Chapter 20
“ W hy aren’t you getting ready?” Gran frowned at Felicity when she saw her in shorts and a tee shirt.
“Ready for what?” Though she knew exactly what Gran was talking about.
“You’re going to Brent’s talk, aren’t you? Going to support him?”
She let out a long sigh. “I’m sure he’d rather I not go. He’s done a great job of avoiding me. Things are just so awkward between us now. And he wouldn’t listen to me when I asked him to drop the whole Vera and Lawrence thing.”
“Do you think he’ll bring that up at his talk?” Gran’s forehead creased in concern.
“I honestly have no idea.”
Gran shook her head. “I guess we’ll see.” She gave her a no-nonsense look. “Now go upstairs and change. Five minutes. Then we’re leaving.”
She knew there was no use in arguing with Gran. She hurried upstairs to slip into something nicer than shorts and the stained tee shirt she’d been wearing to clean out the shed.
They walked into the community center about five minutes before Brent’s scheduled talk. Beverly sat over by the wall with her friend, Maxine, and waved to her.
“There’s Eleanor. Let’s go sit by her.” Gran pointed to some empty chairs.
She settled into her seat next to Gran, acutely aware of Miss Eleanor’s rigid posture beside them. The older woman’s face remained impassive, giving no hint of her thoughts or feelings about the upcoming presentation.
“Good evening, Miss Eleanor,” she said, hoping to break the tension.
Miss Eleanor simply nodded, her eyes fixed on the stage. “Hello.”
She shot Gran a quick look, and Gran just shrugged slightly. Her stomach churned with anxiety as she watched Brent approach the podium. He looked confident in his pressed shirt and slacks, but she could see the slight tremor in his hands as he arranged his notes. The buzz of conversation in the room slowly died down as people took their seats and turned their attention to the front.
As Brent cleared his throat to begin, she found herself rubbing her palms along her thighs. What would he say? Had he decided to include the information about Prince Lawrence and Vera, despite her asking him not to? Despite Miss Eleanor’s pleas? She glanced sideways at Miss Eleanor, wondering how the proud woman would react if Brent revealed her family’s long-buried secrets.
The room fell silent, all eyes on Brent. She held her breath, her heart pounding as she waited for him to speak. Whatever he said in the next few moments could change everything—for Miss Eleanor and for Felicity’s own sense of belonging on Magnolia Key, since so many people knew she’d been helping Brent with his research.
She sat unmoving in her chair as Brent began his presentation. His voice was steady and professional, but she could detect a hint of nervousness in the way he gripped the edges of the podium.
“Good afternoon, everyone. Thank you for coming out today,” Brent said, his eyes scanning the room. “I’ve been researching the southwest Gulf Coast area of Florida for a book I’m hoping to publish.”
She held her breath, her heart racing as she waited to see if he would mention Vera and Lawrence. She glanced at Miss Eleanor, whose face remained an impassive mask.
“I’ve discovered a wealth of information about this area’s rich history,” he continued. “In fact, I’ve even uncovered a personal connection to the region that I never knew existed.”
Her muscles tensed. Would he reveal the secret? But as Brent dove into the details of early settlements and the development of the coastal communities, she gradually began to relax. He spoke about the fishing industry, the impact of hurricanes, and the evolution of tourism, but not once did he mention Prince Lawrence or Vera.
Relief washed over her. She took another quick look at Miss Eleanor and saw the slightest easing of the older woman’s shoulders. Gran caught her eye and gave a small, approving nod.
As he wrapped up his presentation, she felt a mix of emotions. Pride in Brent’s professionalism, gratitude for his discretion, and a lingering sadness about the distance that had grown between them.
“Thank you all for your attention,” Brent said. “I’d be happy to answer any questions you might have.”
Several hands shot up, and Brent called on a man in the back row. “You mentioned researching the area’s history. Have you found out anything about the sister island relationship Magnolia Key had back in the 1920s? An island called Bardonzia?”
Her breath caught in her throat. She saw Brent hesitate for just a moment, his eyes flicking briefly in her direction before he answered.
“I have done some research into that. It is rather fascinating that the islands around here had sister islands—such close relationships with foreign countries.”
She didn’t dare move a muscle.
“But I haven’t finished with my research into that area yet.”
She let out a small breath.
“Any more questions?” He asked.
He answered a few more questions from the crowd, but none of them veered toward the prince and Vera. He ended his presentation to a smattering of applause.
Miss Eleanor rose from her seat, looked at Gran and her, and just nodded before walking away without a word.
Gran leaned close. “I’m glad he did the right thing.”
She nodded. But that didn’t mean he wouldn’t write about it and put it in his book. But for now, at least, Miss Eleanor’s family had been spared.
Brent stood at the window in his room, watching the evening slip in over the water. The stars blinked up above in a sight that still amazed him with their clarity. Moonlight spilled across the tops of the waves as they rolled endlessly to shore.
He thought his presentation had gone well today. And he’d successfully dodged the question about Bardonzia. He hadn’t missed the looks that Miss Eleanor had sent in his direction when he’d first come out on the stage, then her face had remained impassive the rest of his talk.
He frankly had been surprised to see Felicity in the crowd. Then, once he’d known she was there, he’d hoped that she and Darlene would come up to talk to him after his presentation. But as the crowd faded away, both of them were gone.
He didn’t know who was avoiding whom more. He or Felicity. He wanted to talk to her, but he couldn’t give her the one thing she wanted. An assurance that nothing would be said about Vera and Lawrence.
He turned back to the desk and opened his laptop. Now that his presentation was over, he wanted to devote more time to his own family’s history. The laptop cast a low glow over the table as his fingers flew over the keys, researching anything he could find on a Jonah Burton.
He rubbed his eyes and leaned closer to his laptop screen, his eyes scanning through the search results for “Jonah Burton.” He’d been at this for hours, methodically sifting through information, eliminating possibilities one by one.
A Jonah Burton who’d been a schoolteacher in Georgia? No, that probably wasn’t him. Another who’d worked as a farmhand in Alabama? Possibly, but unlikely. Brent clicked through page after page, his determination growing with each dead end. But then, maybe his grandmother’s obituary was wrong and Jonah had died in the hurricane. He began to lose hope.
Then something caught his eye. A Jonah Burton who had worked at the port in Port Everglades. His pulse quickened. This could be it. He remembered that his uncle had worked at the marina here on Magnolia Key. It made sense that he might have found similar work elsewhere.
He pulled up a map on his screen, his fingers tapping impatiently as he waited for it to load. When it did, he let out a low whistle. Port Everglades was on the other side of the state, but it was only two and a half hours away.
He zoomed in on the route, noticing a stretch of road that cut straight across the state. “Alligator Alley,” he murmured, recalling hearing locals mention it before. It was a direct shot from one coast to the other through the Everglades.
He sat back in his chair and rubbed his chin. He could make that drive easily. He could go there and see what he could find out in person. Records, people who might have known Jonah—maybe someone had known him.
He glanced at his watch. It was late, but his mind was scrambling with possibilities. He could leave first thing in the morning and be there before lunch. The prospect of uncovering more about his family’s history, about the possibility of an uncle he’d never known, was too tempting to ignore.
He began to plan. He’d let Darlene know he’d be gone for the day. He’d have to gather some documents, just in case. But mostly, he needed to be prepared for whatever he might discover.