Chapter Thirty-Five
Chapter Thirty-Five
T he following three weeks seemed to fly by for Chance and Zoey. Chance spent days on the range and Zoey spent her days doing a multitude of things. In addition to her meetings with Ms. Felicia, Zoey had been invited to lunch with Syneda, where she met several wives of Ms. Felicia’s sons and grandsons.
Zoey also met all of Ms. Felicia’s sons when she attended the Madaris Family Reunion held on Whispering Pines at the end of July. It was good seeing Corbin again and meeting some of the other cousins. He’d been right. They all favored one another. All handsome. She’d also met Victoria and Lindsay and both were extremely friendly.
Zoey spent a lot of time riding around the property to get more pictures. She especially liked spending time in the fruit grove. There was something peaceful and tranquil about it. Chance had shown her how to make wine and had set up a place for her inside the barn. One day, while in the fruit grove picking more grapes, she’d come across the tomb Chance had told her about—where Victoria Madaris had been laid to rest.
It was a beautifully structured building of high-quality white stone with a French design. It was larger than she expected, with a dome at the top. The grounds it sat on were immaculate with a lovely mixture of flowers. Chance had been right; the tomb’s location gave it the appearance of looking out over the entire fruit grove.
She and Chance had been spending a lot of time together. They dined together in the evenings and, at night, shared the same bed, whether it was at the cabin or his ranch house. He had taught her how to play pool. He’d also taught her how to fish and operate a Jet Ski. Due to all her activities, she hadn’t spent as much time reading Arabella’s diary as she’d have liked. When she and Chance were together, she preferred giving him most of her attention.
She checked her watch. Tonight they would enjoy dancing at Vance’s Tavern. This would be the first time they went out as a couple. Her memories were returning more frequently, and her therapist thought that was a good thing. Dr. Cosby suggested whatever she was doing to unwind and relax, to continue to do so since it was working. Of course, she didn’t tell him that she was doing Chance and had no plans to stop.
It was close to eight when they entered Vance’s Tavern, and it seemed all eyes were on them. He had warned her they would be since it had been years since he’d come there with a woman instead of coming to seek one out. The dance floor was full, but that hadn’t stopped Chance from finding a spot to hold her in his arms to a slow song. They joined in several of the line dances, and Chance commented on how well she danced for an Easterner. She reminded him that Texas blood did run in her veins, and tonight, she felt like a true Texas cowgirl.
She was enjoying herself and anticipated tonight when they would sleep in her bed or his. They had made plans for the weekend. He would help her make more wine tomorrow, and then they would take the canoe out on the lake. On Sunday, she was invited to Whispering Pines to celebrate Jake and Diamond’s daughter Amethyst’s birthday with the Madaris family.
She had excused herself to go to the restroom. When she came out of the stall, the woman she remembered as Chance’s ex-fiancée, Ravena, was leaning about the bathroom door as if she’d been waiting on her.
“Hello, Ravena,” Zoey said, washing her hands at the sink. She felt unfriendly vibes radiating from the woman.
“You honestly think Chance wants you?”
Drying her hands with a paper towel, Zoey decided Ravena’s question didn’t warrant a response. “I refuse to discuss my and Chance’s relationship with you.”
“I don’t care if you do or not. I find it funny that you’re getting played by the entire Madaris family, especially that old biddy, Felicia.”
Zoey crossed her arms over her chest. “And just how am I getting played?” Since the woman was blocking the door and seemed intent not to move, Zoey figured she’d let her have her say.
“That necklace you’re wearing. I bet you don’t know who it originally belonged to.”
She recalled Ravena making a similar assertion a few weeks ago when Zoey was having lunch with Ms. Felicia. “Yes, I do. It once belonged to my grandmother Arabella.”
Ravena laughed. When her laughter subsided, she said, “It originally belonged to your great-grandfather Waylon Satterfield’s lover, who was none other than Victoria Madaris. He bought it for her while he was still married to your great-grandmother.”
“That’s not true.”
“It is true.”
“I know all about Waylon’s engagement to Victoria Madaris before he married my great-grandmother, Deedra. However, once they married, he was faithful to her.”
A sneer appeared on the woman’s face. “Are you sure of that? I got it on good account—namely the jeweler who handcrafted the necklace years ago for Waylon Satterfield. Granted, he’s an old man now, but he recalled it was years after Waylon Satterfield got married. That meant that Waylon and Victoria were having an affair—behind Deedra’s back, and Felicia Madaris knew about it. I bet the old biddy was the one who made all the secret arrangements for them to be together. Just imagine her smiling in your great-grandmother’s face while betraying her behind her back.”
“I don’t believe you.”
“If you don’t believe me then ask that old biddy, Felicia.” Ravena then opened the door and left.
Zoey leaned against the sink. Was any of what Ravena had said true? The necklace belonged to Arabella, and she’d been wearing it in that portrait. How would Arabella have gotten it if it had once belonged to Victoria Madaris? Had Waylon broken the promise that he and Deedra had made to each other about keeping their marriage vows sacred despite not being in love?
Zoey took a deep breath, knowing she needed time to think and couldn’t do it here. Leaving the lady’s room, she went to where Chance was waiting for her. He frowned when he saw the look on her face. “Zoey, what’s wrong?”
