stop thinking about it. It played over and over in her head like an annoying ad jingle.
The table fell into a companionable silence as everyone resumed eating. A few minutes later, Emma asked, “Did someone from our family ever live in or around Julian, California?”
This time, Emma’s mother dropped her fork with a
clunk
. All eyes turned to Elizabeth, who lowered hers as she retrieved her utensil from the middle of the plate.
“You all right, dear?” Paul asked his wife. His eyes, dark with concern, darted from his wife to his daughter and back to his wife.
“Just a little clumsy, that’s all.” Elizabeth put her fork back down. “I guess I’m not very hungry.”
“Where’s Julian?” Kelly asked.
Emma turned to her daughter. “It’s a small town in the mountains east of San Diego—a historic gold rush town. I looked it up on the Internet this morning.”
“A ghost town?” Kelly asked with rising interest.
“No, it’s still a small but thriving community. In fact, it’s known for its apples. According to the man who led the séance, we have a black sheep in our family who came from there.”
“Do tell, Mom.”
“Would you believe our family tree harbors a murderer?”
“No way!”
“That’s what the man said. A woman who killed her husband. She was then promptly hung.”
“That’s pretty wild. Is this on Grandma or Grandpa’s side?” Her young, eager eyes darted between her grandparents.
“
I didn’t do it
.”
In unison, Emma and her mother jerked their heads in the same direction but saw nothing. Kelly and her grandfather kept eating.
Emma turned to Elizabeth. “Did you hear that, Mother? Sounded like someone whispering. How odd.”
Abruptly, Elizabeth got up from the table. “Why don’t you all have dessert on the patio. It’s so lovely outside.”
Paul left his place at the table and went to his wife. “Are you sure you’re okay, dear?”
Elizabeth patted his arm. “I’m fine, Paul, just tired from the theatre last night, that’s all.”
“Mother, why don’t you rest? Kelly and I will clean up and get the dessert.”
“Thank you, Emma. If you don’t mind, I think I’ll skip dessert and go upstairs and read.”
Emma and Kelly were just finishing cleaning the kitchen when Nate Holden, Kelly’s boyfriend, dropped by.
“We’re going to a movie,” Kelly announced.
“You kids want some pie before you go?” Emma cut into an apple pie and placed a slice on a dessert plate.
“No thanks, Mrs. Whitecastle. The movie starts soon.”
Emma smiled. Nate Holden was a polite young man from a good family and the same age as Kelly. He was tall and slim and wore his brown hair long. They had been dating for almost two years. Emma wondered what would happen to the relationship once Kelly and Nate went their separate ways in the fall. While Kelly was heading to Harvard, Nate was off to Stanford. Seldom did high-school infatuations hold up under long-distance stress and strain. Kelly had been torn about going to Harvard because of Nate, but in the end, she knew she couldn’t miss the opportunity. As much as Emma liked Nate, she had been relieved when Kellyhad made her decision to go East. She didn’t want her daughter to plan her life around a man as she had.
After Nate and Kelly left, Emma carried a tray holding two slices of warm apple pie with vanilla ice cream and two cups of decaf coffee out to where her father was relaxing on the patio. Emma took a seat in a chaise longue next to him. Beyond the patio, the family’s black Scottish terrier, Archie, rolled around on the grass.
“Apple pie?” her father asked as he readied to take his first bite. “Where did this come from?”
“I picked it up from the bakery this morning.”
Paul studied his daughter with interest. “I didn’t think you liked apple pie. Thought you were a lemon meringue kind of gal like your mother.”
Emma shrugged. “Generally, I am.” She took a bite and chewed, savoring the
The table fell into a companionable silence as everyone resumed eating. A few minutes later, Emma asked, “Did someone from our family ever live in or around Julian, California?”
This time, Emma’s mother dropped her fork with a
clunk
. All eyes turned to Elizabeth, who lowered hers as she retrieved her utensil from the middle of the plate.
“You all right, dear?” Paul asked his wife. His eyes, dark with concern, darted from his wife to his daughter and back to his wife.
“Just a little clumsy, that’s all.” Elizabeth put her fork back down. “I guess I’m not very hungry.”
“Where’s Julian?” Kelly asked.
Emma turned to her daughter. “It’s a small town in the mountains east of San Diego—a historic gold rush town. I looked it up on the Internet this morning.”
“A ghost town?” Kelly asked with rising interest.
“No, it’s still a small but thriving community. In fact, it’s known for its apples. According to the man who led the séance, we have a black sheep in our family who came from there.”
“Do tell, Mom.”
“Would you believe our family tree harbors a murderer?”
“No way!”
“That’s what the man said. A woman who killed her husband. She was then promptly hung.”
“That’s pretty wild. Is this on Grandma or Grandpa’s side?” Her young, eager eyes darted between her grandparents.
“
I didn’t do it
.”
In unison, Emma and her mother jerked their heads in the same direction but saw nothing. Kelly and her grandfather kept eating.
Emma turned to Elizabeth. “Did you hear that, Mother? Sounded like someone whispering. How odd.”
Abruptly, Elizabeth got up from the table. “Why don’t you all have dessert on the patio. It’s so lovely outside.”
Paul left his place at the table and went to his wife. “Are you sure you’re okay, dear?”
Elizabeth patted his arm. “I’m fine, Paul, just tired from the theatre last night, that’s all.”
“Mother, why don’t you rest? Kelly and I will clean up and get the dessert.”
“Thank you, Emma. If you don’t mind, I think I’ll skip dessert and go upstairs and read.”
Emma and Kelly were just finishing cleaning the kitchen when Nate Holden, Kelly’s boyfriend, dropped by.
“We’re going to a movie,” Kelly announced.
“You kids want some pie before you go?” Emma cut into an apple pie and placed a slice on a dessert plate.
“No thanks, Mrs. Whitecastle. The movie starts soon.”
Emma smiled. Nate Holden was a polite young man from a good family and the same age as Kelly. He was tall and slim and wore his brown hair long. They had been dating for almost two years. Emma wondered what would happen to the relationship once Kelly and Nate went their separate ways in the fall. While Kelly was heading to Harvard, Nate was off to Stanford. Seldom did high-school infatuations hold up under long-distance stress and strain. Kelly had been torn about going to Harvard because of Nate, but in the end, she knew she couldn’t miss the opportunity. As much as Emma liked Nate, she had been relieved when Kellyhad made her decision to go East. She didn’t want her daughter to plan her life around a man as she had.
After Nate and Kelly left, Emma carried a tray holding two slices of warm apple pie with vanilla ice cream and two cups of decaf coffee out to where her father was relaxing on the patio. Emma took a seat in a chaise longue next to him. Beyond the patio, the family’s black Scottish terrier, Archie, rolled around on the grass.
“Apple pie?” her father asked as he readied to take his first bite. “Where did this come from?”
“I picked it up from the bakery this morning.”
Paul studied his daughter with interest. “I didn’t think you liked apple pie. Thought you were a lemon meringue kind of gal like your mother.”
Emma shrugged. “Generally, I am.” She took a bite and chewed, savoring the
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