Kate found the invitation in my apron pocket and put her foot down. There’s no way she’ll let me miss a family wedding.”
Violet nodded in sudden understanding. That’s what Lindsay had shoved into her pocket when they’d startled her that first day—the wedding invitation!
Benny stared at Lindsay. “You were talking on the phone about something old and blue.”
“Oh, you heard that, did you?” Lindsay was smiling. “It’s a tradition for brides, Benny. ‘Something old, something new…’”
“‘Something borrowed, something blue!’” finished Violet, in a singsong voice.
“Exactly!” Lindsay laughed. “My cousin has her heart set on borrowing a lace hanky that’s been in my family for years. It has tiny blue flowers on it.”
“Something old and blue,” said Jessie, catching Henry’s eye. He nodded. They could cross Lindsay off their list of suspects.
Lindsay pushed her chair back. “Well, I’d better check on dinner. I’ve got a roast chicken in the oven.”
“We’ll help,” Jessie offered, speaking for them all. “We can set the dining room table.”
“It sure is funny about that photograph,” Henry said as he set plates around the table.
“Are you talking about the lady in the white cap?” asked Benny.
Henry nodded. “I wonder who she was.”
Violet had an answer. “Margaret O’Malley. At least, that’s what it said under the picture.”
“Margaret O’Malley?” repeated Jessie, as she smoothed out the tablecloth. The name sounded familiar, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on where she’d heard it.
Violet went to shut the opened door. “The painting of the Emerald Isle, remember?” she reminded them in a hushed voice. “Margaret O’Malley was the artist.”
Henry’s eyebrows shot up. “Oh, that’s right!”
“She must have been the family cook,” said Jessie, every bit as surprised as her older brother.
Benny nodded. “Kate said she worked here when Sally was growing up!”
“That’s not all.” Violet set a vase of daisies in the middle of the table. “Margaret O’Malley’s photograph was taken in 1904.”
“Are you sure?” Henry looked uncertain.
Violet nodded. “Quite sure, Henry.”
“But … that’s the same year Sally’s photograph was taken,” Jessie realized, her eyes huge.
“Sitting at a half-moon table,” added Henry, “when she was a little girl.”
“There’s no doubt about it,” Violet concluded. “Those photographs were taken at the same time—right here at Wiggin Place.” She nodded her head slowly as it began to sink in. “And I bet they were taken by the same person!”
The Aldens looked at one another. Had Ethan Cape stayed at Wiggin Place more than once?
“According to Kate,” Henry said after a moment’s thought, “Sally never met Ethan Cape until she was much older—a grandmother.”
“All the same, I’m pretty sure Ethan was here before that,” Violet insisted, “when Sally was a little girl.”
Benny placed the napkins around the table. “Do you think Ethan met Thane Pace back then?”
“I guess it’s possible,” Henry had to admit. “They were both here around the same time.”
“Can you believe it?” Violet couldn’t help laughing. “The mysteries are starting to connect!”
“Seems that way,” agreed Jessie.
Henry had a suggestion. “Let’s keep a lid on this for now. At least until we can make some sense of it.”
After dinner, the Aldens challenged Kate to a game of Scrabble. They were hoping it would take her mind off the missing necklace for a while, but it was no use. Before long, Kate called it a night, leaving the four children to finish the game on their own.
While Benny was having a turn, Jessie spoke up. “Kate tries to be cheery, but …”
“She’s afraid she’s seen the last of her necklace,” finished Violet, who had pulled her chair closer to her little brother’s. She knew he might need help with the harder words.
Henry noticed Benny
Violet nodded in sudden understanding. That’s what Lindsay had shoved into her pocket when they’d startled her that first day—the wedding invitation!
Benny stared at Lindsay. “You were talking on the phone about something old and blue.”
“Oh, you heard that, did you?” Lindsay was smiling. “It’s a tradition for brides, Benny. ‘Something old, something new…’”
“‘Something borrowed, something blue!’” finished Violet, in a singsong voice.
“Exactly!” Lindsay laughed. “My cousin has her heart set on borrowing a lace hanky that’s been in my family for years. It has tiny blue flowers on it.”
“Something old and blue,” said Jessie, catching Henry’s eye. He nodded. They could cross Lindsay off their list of suspects.
Lindsay pushed her chair back. “Well, I’d better check on dinner. I’ve got a roast chicken in the oven.”
“We’ll help,” Jessie offered, speaking for them all. “We can set the dining room table.”
“It sure is funny about that photograph,” Henry said as he set plates around the table.
“Are you talking about the lady in the white cap?” asked Benny.
Henry nodded. “I wonder who she was.”
Violet had an answer. “Margaret O’Malley. At least, that’s what it said under the picture.”
“Margaret O’Malley?” repeated Jessie, as she smoothed out the tablecloth. The name sounded familiar, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on where she’d heard it.
Violet went to shut the opened door. “The painting of the Emerald Isle, remember?” she reminded them in a hushed voice. “Margaret O’Malley was the artist.”
Henry’s eyebrows shot up. “Oh, that’s right!”
“She must have been the family cook,” said Jessie, every bit as surprised as her older brother.
Benny nodded. “Kate said she worked here when Sally was growing up!”
“That’s not all.” Violet set a vase of daisies in the middle of the table. “Margaret O’Malley’s photograph was taken in 1904.”
“Are you sure?” Henry looked uncertain.
Violet nodded. “Quite sure, Henry.”
“But … that’s the same year Sally’s photograph was taken,” Jessie realized, her eyes huge.
“Sitting at a half-moon table,” added Henry, “when she was a little girl.”
“There’s no doubt about it,” Violet concluded. “Those photographs were taken at the same time—right here at Wiggin Place.” She nodded her head slowly as it began to sink in. “And I bet they were taken by the same person!”
The Aldens looked at one another. Had Ethan Cape stayed at Wiggin Place more than once?
“According to Kate,” Henry said after a moment’s thought, “Sally never met Ethan Cape until she was much older—a grandmother.”
“All the same, I’m pretty sure Ethan was here before that,” Violet insisted, “when Sally was a little girl.”
Benny placed the napkins around the table. “Do you think Ethan met Thane Pace back then?”
“I guess it’s possible,” Henry had to admit. “They were both here around the same time.”
“Can you believe it?” Violet couldn’t help laughing. “The mysteries are starting to connect!”
“Seems that way,” agreed Jessie.
Henry had a suggestion. “Let’s keep a lid on this for now. At least until we can make some sense of it.”
After dinner, the Aldens challenged Kate to a game of Scrabble. They were hoping it would take her mind off the missing necklace for a while, but it was no use. Before long, Kate called it a night, leaving the four children to finish the game on their own.
While Benny was having a turn, Jessie spoke up. “Kate tries to be cheery, but …”
“She’s afraid she’s seen the last of her necklace,” finished Violet, who had pulled her chair closer to her little brother’s. She knew he might need help with the harder words.
Henry noticed Benny
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