Page 5

Four

Benny

Present Day

As they explored the house, Benny’s mom was like a kid in a candy store, running from room to room, shouting about the home’s magazine-ready décor.

“Two fireplaces? Three ? Oh, Benny, wait till you see this room! Look at this kitchen! And the hot tub!”

Benny was more tentative, slipping off her sneakers and placing them by the front door, afraid to get dirt on all those white surfaces. From the two-story entrance hall, she could see a wall of French doors leading out to a backyard. She’d never been in a house that had a name before— Summerville. Benny tried not to let herself feel as excited as Mom was.

This wasn’t their house yet.

It could be, but for now, it was a vacation, and they never got to take vacations. Benny took in the rustic wood beams, wide central staircase, the old paintings and portraits lining the walls, and tried to imagine how it all fit into Evelyn’s game. Where were Evelyn’s favorite books? They could be anywhere in a house this large. She needed to focus, not fall in love with a house that might not be hers to keep.

“What do you think? It’s a stunning home, isn’t it?”

The voice speaking was different from Wally’s, and Benny turned to see who it was. The man standing in the kitchen was balding, with a deep voice, a nice smile, and blue eyes. He wore a suit that seemed even nicer than the one Peter the lawyer wore. As the man approached, Benny got a whiff of pine, which always reminded her of the holidays.

Her mom, who had been wandering the other rooms, came in just then. “Benny, Wally says the resort pool also has a jacuzzi, and I could swear I just saw Taylor Swift in—” She stopped when she saw the man. “Oh, hello.” She moved a loose strand of brown hair behind her right ear and smiled.

Oh no , Benny thought. I know that look .

“You must be Evelyn,” said Harris and offered her mom his hand.

“It’s Lynn now,” her mom said with a bashful laugh, and Benny tried not to grimace.

“Lynn suits you,” he said. “I’m Harris Gale.” He turned to Benny. “And you must be the famous Everly.” He offered his hand to give her a warm handshake. “We have been waiting to meet you for what feels like forever.”

“You can call me Benny,” she said.

“Harris is a board member for the Terry Estate,” Wally told them. “He wanted to be here to answer any questions you might have about the vineyards or the inn. He is actually an investor in the vineyard and owns several businesses in Greenport.”

“Oh!” Mom’s voice lifted. “Several businesses?”

“Wally is making me sound like a bigger deal than I am,” Harris said. “I’m no Vivian Rudd. That woman owns everything in this town.” A flicker crossed his face that Benny couldn’t decipher. “Anyway, I’m here because we want you both to feel right at home.

“We appreciate that,” her mom said, her voice sort of velvety. “I can’t imagine a more beautiful place.”

Harris nodded. “Well, we have Evelyn to thank for that. She established the Terry Inn in 1835, and it soon thrived. Several presidents have stayed here over the years. And the vineyard started with a grapevine her father planted.”

Evelyn mentioned the grapevine in her journal , Benny realized. And if that is real, why can’t the island be too? The vines had grown into something that was still here. It gave her hope.

“Eventually Evelyn built Summerville,” Harris continued. “Then her grandchildren took over the inn and expanded it. But it all started with Evelyn’s smart business skills. It’s amazing to think about everything she accomplished, and how she put plans in motion that we are carrying out today,” he said, looking at Benny.

“So the board knows about the game Evelyn left me?” Benny asked. He nodded.

“What are your thoughts on this missing island business?”

“Well…” Harris paused, then cleared his throat. “It does sound difficult. Having you follow clues to find an island that no one has ever even heard of? And if you don’t, you lose the inheritance?” He shook his head. “That sort of plan makes a businessman like me nervous.”

Benny couldn’t say he was wrong about that. Her eye caught a small painting on the wall behind Harris’s head. It looked similar to a bird statue on one of the tables in the foyer. Actually, there were several bird items in the house in addition to the one on Wally’s shirt. What was that about?

“We all want you to win, Benny,” Harris said softly. “So that what we built here doesn’t fall into the hands of Vivian Rudd’s’ family. That’s the family that will take over the inn and vineyard should you fail.”

The Rudds. Benny remembered the name from Peter and the paperwork she’d signed.

Harris clasped his hands together. “So let’s make sure that doesn’t happen.”

“It won’t,” Benny and her mom said at the same time. They smiled at each other. For once, Benny felt they were in sync.

“Good! Well, I’m sure you’d like to settle in. May I suggest the master bedroom with the covered balcony? That is everyone’s favorite,” Harris told Mom. As he unclasped his hands, Benny noticed he wasn’t wearing a wedding ring. “Summerville has been a vacation house for some of our more exclusive guests.” He leaned in. “You wouldn’t believe who has stayed here. Wally could tell you stories.”

Her mom’s eyes lit up, and she turned to Wally. “Really? Like who?”

“I shouldn’t say,” Wally said politely.

