Spells A Bayou Magic Novel - Kristen Proby Page 0,69
this time, and none of this would be happening.”
“It’s hard not to wish for it,” I admit. “But you’re right. I’m so happy that she was happy. That she was loved and had a beautiful family.”
“She did have those things,” Miss Sophia agrees. “Her Charlie was devoted to her until his dying day. She lived a long, full life.”
I nod and smile at the photo of Sabrina on her wedding day. “Good. That’s good.”
“Okay, I’m obsessed with this house,” Brielle says as she walks inside ahead of Daphne. “This place is gorgeous.”
“Thank you. I made you guys spaghetti tonight. I hope that’s okay. Lucien and I were gone most of the day.”
Learning about our long-lost daughter.
Talk about a weird day.
I was sad earlier, but now I feel at peace knowing that Sabrina led a happy life. It’s still weird to know that Miss Sophia is my great-granddaughter, and it’s something I have to chew on for a while.
I’m not ready to share it with my sisters. Not quite yet.
“I’m so hungry,” Daphne whines. “I’ll eat anything you’ve got. And I brought dirty martinis.”
“I love me a dirty martini,” Brielle says. “Where’s Lucien?”
“He went into the lab for a while. He said he’d give us some alone time. He’ll be back later to give you guys a ride home.”
“Good, because Cash dropped us off.” Brielle steals a piece of garlic bread. “Let’s eat first, and then we need the full tour.”
“You got it.”
Dinner is quiet as we all shove the pasta and red sauce into our mouths, eating like we haven’t had a meal in a week.
“I guess we were hungry,” I say as I stare at our empty plates.
“Yeah, I’m gonna have a second helping after the tour.” Daphne pours vodka into a shaker and gives it a shake. “Let’s take our martinis with us.”
“Good plan,” I say, then clink my glass to my sister’s. “To new beginnings.”
“And to sisters,” Brielle toasts. “Okay, let’s do this.”
I show them around the first floor. They both about swallow their tongues when they see the library.
“Yeah, that was my reaction, too.”
“It looks like the library from Beauty and the Beast,” Brielle says. “I want to be Belle.”
“Later, you can climb up there and I’ll push you along, and you can sing the song,” I assure her with a laugh. “Now, let’s keep going.”
I take them upstairs and show them the guest suites. “We’re going to furnish all of these. Not that I ever have anyone visit, let alone five at once. But it’ll be nice to have them. It seems silly to leave them empty.”
“You can make one an office,” Brielle suggests. “And maybe one can be a spell room or something. They don’t all have to be guest rooms.”
“That’s true,” I say, thinking it over. “I’ll have to do some research.”
“We need to go up here.” Daphne lays her hand on the knob of the door that leads to the attic. “This is important.”
“What do you see?”
“I don’t know yet.” She opens the door, flips on the light, and leads us up the stairs. “It’s empty.”
“Yeah. Over there is the hole where I hid our things.”
I turn on my phone’s flashlight and shine the light into the hole.
“Nothing in there now,” Brielle murmurs. We sit in a circle on the floor and set our empty glasses aside.
Daphne reaches out and touches the hiding hole. “Oh. Oh, Mill. It’s so sad.”
“What is?” Brielle asks.
“She was devastated when Lucien died. She pined for him. Wrote a letter to him, and hid everything in here.”
I don’t think I told them about the letter.
“Did you read it?” Daphne asks.
“Yeah. It’s sad. Like, really sad.”
Daphne grins. “But there’s a lot of happiness in this house, too. You and Lucien had a lot of fun here. And still are.”
“For sure.” I turn to Brielle. “Do you see any shadows here?”
“I don’t want to tell you,” she admits. “I just want you to be happy here.”
I narrow my eyes. “I’ll be happy if I know the truth. Come on, B, I don’t want to lower my shields and look. You know it’s too dangerous.”
She blows out a breath. “That’s not fair.”
“Please, tell me.”
She glances around the attic. “I don’t see anyone up here. There was an old woman downstairs who kept following us around. Not in a creepy way; more in a nosy way. Like, what are you doing in my house kind of thing.”
“Oh, great. I have a nosy old-lady ghost.”
“She didn’t follow us up here. I also