Page 59 of Magnolia Summer

A cave!

She couldn’t remember Will or any of the children mentioning it, perhaps because they were supposed to stay on their own land and not wander onto other people’s property. Did anyone else know about it?

Celia had heard of Indians in the area using caves for storage and shelter. Could there be something interesting inside, some old pottery or perhaps pictures, painted on the walls? She went inside.

The hollow sound of dripping water greeted her. The floor of the cave was solid, but bumpy, its walls rounding up into an arch over her head. Several yards away, light streamed in from above, probably from a hole in the cave ceiling. Cautiously, she proceeded. A few wet spots showed where water continually seeped through the rock walls.

She soon reached the hole in the ceiling. On the floor beneath it were a few sticks and dirt and debris from the outside world. Farther in, the cave narrowed and the ceiling lowered, so that she had to bend down to keep from bumping her head on the rock. Then she came to what seemed like a little round room, and there the cave ended.

As she turned to leave, her eye caught sight of a black bundle lying on the floor, tucked against the wall in the little cavern. She bent over to pick it up. Carrying it closer to the light streaming in through the hole, she realized it was two things. When she lifted them, she gasped..

In one hand she held a black hood, complete with eye holes. In the other, a long black cloak.

The hooded horseman’s disguise.

The longer she stared at them, the more her hands shook. Her first impulse was to throw them down and run away. But she forced herself to take a deep breath.

Perhaps there was a clue as to who owned these things. Maybe they didn’t belong to Truett after all.

She carefully looked over the material, but what was she looking for? It wasn’t as if she would find his name sewn inside. She tried to imagine Truett wearing the hood.

Suddenly, she knew how to find out if it was Truett’s or not. Before she could change her mind, she pressed the hood against her face and breathed in its scent.

The memory of kissing Truett flooded her senses as she inhaled the bergamot and rosemary cologne mixed with the scent that was uniquely his.

She held the hood against her cheek and closed her eyes, breathing in his smell. More images of Truett Beverly floated before her. She could almost feel his arms around her.

“God, please don’t let Sheriff Suggs kill him. Please help me talk to him.” The urge to protect him gripped her. Perhaps he wouldn’t have need of the hood and cloak again. But what if he did? She couldn’t live with herself if something happened to him and she didn’t tell him that he should not be risking his life like this.

She couldn’t be seen with the incriminating items, so she balled them up and left them where she’d found them, then scurried out of the cave to find Truett.

* * *

Celia rodetoward town on Old Sallie. Her heart beat fast as she contemplated what she was about to do. She’d hardly slept at all last night thinking about what might happen if he rode out again to try to thwart Sheriff’s Suggs’ evil actions. It was only a matter of time before the sheriff would catch him.

If only she didn’t have to face him. Truett must still be angry with her, and she couldn’t blame him. It had been over three weeks since the night of the dance and their kiss. They had both worked hard to avoid each other.

She had to ask him to be careful, but how much should she tell him? Should she be vague and just say he should be careful? That wouldn’t make any sense. He wouldn’t know what she was talking about. She would have to tell him she knew his secret. And to tell his secret, she would have to get him alone, completely alone, where no one else could hear their conversation.

Old Sallie whinnied and bobbed her head up and down. Her own nerves were making the horse nervous.

She had to get the mail anyway, and then she would go to Truett’s office and speak with him. But as she came into sight of Main Street, she saw him helping his mother down from her buggy, with Griff standing nearby.

Now how was she going to speak to Truett privately with his mother around?

She couldn’t avoid them. Mrs. Beverly was already looking up.

“Well, if it isn’t Celia Wilcox!” Mrs. Beverly let Truett place her on her feet.

Truett glanced up, his eyes going wide at the sight of her, then closing for two full seconds.

Celia tried not to dwell on his reaction.

“Mrs. Beverly! How are you today?”

“Oh, I’m very well, you darling thing. Come over here and tell us the news.”

Celia hopped down off her horse before Truett’s mother told him to go help her dismount. She smiled her brightest fake smile at them.