Chapter 20
CHAPTER 20
A few days later, Chloe stood outside The Lakeside Inn with Oscar and Liam. A gorgeous green and red festive wreath decorated the inn’s front door, and fairy lights wrapped around the veranda.
Oscar tugged at her hand, his eyes wide with excitement. “Can we go inside?”
“As soon as someone answers the door.” Tonight, they’d finally delve into Eleanor’s history with Sacha and her mother Mary. They’d flown into Montana earlier in the afternoon and Chloe couldn’t wait to speak to them.
A few seconds later, the door swung open and Chloe smiled at Penny Terry. “I thought you might be here tonight.”
Penny grinned. “I couldn’t miss meeting our latest guests. Hi, Liam and Oscar. Come on in out of the cold. Sacha and Mary are in the front living room. Follow me.”
She led them through the cozy lobby. The wooden beams and plush furnishings gave the space a welcoming atmosphere. They passed a Christmas tree adorned with delicate ornaments and twinkling lights and lots of Christmas decorations covering an old wooden bookcase.
“There they are,” Penny said, gesturing toward a sofa where two women sat chatting.
Sacha looked up and waved enthusiastically. Eleanor’s great-great-granddaughter must be in her late twenties. Her dark hair cascaded over her shoulders and her eyes were full of warmth. Mary, her mom, stood and smiled at them with the same infectious energy.
“You must be Chloe,” Sacha said as they approached her.
“I am. Welcome to Sapphire Bay!” She hugged both women. “Thank you for coming all this way.”
“We’re excited to be here,” Mary said. “It’s wonderful to finally meet you in person. And this must be Oscar.” She looked down at him and smiled. “It’s nice to meet you.”
“Hi,” Oscar said, offering her a shy smile.
Chloe touched Liam’s arm. “And this is my boyfriend, Liam. If Penny hadn’t told him about the murals, none of this would be happening.”
Sacha smiled. “In that case, we’re very happy Liam came to Sapphire Bay. Penny was just telling us about the letter her family found.”
“Our story isn’t nearly as exciting,” Mary said. “But it’s important to us.”
Liam took off his jacket and helped Oscar out of his. “A lot of people will be interested in Eleanor’s story, especially once we know more about her life.”
Penny smiled. “Can I get everyone something to drink? We have lemon ginger or raspberry tea, coffee, and hot chocolate?”
“Hot chocolate, please!” Oscar chimed in.
“Make that two,” Liam said with a grin.
“Lemon ginger tea for me, please,” Chloe requested.
“I’ll have coffee,” Mary said, and Sacha nodded in agreement.
“Coming right up,” Penny said, heading toward the kitchen.
They settled into the seating area, the crackling fire providing a cozy backdrop.
Mary reached down and lifted a sturdy leather satchel onto the table. “We brought all of Eleanor’s letters, Clara’s diaries, some photographs, and a few personal items to Sapphire Bay.”
Chloe’s heart pounded. “I’m so grateful you were willing to share these with us.”
“It’s our pleasure,” Mary assured her. “Eleanor was an amazing woman. Her story deserves to be told.” She reached into the satchel and took out bundles of letters tied with faded ribbons. “Clara, Eleanor’s sister, was a prolific letter writer. She also kept every letter she received from close family members.”
Liam frowned. “Where did Eleanor’s family live?”
“They lived close to Oregon. From what we’ve read, it doesn’t sound as though Clara and Eleanor saw each other very often.” Sacha watched her mom untie the first bundle of letters. “I can’t imagine my sister living so far away when we couldn’t hop on a plane to see each other.”
Mary handed Chloe the top two letters. “We think Clara kept these to make her feel closer to her sister. These letters were written after Eleanor left New York City.”
Chloe unfolded the top letter, the delicate paper crinkling softly. The handwriting was elegant and flowing.
“Dearest Clara,
Returning to Montana has been both a relief and a sorrow. The familiarity of home soothes me, yet my heart aches with the absence of Samuel.”
Chloe glanced up. “So she came back to Montana after things ended with Samuel?”
Mary nodded. “She was a schoolteacher. Maybe there were more jobs in Montana but, for whatever reason, she didn’t go back to Oregon.”
Penny came into the room carrying a tray of drinks. “Here you go, everyone. I’ve added a plate of chocolate chip cookies. Diana made them this morning.”
Oscar grinned. “They’re my favorite.”
