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What kind of secrets were going to be revealed once I opened the box?
When we returned to Jensen’s Bronco, he opened my door and smiled. “Do you want to open it out here or wait until we get home?”
The box was quite heavy in my purse, but I knew there was no better place than home. I didn’t want to rush when looking through everything.
“Home,” I said, hopping in my seat.
Jensen chuckled. “Can you last that long?”
My fingers were itching to open the lock, but I was excited by the anticipation building up inside me. “I don’t know,” I said, winking at him. “Now get in and let’s go.”
I had a feeling T’s love letters would be nothing compared to what was in the box. My grandmother’s mystery was about to end.
* * *
The second we arrived home,Jensen and I sat on the floor of the back deck with the box between us. My fingers trembled as I swiped the numbers on the lock to the correct ones.
When I pulled on the lock, it gave way and I carefully took it off the latch. I took a deep breath and counted to five, steadying my nerves, before exhaling slowly.
I looked over at Jensen and he smiled. “You ready?”
I laughed. “I’m not sure.”
The box was sealed tight, so it took a little effort to pry the lid. Once it was open, I couldn’t tear my gaze away. Jensen and I both looked inside simultaneously, his eyes lit up with wonder. The box was waterproof, which was a good thing. There were pictures, a diary, and even a large brown envelope filled with what had to be two inches worth of paper.
Jensen sat back and motioned toward the box. “I’m going to let you take the reins on this. Take your time.”
The first thing I grabbed was the diary; it belonged to my grandmother. Inside were her accounts of everyday life back when she was sixteen. After skimming through several entries, it was clear her parents wanted her to marry into wealth.
“What is she saying?” Jensen asked curiously.
I searched through more dates, and there was nothing about the mysterious T yet. I looked over at Jensen and sighed.
“Basically, her parents wanted her to marry for wealth. My grandfather came from money.”
Jensen nodded. “I wonder what happened to T if she ended it by marrying someone else.”
The diary was massive, so it was going to take me days to read every single entry. However, it didn’t take long to get to the good stuff.
“Here we go,” I exclaimed excitedly, grinning at Jensen. “Listen to this.”
May 23, 19XX
Today is a day I will never forget. It was a day of discovery and emotion that I will forever look back on fondly. I had gone out to the pier, the same place I had visited a hundred times before. But this time was different; I was met by someone special. He’s a young man I’ve known for many years but had never really spoken to until now.
As I locked eyes with him for the first time, my heart felt like it had been set on fire. He had grown over the years and was far more handsome than I had ever imagined. As we talked, I began to see him for who he really was: kind, caring, and full of life. His presence lit up the pier, and I felt like I was in a dream.
For what seemed to be an eternity, we conversed until the sun dipped below the horizon. I never wanted that moment to end, but eventually, it did. I left the pier with a newfound appreciation for life, and I fell in love at the same time.
I’m not sure what will come from this, but I’m excited to find out.
I was hopingI’d find out what T stood for, but my grandmother didn’t mention anything until much later. There were so many entries about their secret rendezvous on the pier and how they’d meet at Airlie Gardens. Their love was forbidden, but they wanted to be with each other.
When I got to my grandmother’s last entry, it was as if I could feel all the pain in her words. I couldn’t even read it out loud to Jensen.
December 25, 19XX
Today was supposed to be the day Thomas declared his love for me to my parents. He was going to ask for my hand in marriage. I had everything planned. He was going to show up, dressed in his best, and show my parents that he was worthy of me. Sadly, my parents had other plans. The dinner wasn’t just me and my family, they’d invited the Holts. I knew the second Arthur Holt walked through the door of my house that my father had plans for us. My parents wanted me to marry for money, but I didn’t think they would put the prospect of marriage in my face. I should’ve known they had something up their sleeves when they started spending time with the Holts.
