Then at Harper.

Finally, I asked the question again.

“What did Harper find upstairs?”

Mom wiped her eyes.

“Something that belonged to Elaine.”

Chloe’s fingers tightened around mine.

“What?”

Mom looked at her.

“A box.”

“What box?”

“The box your mother left here.”

Chloe stared at her.

“My mother never had anything here.”

Mom shook her head.

“She did.”

I felt confused.

“Why would Elaine leave something at this house?”

Mom looked toward Dad.

Dad looked away.

That was when I knew this wasn’t a new secret.

It was an old one.

A very old one.

Mom finally said:

“Before Elaine became seriously ill, she asked me to keep something safe.”

Chloe’s face went pale.

“What?”

“A small wooden box.”

“Where is it?”

Mom looked at Harper.

Harper whispered:

“I found it in the attic.”

Chloe stepped forward.

“What was inside?”

Harper didn’t answer.

I did.

“You took something from that box, didn’t you?”

Harper’s eyes filled with tears.

“I didn’t steal anything.”

“Then what did you take?”

She looked at Chloe.

“A letter.”

Chloe froze.

“A letter from my mother?”

Harper nodded.

Mom started crying again.

“I told Harper to put it back.”

“But she didn’t,” I said.

Harper shook her head.

“I was scared.”

“Scared of what?”

She looked directly at me.

“Of what the letter said.”

Chloe whispered:

“What did it say?”

Harper opened her mouth.

Then closed it.

I stepped closer.

“Harper.”

She finally said:

“It said Elaine knew.”

“Knew what?”

Harper looked at Chloe.

“She knew someone in this family had been lying to you.”

The room became silent.

Chloe looked at my parents.

“About what?”

Nobody answered.

Then Harper said:

“About your mother’s death.”

Chloe’s knees almost gave out.

I caught her.

She looked at me.

Her voice was barely audible.

“What does that mean?”

Before Harper could answer, Dad slammed his hand against the table.

“Enough.”

His voice was so loud everyone jumped.

“We are not discussing this tonight.”

I stared at him.

“Why?”

“Because this is getting out of control.”

“No.”

I shook my head.

“It was already out of control.”

I turned toward Harper.

“Where is the letter?”

She hesitated.

Then she whispered:

“I didn’t destroy it.”

“Where is it?”

Harper pointed upstairs.

“In my room.”

I went upstairs.

When I returned, I was holding a folded piece of paper.

The handwriting on the outside was unmistakable.

Chloe recognized it immediately.

Her mother’s handwriting.

She reached for it.

But before she opened it, Mom whispered:

“Chloe, you need to know something first.”

Chloe looked at her.

Mom’s voice broke.

“Your mother didn’t want you to marry him.”

Everyone froze.

I stared at Mom.

“What?”

Chloe looked at me.

Then at the letter.

And suddenly the wedding wasn’t the only thing hanging in the balance.

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