deny we ever met and you can put the stone in a different setting."
The view changed, and Lenore was a young child digging in her grandmother's jewelry case. "Where did you get this beautiful blue stone? Look how it moves when I rub my fingers on it. I can almost see a pretty woman with long, black hair wearing it." The blue sparkles of the sapphire mesmerized her the first moment she saw it. A young Lenore felt it go warm at her touch. "Can I have it, Granny?"
"One day, dear." Granny had promised with a smile. "When you are ready to handle the gifts God gave you. It will help you focus your powers, just like it helped me when I was younger."
Lenore pulled out her shirt and let the necklace disappear inside. She needed to visit her grandmother soon and get the full story. Did she really have a right to the stone, or was it, like the diary the rightful property of the heir of River Oaks? How Lenore wished she had taken the time to finish reading the diary last night. She was so close to the end, but she got side tracked trying on her new wardrobe and enjoying her new clothes. It felt so exciting to look, and feel, like a regular person for a change. Fitting in had always been a challenge for a girl who sensed events from the past.
Lenore decided it was best to get Adrienne away from Wynona's chest in case other photos popped up and helped her new friend connect her great aunt's sapphire with the talisman. "I thought it would be interesting to visit the local newspaper and see if they have any old editions with details about the history of River Oaks."
Even Chance found the suggestion to have merit. He put stock in facts, not things he could not find a logical reason to explain. There had to be a rational explanation for his 'encounter' with old Stan Hymel. Swamp gas was his working hypothesis at the moment. The newspaper's main office was across the river, a good hour drive if they headed back to the Hale Boggs bridge and drove back up river.
"Let's take my speedboat. It's docked at Home Place. We can reach the Herald's office faster that way." Only a few residences owned the batture rights to their property bordering the Mississippi. Chance did, and now Adrienne did. Since they were staying at River Oaks now, it might be a good idea to dock his boat here, so he could run back and forth between the two houses easier.
The St. Charles Herald had been in business since the late 1800’s, rumored to be started by Louisiana's own Governor Hahn. The current editor and chief welcomed them, eager to help them find what they needed and get some information about the new owner of River Oaks.
Ushering them into his office, the thirty-five-year-old man pulled a few extra chairs inside so everyone could have a seat. Chance was well known around the area, and the other man joked around with him. "I see you've wasted no time in getting to know the new owner."
Turning to Adrienne, he gave her a friendly caution. "Watch out, Ma’am, this sweet talker has been trying to get his hands on your property for years now. I've written a few articles about the love-hate relationship between him and your uncle."
"Adrienne knows all about my plans to get River Oaks, Gene." Chance did not smile at the other man's teasing.
"You better hope Madame Lenore doesn't learn about you hanging out with the new owner. Rumor has it the Voodoo queen is hoping to get her hands on the place, too." Gene chuckled as the second woman in the room stiffened. "She might put a curse on you, old friend." Chance coughed to hide his reaction.
"What kind of curse do you think would work best, Eugene?" The editor tensed at the mention of his given name. His friends called him Gene for a reason. "I'm fond of spells that make a man's hair fall out. But then again, sometimes it's more effective to cause a man's family jewels to shrivel up and die, so you can avoid him passing his ignorance to another generation."
Lenore's new fashion might have stopped him recognizing
The view changed, and Lenore was a young child digging in her grandmother's jewelry case. "Where did you get this beautiful blue stone? Look how it moves when I rub my fingers on it. I can almost see a pretty woman with long, black hair wearing it." The blue sparkles of the sapphire mesmerized her the first moment she saw it. A young Lenore felt it go warm at her touch. "Can I have it, Granny?"
"One day, dear." Granny had promised with a smile. "When you are ready to handle the gifts God gave you. It will help you focus your powers, just like it helped me when I was younger."
Lenore pulled out her shirt and let the necklace disappear inside. She needed to visit her grandmother soon and get the full story. Did she really have a right to the stone, or was it, like the diary the rightful property of the heir of River Oaks? How Lenore wished she had taken the time to finish reading the diary last night. She was so close to the end, but she got side tracked trying on her new wardrobe and enjoying her new clothes. It felt so exciting to look, and feel, like a regular person for a change. Fitting in had always been a challenge for a girl who sensed events from the past.
Lenore decided it was best to get Adrienne away from Wynona's chest in case other photos popped up and helped her new friend connect her great aunt's sapphire with the talisman. "I thought it would be interesting to visit the local newspaper and see if they have any old editions with details about the history of River Oaks."
Even Chance found the suggestion to have merit. He put stock in facts, not things he could not find a logical reason to explain. There had to be a rational explanation for his 'encounter' with old Stan Hymel. Swamp gas was his working hypothesis at the moment. The newspaper's main office was across the river, a good hour drive if they headed back to the Hale Boggs bridge and drove back up river.
"Let's take my speedboat. It's docked at Home Place. We can reach the Herald's office faster that way." Only a few residences owned the batture rights to their property bordering the Mississippi. Chance did, and now Adrienne did. Since they were staying at River Oaks now, it might be a good idea to dock his boat here, so he could run back and forth between the two houses easier.
The St. Charles Herald had been in business since the late 1800’s, rumored to be started by Louisiana's own Governor Hahn. The current editor and chief welcomed them, eager to help them find what they needed and get some information about the new owner of River Oaks.
Ushering them into his office, the thirty-five-year-old man pulled a few extra chairs inside so everyone could have a seat. Chance was well known around the area, and the other man joked around with him. "I see you've wasted no time in getting to know the new owner."
Turning to Adrienne, he gave her a friendly caution. "Watch out, Ma’am, this sweet talker has been trying to get his hands on your property for years now. I've written a few articles about the love-hate relationship between him and your uncle."
"Adrienne knows all about my plans to get River Oaks, Gene." Chance did not smile at the other man's teasing.
"You better hope Madame Lenore doesn't learn about you hanging out with the new owner. Rumor has it the Voodoo queen is hoping to get her hands on the place, too." Gene chuckled as the second woman in the room stiffened. "She might put a curse on you, old friend." Chance coughed to hide his reaction.
"What kind of curse do you think would work best, Eugene?" The editor tensed at the mention of his given name. His friends called him Gene for a reason. "I'm fond of spells that make a man's hair fall out. But then again, sometimes it's more effective to cause a man's family jewels to shrivel up and die, so you can avoid him passing his ignorance to another generation."
Lenore's new fashion might have stopped him recognizing
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