny dropped to her knees in front of a short bookcase stuffed with leather-bound classics. She thumbed across the embossed spines until she landed on a burgundy binding with navy lettering.
“Where would he hide a brooch inside a book?” Kat asked, kneeling beside her.
“A false backing, maybe? A hollow spine?” Penny ran her hand along every inch of the worn surface, finally shaking the book like a piggy bank.
Nothing happened.
Penny frowned. “I don’t understand. The riddle has to be about Romeo and Juliet. Everything fits.”
“It was a good guess.” Kat offered a sympathetic smile. “With a bit more time, I’m sure we’ll figure it out.”
“You’re right,” Penny sighed. “And I confess, I’m happy you’ll be staying a little while longer. Tonight’s Pajama Christmas.”
“What’s Pajama Christmas?”
“It’s our tree-lighting ceremony. Every December 6, we—” The faint twinkling of a bell interrupted her answer.
“Hang on.” Penny sprang to her feet. “I’ll be right back.”
In her sister’s absence, Kat meandered to the coffee table where they’d left their tea and took a sip. Though lukewarm, she savored the subtle notes of vanilla and cloves while she wandered back to the photograph in the kitchen. She still couldn’t comprehend all the ethereal threads connecting their pasts.
Lost in her thoughts, Kat nearly spilled the tea down the front of her sweater when Penny returned moments