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His brow furrowed at my accusation. “No. If your mother was correct, and I have no reason to believe otherwise, I suspect the collection was so secret there wasn’t a paper trail for the police to follow.”
I took several breaths, letting his information sink in. “Did Daddy know about this?”
“Yes, but he insisted the culprit was the man the police suspected.”
“And what do you think?”
His face softened and he gave me a sad smile. “Honestly, Ellie, I don’t know. Your father said that whoever broke in wanted you. If your mother was killed because of the collection, why would they be looking for you? Your father’s explanation seemed more plausible.”
I nodded, my throat tightening. I wasn’t sure what to believe anymore. Was her death related to the curse as I’d always thought, just in a way I hadn’t suspected? Could the collection she’d examined have been the Ricardo Estate?
“This was a lot to throw at you and not the best place to do it. I apologize. But with the appearance of the Lost Colony and hearing about your father’s death, it’s been heavy on my mind. I felt compelled to tell you.”
I shook my head. “No. I appreciate you sharing this information with me. Thank you.”
“Just don’t let the past consume you, Ellie. It’s the curse of the historian, I’m afraid. It makes losing people that much more difficult.” His voice sounded scratchy, and he cleared his throat, patting my arm. “Why don’t you take a moment, and then I’ll show you the inside of Ananias and Elinor Dare’s home.”
I nodded again, my shoulder pressed into a tree as I took several deep breaths. Steven had given me more information about my parents than I’d ever hoped to get. But it was overwhelming after finding nothing at all for weeks. Or years. How much had my father kept from me?
He’d done what he’d thought necessary to protect me, and I would never fault him for that. Perhaps if I hadn’t shut him down so effectively about the curse, he would have shared this information with me. The blame belonged squarely at my own feet.
But wallowing in guilt wouldn’t help me find out who’d killed my mother, nor would it help me lock away the evil that roamed the earth. There was a reason I was at this site—to find any helpful information that Manteo or Ananias might have left behind. Standing here feeling sorry for myself was a waste of time and resources. I squared my shoulders and joined Steven at the opening of the hut.
“Ready to step back in time?” he asked with a smile. When I nodded, he ducked through the doorway. “All I ask is that you don’t touch anything.”
“Of course.”
“This home is actually larger than most of the others because of the Dares’ status, but it’s still quite small by today’s standards.”
I stood in the center of the dirt-floored structure as my eyes adjusted to the dim light, amazed that a family of three had lived comfortably in here. A bed, slightly larger than full sized sat in one corner, a skeleton tucked beneath the quilt.
I gasped as I realized I was staring at my namesake, Elinor Dare.
Steven turned back to me. “I’m sorry. I should have warned you that the bodies haven’t been removed yet. Do you need to get some air?”
I shook my head. “No, I’m fine. It just caught me by surprise.”
“As a father, the cradle is much more difficult for me,” he murmured.
The cradle. My eyes sought it out, next to the head of the bed and in Steven’s shadow. I took a step closer. A tiny skull was visible at the top of the infant’s bed, a cap covering its head.
“We’re fairly certain this is Elinor and Virginia Dare, but there’s no sign of Ananias.”
“You’re sure this is their house?”
“Not one hundred percent, of course, but as certain as possible. We’ve found a Bible with Ananias’s name inscribed inside, as well as other papers leading us to believe he lived here.” He pointed to the table on the opposite wall from the bed. A stack of papers sat in one corner, a candle in the middle.
I took a deep breath, the full impact of the situation hitting me. Ananias had sat at the table. He had slept in that bed next to his wife. Held the tiny baby that now lay in the cradle. How had he gone on after realizing he’d lost everything and everyone? “What was in the papers you found?”
“We’ve only begun to scratch the surface, so I can’t really answer that question yet. The two weeks we’ve been granted isn’t nearly enough time for us to examine everything. After David requested an extension, I’ve decided to file one as well. I’d like to be the lead researcher.” His mouth twisted, and he shrugged. “We’ll see if that happens or not. Only the fates decide.”
“Do you believe in fate, Steven?”
“I never used to, but I’m becoming more and more of a believer.”
I was too.
David returned about thirty minutes later. We were standing outside when Steven saw him coming. He leaned close to me and lowered his voice. “I’m not a meddler, Ellie, but David is like a son to me.” He rubbed his chin. “He doesn’t get close to people very easily. I can see there’s something going on between you two.”
