The Lightkeeper's Daughter by Colleen Coble Page B

The gleaming redwood desk was clear of papers. She stepped around to the other side and frowned to see the picture was of Clara and another woman. Katherine perhaps? What had she been expecting? Of course Mr. Eaton would have his wife and daughter on his desk. He had no idea Julia still lived.
    Addie picked up the picture and stared into the smiling face of the beautiful young woman. Katherine’s hair was blonde and elegant. She had her mother’s patrician nose and full lips, and the gown she wore must have cost the earth. Addie’s bubble of happiness burst. John couldn’t possibly be interested in her after having been married to the lovely girl in the photograph. She set the frame back onto the polished surface, then turned her attention to the bookcases. The shelves held gleaming leather books, and she wondered if she might be allowed to choose some to read. But she found no other photographs.
    She turned back toward the door and stared at the drawers on the desk. Might he have any mementos tucked away from Clara? The thought of rummaging through his private papers held no appeal, but she longed to know more of her mother and the little girl once known as Julia. She wanted to find something that showed the love her family had once showered upon her. After a slight hesitation, she settled in the chair and pulled out the top drawer. It held a stack of papers. When she lifted them, a note fell from between the pages. She picked it up and saw several words in a feminine scrawl.
Only a payment of ten thousand dollars will prevent me from telling the world about your child.
    Addie studied the note. There was no name to identify the author, and she wasn’t certain Henry was the intended recipient. Maybe it had nothing to do with Henry, but if not, how had it come to be in his possession? She dropped it back into place and closed the drawer before going on to the next.
    It was only when she pulled open the lap drawer that she found what she’d hoped to discover. She lifted a small scrapbook from the drawer and laid it on the desk. The leather cover was tattered and torn, but the photographs inside made her throat close. The beautiful woman she’d seen in the portrait stared into the camera. In her arms was an infant. Addie recognized the child as herself. In the next photograph she appeared to be about a year old and stood next to her mother. They were both dressed in white.
    Her vision blurred, and a sob lodged in her throat. If only she could snatch the faint trace of memory lingering in her mind. Every time she strained to grasp it, it sifted through her fingers.
    She finished flipping through the scrapbook. The last image was the same one she’d seen in the metal box at the lighthouse. Her life as an Eaton had been brief. She closed the book and replaced it, then shut the drawer when she heard John’s motorcycle rumbling up the drive.

T WELVE
    T WILIGHT WAS FAST approaching. John sat on the porch and watched his son play with the dog. He smiled at the camaraderie between the boy and Gideon. The dog barked and ran after the ball. The day at the beach had left him more relaxed than he’d been in a long time.
    The dog changed directions and raced toward the front porch. John turned to see Addie exiting the house. She stood poised on the top step with an expectant expression. She’d changed from her bathing costume into a shimmery green dress. Her thick hair was wound on top of her head again. He much preferred it down.
    “Have you come to call us to dinner?”
    She nodded. “Mrs. Biddle said it would be on the table in five minutes.”
    “I haven’t seen Driscoll. I think it might just be us.”
    “He mentioned he had to make a trip up the coast.” She approached with graceful steps, pausing only to pet the dog and direct him back to Edward. “When would you like to go over Edward’s lesson plans?” she asked when she reached John. “I’d like to ensure I’m doing what you expect.”
    He waved Edward over