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“But what if one of the soldiershadbeen from the mountain? Lots of people joined up when the war began, even a few from here. And think about this. Why did they even choose to take such a steep and treacherous route up a mountain with that gold unless someone knew it would be less traveled and they were more likely not to be attacked? They didn’t plan on breaking a wagon wheel, but once it happened, that same personwould have been the one who knew exactly where to put it for safekeeping until they could come back to retrieve it,” Ella said.
Annie gasped. “Oh wow. Yes. I never thought of that, but it makes sense.”
Ella’s eyes narrowed as she stared off into the trees, remembering.
“There were old trapper’s huts still around when I was growing up, but I’d reckon they’ve all fallen down and turned to dust.” Then she put the necklace back in the velvet pouch and gave it back to Annie. “I reckon you should return this to your granny’s trunk. If they do find Brendan’s Meg, it would be fitting to give it back.”
Annie nodded as she put the pouch in her purse. “Yes, yes, I’ll do that very thing, Aunt Ella. I promise.”
“Meg would like that, I think. Brendan made it for her.”
Annie sighed. “All of this just breaks my heart.”
“I’ve lived a long time, and if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that life can be heartbreaking, but as long as it’s given to us, it’s precious despite the pain,” Ella said.
“Thank you for doing this for me,” Annie said.
“You’re welcome, girl. But there were no revelations. Only verifications of what we already suspected.”
“Except for one thing,” Annie said.
Ella frowned. “What’s that?”
“We didn’t know she was still alive when they hid her. This is why she’s crying on the mountain. She’s been waiting for Brendan to find her, which in mymind, makes this a rescue a hundred and fifty years in the making.”
Annie went home and immediately told John about the visit, then said nothing about it to anyone else until she got to the bakery the next morning. She liked opening up the shop and being the first one in the kitchen long before daylight. It was a quiet time. A time for contemplation as she went through her morning routine. Starting yeasts to proof, measuring flour, turning on the ovens to preheat. Starting coffee to brew in the big coffee maker.
She was taking her second batch of cinnamon rolls from the oven when her crew began to arrive.
Her daughters began working on cookie doughs and pie crusts, while B.J. began mopping the front area and wiping down tables. Once he was finished, he went to the galley area and began cleaning up the baking equipment for reuse. There was little to no talking, just people doing their jobs, when Annie suddenly stopped and turned around.
“I have something to tell you. You’re all family, and this has been weighing on my heart all night.” Then she began to relate her visit to Aunt Ella and told them everything Ella had said about the crying woman and believing it was Meg. When she stopped, tears were running down her face.
“Mama, what’s wrong?” Laurel asked.
“Aunt Ella said Meg was shot, but when they hid herbody, she wasn’t dead. Meg died in the dark alone, crying out for Brendan. I can’t get that image out of my head.”
B.J. was in shock. “Just like Charlie,” he said. “Only his mama found him in time.”
They all turned to look at him. He was pale and obviously shaken by Annie’s story.
“I used to be afraid of the dark,” he muttered, then went back to cleaning without looking up.
After that, it was a long day for all of them, trying to stay upbeat for the constant stream of customers as the sadness settled upon them.
That evening when B.J. went home, he was unusually quiet at the supper table and only picked at his food, behavior that alerted every family member into thinking he was sick.
“B.J., honey, are you okay?” Shirley asked.
“Yes, ma’am,” he said, and shoved a piece of meat through a pile of ketchup, then put down his fork.
“If you’re not sick, then what’s wrong?” Aaron asked.
“Is Aunt Ella psychic?” B.J. asked.
That was the last thing they’d expected him to say.
Shirley shrugged. “The family has always claimed she had some kind of knowing. I don’t think they ever called her psychic. Why?”
