Page 30 of Hibiscus Heights (Crown Island #4)

“ I t wasn’t his fault,” Kitty said, her brow furrowed.

Deb needed to end this conversation. She gestured toward two original wingback chairs she’d refurbished and recovered in a creamy brocade that featured a small navy-colored anchor design.

“Please sit down.” Deb figured she might as well face whatever bad news Kitty had for her and get it over with.

“As I said, what happened here years ago wasn’t Grant’s fault.”

“He must have told you about my brothers.”

Kitty waved a hand. “No, not that. By then, the damage had already been inflicted. And sadly, I became a party to it. Jock was a force to contend with. I loved him, but he wasn’t perfect. None of us are.”

Deb pressed her fingers to her throbbing temple. “I’m not following this.”

Kitty continued, “I imagined you waiting in a pretty dress at the dance for Grant, probably heartbroken when he never arrived. He was, too, I assure you.”

Deb could hardly believe what Kitty was saying, but it was too little, far too late. She wouldn’t let on how devastated she’d been. Deb merely shrugged. “I haven’t thought about that in years.”

Kitty leveled a gaze at her, clearly seeing through her flimsy excuse. “Just after it happened, I called your mother and apologized. I doubt if she ever told you. Since the relationship was over, she thought it best to let you heal.”

“You spoke to my mother? She never told me.” Deb was shocked. She didn’t think they had secrets between them. “Why should I believe this?”

Kitty sighed. “Mothers naturally want to shield their children when they see them in pain.”

With some reluctance, Deb allowed that within the realm of possibilities.

“Grant left to pick up the boys and put them to bed, so we have time to talk.” Kitty leaned forward. “You see, once Jock made his decision, he packed our suitcases. I had been playing tennis and didn’t even have time to change. I knew nothing until I walked in the door. Neither did Grant.”

“I’m not sure why you’re telling me this.”

“Because Grant wanted to be with you at the dance. He looked forward to seeing you and was devastated when he couldn’t.”

“As I said, that was so long ago.” Deb couldn’t listen to much more. She began to stand.

Kitty grabbed Deb’s wrist with surprising strength. “Just a few moments more, please.”

“Does Grant know you’re here, and that you’re making excuses for him?”

“Not at all. He’s too proud to let me do that, but I’m old enough not to care what people think anymore. Even my children. This will only take a few minutes. Will you listen?”

Deb sank back into the chair, resigned to the older woman’s request. “Go on.”

“Jock thought Grant was too young to make such a commitment.”

When Deb started to protest, Kitty quelled her with a glance.

“We could see that the two of you were in love. The irony was that Jock and I were about the same age when we married. Obviously, he didn’t see it that way.”

Deb hadn’t heard this side of the story. Although she told herself it didn’t matter, she was intrigued. “What did you do?”

“We argued, but he stood firm in his decision. Maybe I should have stayed and kept Grant and Jen with me. Yet, as charming and charismatic as my husband was, he also had a thundering temper he rarely showed. If I had stood up to Jock, your lives would have been different. I also thought his mother was truly ill, but he’d concocted that story so that I would leave right away with him. ”

Deb considered this new information. “Thanks for telling me. But I’m over all that.”

Kitty patted her hand. “I also want you to know that Nicole was a sweet girl. She and Grant were friends for years before they married, and those little boys are like sunshine in my life. Grant is a good man, a good father, and he means well.” Kitty hesitated.

“I suspect he never stopped loving you.”

“Kitty, I don’t mean any disrespect, but I don’t need to resurrect the past. Why do you feel the need to share this with me? It’s not as if Grant went out of his way to come here. His sister had already brought Mason and Teddy with her.”

A sheepish look filled Kitty’s face. “I suggested that. And I also booked our flights when I saw the article about you in that magazine. The boys aren’t happy in their school, and I thought about how much Grant loved coming here.

I did, too. Maybe I meddled a little, but I only want to see my family happy.

I hoped you and Grant might meet again and have a second chance at happiness. ”

“Did you suggest this hotel, rather than a beach house, to Jen?”

Kitty nodded. “This was my favorite hotel, and the trip was my gift to them for helping me sort out my home.”

Deb tried to piece together Kitty’s actions in order. “So you didn’t entirely orchestrate the coincidences.”

“No, not until I saw the article. The moment I read it, I felt compelled to give providence a little push so the two of you might have another chance. For Grant, because I want to see him happy, and for you, because you were wronged without even knowing it. I thought you should know the whole story, even after all these years.”