“I’m glad,” Penny told him. “If it’s okay with your mom, you’re welcome to come into the kitchen with me. Charlie, my sister’s dog, would love to see you.”
Oscar’s big blue eyes turned to Chloe. “Please, Mom. Can I see Charlie?”
“Okay, but don’t walk with your hot chocolate. I’ll take it through to the kitchen for you.”
Penny smiled. “It’s okay. I can take it.” And with a happy smile, Oscar followed her into the kitchen.
Sacha watched them leave the living room. “He’s a great little boy.”
“He is. He also loves dogs, so seeing Charlie will be the highlight of our visit.”
Mary picked up another letter. “This letter talks about Eleanor starting work in Bozeman after she returned from New York City. She was incredibly resourceful.”
“Did she ever go back to Sapphire Bay?” Liam asked.
“No,” Mary shook her head. “She spent the rest of her life in Bozeman. Perhaps returning here held too many painful memories for her.”
Chloe thought about the previous conversation she’d had with Sacha. “That’s where she met Thomas, isn’t it?”
“It is,” Sacha confirmed. “Thomas Miller was a schoolteacher, too. They married and had a family. They had five girls and four boys. Unfortunately, two of the children died while they were still infants.”
“Was she happy?” Chloe inquired gently.
“She built a good life,” Mary said. “But there wasn’t the same level of emotion in her letters and diaries when she spoke of Thomas.”
“But that doesn’t mean she was unhappy,” Sacha reminded her mom. “She adored Thomas, and I doubt she would have married him if she didn’t love him. It was just a different kind of love to what she’d felt for Samuel.”
Liam leaned forward. “Do you know if she ever saw Samuel again?”
“We don’t know for sure,” Sacha admitted. “There’s no record of them reconnecting.”
Chloe looked through the photographs Sacha had laid out. One caught her eye—a young Eleanor standing in front of a modest house, a gentle smile on her face.
“She was beautiful,” Chloe remarked.
“She was,” Mary agreed. “And funny. She got herself into all kinds of awkward situations when she was sketching people doing everyday things.”
They continued exploring the letters and diaries, piecing together the fragments of Eleanor’s life. Liam took notes, occasionally exchanging thoughtful glances with Chloe.
“Mom, can I look at the pictures?” Oscar asked as he came back into the room with Penny.
“Of course, you can. But we’re only looking, not touching.”
Oscar sat at Chloe’s feet and studied the photos. “They look old.”
“They are. Some of them are more than a hundred years old. That’s older than your grandma and granddad.” Oscar’s eyes widened and Chloe smiled. “They’re photos of Eleanor, the lady who painted the pictures on the walls of the buildings, and her family.”
Sacha slid another photo toward him.
Oscar examined it carefully. “She looks nice.”
“She was,” Mary said with a smile.
Penny sat with them and the conversation flowed easily. They discussed Eleanor’s advocacy for education, her efforts to establish a library in Bozeman, and how much she enjoyed spending time with her family.
“It’s inspiring to see how she used her experiences to help other people,” Chloe said.
Mary leaned toward her daughter. “Show Liam and Chloe the diary entry from 1975.”
Sacha looked inside the box beside her. “When Eleanor died, her sister brought back a lot of her personal items from Montana. We don’t have all her diaries, but there’s some amazing information in the ones we have.”
Sacha opened one of the leather-bound journals. “Mom and I were intrigued by how Eleanor described Samuel’s bootlegging. She never actually said he was smuggling alcohol until she was almost eighty years old.”
Chloe frowned. “Why did she say something then?”
Mary shrugged. “We’re not entirely sure what changed. Maybe she wanted to tell the entire story about what happened between her and Samuel before she died.”
Chloe and Liam read the diary entries. The more they read about Eleanor, the more questions they had. With the stories Mary had been told about Eleanor and Thomas from her parents and other relatives, they were slowly filling in all the pieces of her life.
“I’m glad our paths crossed,” Sacha said sincerely. “Mom and I have always wanted to do something with the letters and diaries, but we had no idea where to start. Just sharing what we know about Eleanor and Clara, and coming here, is such a blessing.”
“I’m glad it’s helped you,” Chloe told them. “I still can’t believe it was so difficult to find more information about Eleanor. She was such a talented artist.”
“Talking about her paintings,” Penny added. “I’d be happy to show Mary and Sacha Eleanor’s murals, if you haven’t already organized something.”