“ I could be persuaded though,” Harris said, winking at Mom and making her laugh. “In fact, if you have time, I could give you a tour of the vineyard right now.”

Benny tried to catch her mom’s eye, hoping she’d get the message: We have a deadline here.

But her mom smiled back at Harris. “That would be wonderful!” Then she turned to Benny. “Do you want to come along?”

Benny shook her head. “No, thanks, but you should go if you want.” She didn’t want to spoil her mom’s mood, even though she secretly wished she’d stay and help with the riddle. “Mr. Gale and I won’t be long,” she called as she headed to the door with Harris right behind her.

The door shut, and then it was just Benny and Wally and the whir of the air-conditioning.

She was on her own. Again.

“Well,” said Wally. “Let’s find you a room, shall we?”

“Any room is fine. I don’t care where I sleep,” Benny told him. She wasn’t going to be spending too much time in her room if she had clues to crack. Benny grabbed her camera, ready to take pictures of anything of interest with a fresh roll of film.

“I think I know the perfect one,” he said, his eyes twinkling as he headed for the stairs.

“Can I ask you something?” she asked Wally, following him. “Any idea why the game deadline is June twelfth of this year?”

“I am sure there must be a reason.” His hazy blue eyes were warm, the weathered lines on his face reminding her he’d lived to see many people come and go in this house over the years. He paused on the stair landing to stare out a window at the bay. “Whether anything is really out there, I don’t know, but I’ve been in this house long enough to know if there’s really an island, Evelyn left you a way to find it. There are those on the board who think this is a fool’s errand—leaving you an inheritance with such strict stipulations. But I choose to believe in the original lady of this house. She was convinced the island existed. And sometimes, when you believe hard enough, it becomes your reality.” Wally pushed open the door at the end of the upstairs hallway. “And if you are going to think like Evelyn, maybe you should stay in her original room.”

Benny inhaled sharply. Evelyn’s room was the size of their entire apartment in Boston, with its own bathroom and a large sitting area with a small bookcase tucked into an alcove. She snapped a picture and made a memory with her mind. “It’s beautiful,” Benny said, taking in the comfy-looking bed with its numerous pillows, the TV on the wall, and the big window perfect for looking out at the water. There was even a small balcony beyond a set of French doors. As Benny looked around, her stomach started to churn like the small white-capped waves on the shore. Don’t get attached .

“This window is perfectly situated for a view of the lighthouse,” Wally pointed out. Benny could see the silhouette of an offshore lighthouse in the distance. “Evelyn commissioned that lighthouse with President Andrew Jackson’s blessing, in fact,” Wally said.

“You’re kidding. That’s cool,” Benny said.

“It is cool,” Wally noted. “It’s been standing since 1850. But there’s not much use for a lighthouse in between Long Island’s two forks anymore, so it went out of commission years ago. It’s a museum now, run by the Greenport Historical Society. If you go, ask for Thea Dabney.”

“Thea Dabney.” Benny made a mental note to remember the name. Maybe she knew something about Evelyn that could be useful.

“Come see the balcony.” Wally opened the French doors. “Once you see this view, you won’t be able to refuse this room.”

Benny stepped outside with him. The balcony wasn’t large enough for more than a single chair, but the view was spectacular.

“Lots of coastal homes from this time period had balconies that faced the sea, in order to watch for ships,” he explained. “I suspect with Evelyn’s history, she used this balcony to search for something else.”

The island , Benny thought, watching clouds roll in fast. It looked like it might rain.

“You can look over the entire estate from here,” Wally added. “All five hundred acres, most of which Evelyn kept for farmland while she was alive.” He pointed out to the grounds on the left. “Out that way is the town. The Rudds owned most of it when Evelyn was young, but later she bought quite a bit of property there, including the spot where Hooked Restaurant now stands.” He sighed. “Later, the Rudds bought that space back and built Hooked. Evelyn would have hated that, but it was after she passed. She wasn’t a fan of the Rudds, and the feeling was mutual.”

The Rudds again. Benny made a note to learn more about them too.

“So? Shall we call this your room?” he asked. “This view alone makes it worth it.”

It was nice, but… “Are you sure? It’s more than I need, and I don’t want to get too attached in case…” Benny trailed off. What if I’m only here for two weeks? was her first thought. Her second was Grams’s voice in her head scolding her, Guppy, you can do this! You can do anything!

“You don’t find the island and can’t stay?” Wally guessed. “I wouldn’t worry. You’re going to find it. Let’s have hope, shall we?”

“You’re right,” Benny agreed. “Okay. I’ll take it.” She took a picture of the view. “And now that my room is settled, maybe you can help me with something else.”

“Anything,” Wally told her.

“Where can I find books that might have belonged to Evelyn?” she asked hopefully.

Wally smiled. “Did I mention the house has a private library?”