Deb drew a breath, not sure what to think about the extent to which Kitty had gone. “Did Grant know this?”

“Not at the time, of course. I called Bitsy, and I told Grant, but then he told me you didn’t want to see him. Now, we know why that happened. After all that, it seemed too late.”

“I’ll have to think about this,” Deb said.

“I hope we can still work together on the house, but I will understand if it’s uncomfortable for you,” Kitty said, placing a hand on Deb’s arm.

Deb rose from the chair, feeling the underpinnings of her world shaken. Or rather, the truth as she had known it. Isn’t that ultimately what she valued?

“I imagine it took a lot for you to share these details, and I appreciate that.” The other woman had always been kind to her.

On impulse, Deb reached out to Kitty and hugged her. “I hope you’ll be happy here on Crown Island. I’ll think about what you’ve said.”

Deb left Kitty and took the stairs down, pausing on a side terrace to drink in the fresh air. She was feeling better now.

When she returned to the ballroom, April joined her before Deb could return to the table.

April frowned with concern. “You’ve been gone a while. Is everything okay?”

“I’m not sure.” Deb told her about Kitty and their talk.

After listening, April nodded. “I won’t tell you what to do, but what she said makes a lot of sense.”

“I thought so, too. I never felt like I had the whole story.”

“What will you do?”

“I’m not sure yet.”

For a moment, April stared at her, and then her expression shifted. “Wait a minute. In this light…”

“What?” Deb asked, perplexed at April’s reaction.

“I’ve seen those earrings before. I’m sure of it now.” April held up her phone and snapped a close-up of one.

“Where?” Deb asked.

“Remember that old photograph of Princess Noelle on the other side of the ballroom? Junie found the pendant necklace she wore in that painting in the gift shop storeroom. I suspect these might be the earrings. I read once that the princess wore certain pieces for luck and strength, and I seem to recall that she once gave or lent her favorite earrings to a dear friend who’d helped her.

There was more that I can’t remember, but I’ll comb through my historical research. Did you find out who gave them to you?”

“No one knows anything about them. Except you, it seems.” As Deb touched the earrings, a renewed sense of certainty surged within her.

“Well, it was room 418,” April said, her eyes glittering.

Deb smiled at the thought. The room had never frightened her. Perhaps whatever spirit had spilled over into the present day sensed that. The room simply was, and she’d accepted that.

Another thought occurred to her. “Could one of my ancestors have been her friend? That might explain the middle name that we thought was in error.”

“We’ll find out,” April said.

Deb considered this. “If these earrings match those in the photo, I’ll donate them to the historical collection.”

For a moment, she considered that the case might have been placed in her room by accident.

She’d speak with Whitley about that, but judging from the card inside, she thought April’s explanation made more sense, even though that room had been renovated.

A vintage jewelry case couldn’t have been overlooked.

And yet, at the Majestic Hotel she had learned that some occurrences were inexplicable and beyond comprehension.

Much like love.

Just then, Whitley interrupted with an announcement. “Ladies and gentlemen, please join us on the veranda and terraces for a thoroughly majestic fireworks celebration. The dancing will continue after that.”

April hugged her. “Maybe those gems will bring you luck tonight. I should find Ryan now. Want to come with us?”

“I’m alright. Maybe I’ll find Matteo. See you later.”

Something shifted within Deb. The event had gone well, and she had accomplished what she’d set out to do this evening, but it was more than that.

She strolled toward the edge of the terrace, not looking for Matteo but enjoying a moment to herself. The night air off the ocean was growing cooler, alleviating the heat of the day. It felt good.

Seconds later, the first fireworks burst over the ocean. A brilliant kaleidoscope of sparkles cascaded onto the waves.

Not far from where she stood, a young boy’s voice bubbled with excitement. “Wow, did you see that?”

Deb turned, spotting Teddy on a patio. He saw her at the same time and began waving wildly.

“It’s Deb,” he called out, sounding even more excited. “Watch the fireworks with us.”

Mason poked his head around the corner, grinning and waving, too.

They looked thrilled to see her, and she felt the same. She couldn’t ignore them, so she began walking toward the patio of the lower-level, beach-view suite.

“Hi, boys. Here I come.”

As she approached, Grant appeared behind them. He’d shed his jacket and tie and was folding back his sleeves.