“I hope you don’t mind,” Clara Bennett sauntered into the room. She smiled as she glanced around at everyone. “So, this is what it’s like to have sisters.”
“What are you doing here?” Mercy asked, pulling the woman in for a hug.
“My brothers and I have a gift for the bride. I offered to deliver it personally.” She crossed the room and handed a card to Faith, only Faith didn’t have an opportunity to open it because Gwen snatched it out of her hand.
She pointed to an emblem of a spiral looking sun. “I’ve seen this before.”
Clara’s lips twisted into a smile. “I’m sure you have. Our cousin Mike probably mentioned it.”
“Yeah, he did, and then Fillpot had it too.”
Clara’s smile slipped. “Did he?”
Gwen nodded. “It’s supposed to be some type of healing shaman symbol isn’t it?”
“You could say it has a way of healing a person’s spirit.” Clara’s smile grew.
“Well, don’t be rude.” Faith took the envelope back and pulled the card out.
Her eyes glazed over, and she had this faraway look, like she’d been transported to another place or time. Her chest fell and rose like she was being chased.
“Faith…” I held out my hand, only for Clara to shake her head.
“It’s nothing that will hurt her. I promise,” Clara whispered.
Faith rested her hand over her chest and grabbed the nearest chair. Tears gathered in her eyes.
“I thought you said it wouldn’t hurt her,” I growled.
“It didn’t hurt,” Faith said as a tear slipped free. “How did you do that?”
“It’s a Bennett family secret and probably one of the main reasons Fillpot was searching for me.” Clara beamed. “It’s a small token we can offer to mend the ties between our family lines.”
“Let me see,” Gwen said, about to pluck the card from Faith’s hands.
“I don’t know if it will work for you,” Faith said, as though almost hesitant for Gwen to see it.
“It will,” Clara clarified. “It will work for all of you. I’ll leave you guys to it. I’m going to go grab a seat.”
Clara left, and I watched my other sisters fall into the same trance. The same tears formed, and the look on their faces was one not of confusion but love.
Cassie handed me the card, and it was then that I understood why they’d reacted as they had.
Chapter Nineteen
My vision blurred, and I blinked. I was no longer in the dressing room with my sisters. I no longer held the card clenched in my hand. I was in a meadow filled with yellow flowers.
Standing in front of me was my baby sister, Talia.
Only she wasn’t young like she’d been when she died. She looked grownup. She looked our age.
“Honor.” Talia said my name, and tears filled my eyes.
“This isn’t real, but God, I want it to be,” I whispered.
“It is real. I’ve been watching you and the others grow. I’ve been with you the entire time.”
A tear slipped down my cheek, and my heart raced.
“How?”
“It doesn’t matter. What matters is that I love you guys and miss you so very much, but I’m where I need to be.”
“Talia.”
She wiped her thumb across my face, banishing my tear. “You’re going to be okay. You know that, right?”
“Sure,” I answered, and within seconds, Teddy appeared next to her.
I didn’t pretend I was strong enough to stand. I fell to my knees.
“Oh, Lizzie Lou,” he said, his face softening. “I’m sorry for everything I’ve done and the pain I’ve caused you.”
“Teddy?” I swallowed hard.
“Hugh is the man for you. He always has been. I was selfish to keep you to myself, knowing the truth, but I loved you, Lizzie. I will always love you. It’s time for you to let go and live.”
I swallowed around the lump in my throat, unable to speak.
“He’s right, Honor. Your destiny awaits, and I can’t wait to have a front-row seat to the fireworks,” Talia said, leaning into me and pulling me tight. She whispered into my ear. “I have it on good authority that he actually is your Mr. Right.”
My eyes shot open, and I found each of my sisters holding out a tissue in my direction.
I dabbed at my tears, trying to salvage my makeup as the others did the same.
“How…”
They shrugged.
“It doesn’t matter how. It only matters that it happened,” Faith said through her teary-eyed smile.
The wedding went off without a hitch. My sister was a married woman, and I had a feeling it wouldn’t be long before the others joined that club.
I was seated next to Clara, watching the others on the dance floor.
“So, how did you do it?”
“Does it matter?” she asked.
“It’s the emblem with intention,” Fillpot announced, sitting down on the other side of her. “It’s one of her many tricks.”
Clara sipped her champagne, not denying or agreeing.
“It’s why I showed it to your sister Gwen when we first met,” Fillpot said.
“You mean when you set a trap for my sister?” I asked.
A smile splayed on Fillpot’s face. “If there was another way, I would have taken it. Unfortunately, there wasn’t. And your grandmother did get all of her money back with interest. No harm, no foul.”
I sipped my champagne before I spoke. “If you believe that, then you don’t know us Bennetts at all.”
“Clara, if I can a word in private,” Fillpot said and gestured toward the double doors that led to the hallway.
“You don’t have to.” I said to Clara before giving a pained smile to Fillpot. “He isn’t your keeper.”
As soon as the words left my mouth, I felt like it was a lie.
“It’s fine,” she said, rising to her feet. Her black silk dress shimmied down her body. “We’ve played this song and dance for years.”
Before she walked off, she leaned down and whispered, “Don’t be too hard on him. He was fighting himself on whether he was betraying his brother because he wants you too.”
I looked up to find Hugh crossing the room, his gaze glued on me. The suit was made for him. He looked debonair and scrumptious and everything I shouldn’t want.
Clara rested her hand on my shoulder. “Have fun.”
My stomach flipped and flopped and did all of those girly things I didn’t want it to do. It had been three weeks since he’d left with few words. Three weeks since I couldn’t even find him in the astral state.
He sat down, holding my gaze.
“I looked for you in my astral state. I changed my sleeping pattern for you…” The words slipped free before I could rein them in. “Only you weren’t there.”
“Honor, I’m sorry.”
I shook my head and rose from my chair. “You missed your window.”
I walked across the dance floor to the doors and the garden beyond. My sisters each watched as if reading the situation to intervene.