Chloe took a sheet of paper out of her pocket and handed it to Penny. “We thought about some of the sites Sacha and Mary might want to see. Liam leaves for San Francisco in the morning, but if you’d like to come with us, we could explore Sapphire Bay together.”
Chloe and Liam had spent a little while organizing the best places to take Sacha and Mary. First on the list was the old steamboat museum. Apart from the storage room where they’d found her sketches, there was the hidden room and tunnel to explore. Next would be the other murals Eleanor had painted and the buildings in her sketches.
“Are you going to Sweet Treats?” Oscar asked. “‘cos they have the best candy in the whole world.”
Liam smiled. “That’s definitely on the list. We thought Mary and Sascha might also like to go to the general store and other places Eleanor might have visited.”
Penny frowned. “What about the steam train? I’m almost certain it was being used in the 1920s. Who knows, Samuel could have been using the same train to transport moonshine and other banned liquor around Montana.”
“That’s a great idea,” Chloe said. “Pastor John and a group of volunteers are decorating it for The Santa Express event, but I don’t think they’d mind us looking inside.” She checked her watch. “It’s a little late to call them now, but I’ll do it first thing in the morning.”
Penny picked up their empty mugs. “I’d love to go with you. It sounds like an exciting day.”
Chloe grinned. Penny was always good company, and she knew more about the history of Sapphire Bay than Chloe did. “I’m picking Sacha and Mary up from here at nine o’clock. Does that suit you?”
“It’s perfect.” Penny looked at Liam. “You’ll be disappointed you’re missing the tour.”
“I am, but Chloe will take lots of videos and photos. While you’re looking around Sapphire Bay, I’ll be talking to a publishing house.”
“About Eleanor’s book?” Penny asked.
“Unfortunately not. They want me to be part of a travel series about Asia. If I accept the contract, I’ll be writing a travel guide on Türkiye.”
Sacha carefully picked up each photograph and placed them inside an album. “That sounds interesting. Have you been before?”
“I was there three years ago. It’s an amazing country.”
Mary packed the lace shawl and gloves that had belonged to Eleanor in their case. “I went to Istanbul ten years ago. Just thinking about the Blue Mosque, the Grand Bazaar, and the Spice market makes me happy.”
Liam glanced at Chloe. “I don’t know if I’m writing the book yet.”
“But you’re seriously considering it,” Chloe said firmly.
“I’m seriously considering it,” Liam repeated, although Chloe wasn’t sure if he meant it.
There’d be plenty of time to discuss it once Liam came back to Montana. “We’d better leave you to the rest of your evening,” Chloe told Sacha and Mary. “Thank you for coming all this way and for what you’ve shared with us.”
Mary stood and hugged Chloe. “It’s our pleasure. Just being here makes me feel closer to my great-grandmother.” She turned to Liam and smiled. “I hope you have a productive meeting tomorrow.”
“I hope so, too,” he said softly. “I’ll let you know if I need more information from you.”
By the time they’d helped put away the letters, Oscar was yawning.
“You go,” Penny insisted. “I’ll help sort out the rest of Clara and Eleanor’s things.”
Chloe wrapped her arm around Oscar’s shoulders. “Thanks. I’ll see everyone tomorrow morning.”
As they said their goodbyes, Chloe felt a deep sense of peace settled over her. Eleanor had left behind a family she adored to start a new life. With very little money and knowing no one, she’d built a life that made her happy. It was sad that the life she’d imagined with Samuel had never eventuated, but she hadn’t let that stop her falling in love with Thomas. She’d created a family who meant the world to her, and a legacy that lived on in Sacha.
And that, above all the other things they’d learned about Eleanor, made Chloe admire her even more.
“What are you thinking about?” Liam asked.
“I’m thinking about Eleanor. Meeting Mary and Sacha has made her seem so real. Eleanor didn’t give up when her life got tough. She carried on and created a different but equally rewarding future.” Chloe held Liam’s hand. “I don’t want to lose what we have. If you decide to work with the publishing house, I’ll be with you every step of the way. Even if that means homeschooling Oscar in Türkiye.”
Liam looked into her eyes. “That’d be amazing. But what about Paul? He might not let Oscar leave the country.”
Chloe stared at him. She hadn’t thought about Paul being able to stop her. Apart from his last visit, he hadn’t seen or called Oscar in more than a year. Would he really be that worried about Oscar living with her in Türkiye?