“Please take me home, Chance. I need to go back to the cabin?”
“Why?” he asked, standing. “What’s wrong?”
Instead of answering, Zoey turned and walked out of the tavern.
***
“Will you tell me why you’re upset, Zoey? What happened in that bathroom?” Chance asked, pulling his truck out of the parking space.
“Ravena happened.”
He put on the brakes. He hadn’t known Ravena was there. “What the hell did she say to you?”
“It’s a matter of what she told me. She claims my great-grandfather and your great-grandaunt were having an affair while he was married to Deedra. She also said Ms. Felicia befriended my great-grandmother while covering for them.”
“That’s bullshit, and you know it.”
“Do I, Chance? Do you? Ravena says she has proof that the necklace I’m wearing was a gift Waylon gave Victoria while married to Deedra.”
“Then how did your grandmother Arabella get it? She’s wearing it in that picture.”
“I don’t know, Chance.”
“The one thing I know about Mama Laverne is that she is a God-fearing woman who strives only to do good and will help those she can. You’re proof of that. She’s not perfect, but she would never do what Ravena has accused her of doing.”
“Right now, I’m confused. When Ms. Felicia and I ran into Ravena at that café, she mentioned something about my necklace. Although she tried not to show it, I could tell your great-grandmother had been rattled by the comment. I have a gut feeling that your great-grandmother is keeping something about this necklace from me, Chance, and I don’t know what it is.”
Chance felt himself getting angry. “Mama Laverne has only been kind and open with you, Zoey. This is how you repay her? By believing Ravena’s lies?”
“I didn’t say I believed her. I need to think about what she said.”
“You wouldn’t have anything to think about unless you believe it’s true.”
“That’s not fair, Chance.”
“It’s a fair assessment to me, and until you can wrap your head around what’s true and what’s not, I suggest you separate yourself from me and my family.”
“What do you mean?”
“Just what I said. Ravena is trying to place a wedge in the relationship you’ve developed with my family. It’s the kind of relationship that, even as my fiancée, she never had. I don’t know what’s happened to her over the years, but now she’s vindictive and manipulating. Maybe she was that way all along, but because I was away in the military, I didn’t see it. Nevertheless, it sounds like you’ve chosen your side and I’d prefer not discussing the issue any longer.”
“Chance, I—”
“No, Zoey. I don’t want to hear anything else about it.”
He was glad she didn’t say anything during the remainder of the ride. When they got to the cabin, he walked her to the door, made sure she was safe inside, and left. He didn’t kiss her goodbye, or mention their plans for tomorrow. As far as he was concerned, they didn’t have plans for tomorrow or any days after that.
***
When Chance left, Zoey immediately felt a deep sense of loss. He was right to be upset and protective of his great--grandmother, but like she told him, she had a gut feeling there was something about her necklace that Ms. Felicia was deliberately keeping from her.
After dressing for bed, Zoey picked up Arabella’s diary from the nightstand.
Needing answers and hoping Arabella’s diary gave them to her, she skipped the pages to when Arabella was seventeen. That would have been five years after Deedra’s death. As Zoey settled in bed, she read the entry written on Arabella’s seventeenth birthday.
Pa came to celebrate my birthday with me today. I knew he would since he’s never missed doing so. I could tell there was something on his mind, but I wanted him to tell me what it was when he was ready. Today, he seemed to be in a much happier mood. I want so much happiness for my pa. A part of him always seemed sad, and I know why.
He doesn’t know that I read Ma’s diary. I remember as a little girl, she would often write in it. I knew where she kept it, and the last time I went home, I took it back to Virginia with me and began reading it. It was a shocker to discover my parents never loved each other. However, over the years, they developed a true friendship.
That’s probably why it was no surprise when Pa finally got around to telling me what he wanted me to know. A woman he was once engaged to marry, Victoria Madaris, had moved back to Houston to help care for her ailing father. He said he hadn’t seen her in years since she had lived in Ohio. Pa wanted me to know he’d begun seeing her again.
Since I’ve never been able to keep anything from Pa, including my crush on Jonathan, I told him about Ma’s diary and that I understood and would be happy if he and Victoria Madaris rekindled their love. She never married, and he’d been a widower for five years, so there should not be a big deal about it.
He told me there would be a big deal with Gramma Penny, who despised the Madarises. Currently, he and Victoria saw each other in private so as not to upset his ma. It was Victoria’s idea that they do things that way, not his. As far as he was concerned, they were adults, and after all this time, he didn’t care who knew. I told him to do whatever made him happy since Gramma Penny would never change. She had grown into a bitter old woman and should not dictate his happiness. We hugged, and I told Pa if being with Victoria Madaris made him happy, then I was happy for the both of them.
Zoey wiped tears from her eyes. Like her mother Deedra, Arabella possessed a heart full of love. Waylon and Victoria hadn’t been involved in an affair and only began seeing each other after Deedra’s death. Five years after, in fact. Ravena had lied. Chance was right. There had been no reason to consider that Ravena had been telling the truth.
Zoey rubbed her hand down her face knowing she had screwed up big-time. Not only had she lost Chance but probably the entire Madaris family.