Page 35 of The Lake House (Southern Charm #2)

Chapter Thirty-Five

Rita put the letters down with a sigh. She’d read them all, finally.

The last letter had been written by her mother, but looked as though it was never sent to Uncle Bill.

It’d been hidden inside of another envelope and folded over itself until it was a tiny triangle of paper.

When she unfurled it, she could see that it was a love letter, but also a goodbye.

Maybe it was a draft and she sent the final version, or maybe she never told him how she truly felt.

Rita would never know. She picked it up again and glanced over it.

Dearest Bill,

Even though it’s been over for a while between us, that time we had together is something I’ll never forget. I can’t explain to you how it feels to know that I’m so well loved, and to find someone who understands and appreciates me the way you do.

But as you know, it can’t go on. We both have marriages we must tend to. And even though we’ve been through a rough patch over these past few years, I do love your brother and I want to make our marriage work as much for the children as for myself. I hope you can understand that.

I don’t think we can work together any longer now that Ray knows what happened between us. So, I won’t be coming back to the café. I’ve already spoken with him, and he says he’ll hire someone to replace me. I think it’s for the best. It’s your café, you shouldn’t have to leave, and so, I will.

I wish you nothing but the best. I hope you know that.

The time we spent together will forever be hidden in my heart.

Now that the truth has come out, I’m going away for a while.

I need some time to think. I can’t be around Ray right now.

He’s so angry with me, though he says he wants to work things out.

I don’t know if it’s possible, but I need some time away to imagine how that might go.

Take care.

Sincerely,

Sylvia

Tears blurred Rita’s vision. This was a side of her mother she’d never seen.

To her, Mom was lighthearted, fun, happy.

She wasn’t romantic or passionate. She loved Dad, but it was a convenient, casual kind of love.

Nothing of the fire represented in the letter.

Rita got the sense her mother was holding back, not wanting to make things any worse.

There was a kind of restrained emotion behind each word.

They’d loved each other. The affair hadn’t been impulsive.

Or at least, not entirely. It’d gone on for months.

The letter didn’t say when, but perhaps years before the letter was written.

When the truth was revealed somehow, her mother had gone to North Carolina to think.

All of the bits and pieces of their lives made sense now.

The things she’d never really understood—the tension between her parents, her father’s grumpiness, the long stays in North Carolina at various times over the years…

they were trying to make it work, but it was no doubt hard.

And most of all, the chasm between the two brothers.

Something she’d never understood. Now it all became clear.

Everyone involved was long gone—they’d passed years ago—so it was probably time to talk to Cathy about it.

She and Cathy were the only people remaining who it really impacted. If it impacted them at all.

She was surprised by her own reaction to the revelations—she’d been shocked and a little sad, but it hadn’t shaken her as badly as she’d imagined something like that would.

She had too much drama going on in her own life to let secrets from the past shift her centre of gravity too far.

But also, she’d probably always known there was something amiss.

Something not quite right between her parents, and of course between the two brothers.

The office was too warm with the heat blasting. Even though the weather had finally turned cooler, she was overheating in her sweater in that small space. She got up to turn the heater down, and the door opened. Cathy stood there, two mismatched mugs held aloft.

“Tea?”

“That would be wonderful.”

Cathy sat across from Rita’s place at the desk. Cathy’s eye makeup was particularly bright today, with a slash of yellow above the blue. Her bangs swept high over her forehead, held together with what was no doubt an impressive amount of hair spray.

Rita sighed. “I’m glad you came in. There’s something I want to talk to you about.”

Cathy arched an eyebrow. “What have I done now?”

“No, nothing like that. It’s about the café and the past.”

“Oh?”

“You know I’ve been reading the letters I found in that closet.”

“That’s right. Anything interesting turn up?”

“It did, actually. I haven’t said anything before now because I wasn’t sure how to raise it with you. I wanted to be able to express it in a way that you might understand, but that wouldn’t cause you any pain.”

Cathy set her tea down on the desk, her eyes clouding. “Now you’re scaring me.”

“Clearly I’m off to a great start…” Rita chuckled. “Okay, I’ll just come out with it, then. My mother and your father had an affair.”

“What?” Cathy’s eyes widened. “No.”

“Yes, it seems so. That’s why Uncle Bill walked away from the café. It’s why Mom, Helen and I went to North Carolina for months… do you remember that?”

“Yes, I remember. We didn’t see you for ages. It felt like a lifetime.”

“That’s right. And it was because Dad found out about the affair.”

“Oh, no.” Cathy’s face crumpled. “How horrible. Poor Mom.”

“I don’t know if she ever discovered the truth. The letters don’t say. But Dad did, and he was pretty angry, apparently.”

“Understandably.”

“Yes, of course. So, anyway, I thought you should know. I don’t have any more details.

It went on for months, and Mom wrote your dad a letter expressin’ her love for him, so I do think they had real feelings for each other, if that helps at all.

I don’t know if it does for you, but in a way it does give me some comfort. ”

“I suppose so,” Cathy agreed. “I’m still in shock, but I guess it brings together all the pieces of our past with more clarity.”

“That’s exactly right. So anyway, I asked my lawyer to put together a contract that would give you half ownership of the café.”

Rita waited for her words to land. It took a few seconds, but then Cathy’s mouth fell open. She tried to speak a few times, but no words came out. Finally, she let out a kind of whooshing sound and then said, “Really? Rita, I don’t want you to feel obligated. This is your baby.”

“You’ve been a lifesaver these past weeks, Cathy. And I know how much you care about this place. I can’t do it on my own, not anymore. I want you to be co-owner with me. We can share the responsibility and keep things going when the other can’t. What do you think?”

Cathy smiled, her eyes glistening with tears. “I’d love that. Thank you, Rita. You have no idea how much this means to me.”

“It’s only right. Your dad was part owner of the Honeysuckle Café, and you would’ve inherited it except that my mother had an affair with him.

And to ensure that she didn’t lose her marriage, your dad gave up his dream and moved his whole family to another state.

That was a big deal for all of you, and I think it’s only fair that you get your inheritance back. ”

Rita pushed the paperwork towards Cathy and held up a pen. “All you have to do is sign, and half of this place is yours.”

Tears rolled down Cathy’s cheeks. She stood and came around the desk to hug Rita. They both sniffled and embraced, then sniffled some more. After a while, she sat back down, pen poised, and added her signature to the final line of the contract. They were officially business partners.