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“I’m just saying that I’ve grown up living and breathing the legend of the colony. The Croatan are a part of it.”
“That still doesn’t explain why there are symbols on your door.”
I shifted my weight, trying to come up with a reasonable-sounding explanation. My standard answer wasn’t going to work on this guy.
He decided to take a different tactic. “Why did you come to see me?”
“I already told you that.” I heard voices coming down the stairs. The other researchers were on their way to breakfast, and I really didn’t want to get into this with other people around.
Becky, the woman who helped with the inn, came in through the butler’s pantry, humming to herself. “Ellie, your mom wants to see you before she goes.”
“Okay.” But my eyes were still locked with Dr. Preston’s.
Becky put her hands on her hips. “Did you hear about that guy in Wanchese getting eaten by a giant snake?”
“A little.” I couldn’t hide my cringe. Why was I surprised word had spread already? And if word had spread, Becky was sure to play a part in its broadcast.
“The rumor around town is that the guy was about to rape some poor girl and this giant snake with horns on its head rose up out of the water and ate the guy. They found his body floating in the water with big ole holes in it from the fang marks.”
Dr. Preston’s gaze shifted to Becky.
I shook my head. “You don’t believe that, do you? If the snake ate him, why was he floating in the water? Wouldn’t he still be in the snake’s belly?”
Becky shrugged. “Beats me, but after that colony just appeared out of nowhere, a giant man-eating snake doesn’t sound too odd. Not to mention that wild animal on the loose that’s going around eating dogs’ hearts right out of their chests. I heard it got a cow last night.”
I turned to her, wide-eyed with exasperation. “Becky, you know better than to be talking like that in front of a guest. We don’t want to scare off the tourists.”
“But he’s not a tourist. He’s a researcher. I’d think he’d want to know about it.”
Dr. Preston opened his mouth to say something, but two men and a woman walked in before he could.
“Good morning, David,” an elderly man with gray hair said as he patted Dr. Preston on the shoulder. “I see you’re eager to get a start on the day.”
“I was having a chat with…” He looked at me with new interest.
“Ellie.” I wiped my hands on the apron covering my shorts and extended my hand to the newcomer. “Ellie Lancaster. I’m Myra’s daughter.”
“Ellie Lancaster!” A warm smile spread across his face. “I met you when you were a little girl. I bet you don’t remember me.”
I shook my head as I tried to place him. “I’m sorry. I don’t.”
“Steven Godfrey. I knew your parents professionally.” He shook his head with a laugh. “I should have put it together when Myra said she owned the inn with her daughter, but her last name isn’t Lancaster and she’s…”
“Chinese.” I smiled. “And I am the furthest you can get from that. I’m her stepdaughter. And she goes by her maiden name. Myra Long.”
“I knew about your mother. In fact, my wife and I came to her funeral. But I didn’t find out about your father’s death until right before we came to the island. Anyway, when Myra told us she owned the Dare Inn, I thought perhaps your father had sold it to her when he got sick. I should have known better. Your father took great pride in the inn.”
I nodded, unsure of what to say. His words only added to my huge pile of guilt. The inn was such a financial mess that we would likely have to sell it in spite of the new boom of guests who had been lured in by the once lost, now found colony.
“I heard about your father’s remarriage, but I didn’t know any of the details. We fell out of touch years ago.”
“Myra came to Roanoke Island a couple of years after Momma died to take a job as a park ranger. She wanted Jamestown, but there wasn’t an opening, so Fort Raleigh was supposed to be temporary. Her master’s degree is in early American history.”
The man chuckled. “We early American history buffs are a dying breed.”
“Daddy met Myra and fell in love, and the rest is history, as they say. She never made it to Jamestown.” I suddenly wondered if she regretted it. I’d never considered the possibility before.
“And she runs a bed and breakfast on the side, just like your parents did? I have to say she got us out of a real pickle by offering to let us stay here.”
