A Summer Romance Read Online Free PDF Page A

starting to believe that
she really was dead and gone. There were stories that maybe she
didn’t want the house sold off after she died so she just made
arrangements to keep it lookin’ like she still lived here. You
know, that way no one else would get the house. But obviously she’s
still around. I mean, she invited you here.” Andi left the
statement hanging in the air and looked at Maggie expectantly.
    “I’ve never met her,” Maggie admitted when
the silence drew on and she realized Andi was waiting for her to
share what she knew about the mysterious Ms. Devereaux. Andi looked
a little disappointed as if she’d hoped to learn some great
secret.
    “Oh well, here’s to another mystery left
unsolved.” She smiled as she raised her glass in toast.
    Maggie tried to calm her nerves as she
raised her glass to clink against Andi’s, but she couldn’t seem to
shake the feeling that perhaps she hadn’t just answered a random
ad, but instead that she’d been intentionally brought here. But
why? How? It seemed too ridiculous to be possible.
    The wine had a strong earthy flavor that
reminded her of olives. Maggie didn’t recognize it. She glanced at
the bottle but saw no label.
    “Muscadine,” Andi said, noting her gaze.
“Homemade.” She winked.
    Maggie took another sip. It was very
good.
    “I like it. I’ve never had muscadine wine
before,” Maggie admitted.
    “It’s a Southern specialty,” Andi boasted
proudly. “So tell me, if you don’t actually know Ms. Devereaux, how
on earth did you end up in Georgia?” she asked as she topped off
Maggie’s glass.

 
~5~
     
    Aside from the bizarre events that brought
Maggie to Sweetwater, her first week at the plantation was rather
uneventful and she quickly fell into a comfortable routine in her
temporary new home; coffee on the veranda in the morning, tea in
the library in the afternoon. The mornings were cool enough to take
short walks around the property, but the afternoon heat usually
kept her indoors. Maggie decided to enjoy her time here, rather
than spend it chasing after answers she may never find. Even if she
didn’t understand Ms. Devereaux’s motives, she knew her own
motives. She needed the reprieve and that’s exactly what she’d
found.
    Andi became a regular visitor, stopping by
most nights after work. When she realized how poor Maggie’s cooking
skills were she made it her personal mission to teach her how to
prepare a proper meal. She would always show up with an arm full of
groceries and as Andi would show Maggie how to prepare some new
dish she would bring her up to date on all the local gossip. Her
social chatter reminded Maggie of her mother in some ways. Maggie
felt like she already knew everybody in the town, just from Andi’s
stories, although one name had been notably absent from all of her
tales: Aaron Miles. Maggie tried to pretend she wasn’t listening
for it.
    The cleaning crew came on Thursday. Maggie
tried to be as unobtrusive as possible as the women buzzed around
the house vacuuming, dusting, and polishing the furniture. To
Maggie’s surprise she noticed that the cleaning crew also steered
clear of the East wing. Apparently no one was allowed down those
dark deserted halls.
    The house cleaning staff was well-instructed
and efficient, working around Maggie as if she wasn’t there.
Growing up they’d had a housekeeper, but to Maggie she’d always
seemed like part of the family. As a child, Mrs. Burton would let
Maggie help with the chores as long as she promised not to tell her
mother.
    It was strange to simply sit around while
these women worked. Maggie felt as if she should offer some sort of
help but knew it was not proper etiquette. Instead she retreated
into the library and withdrew into the world of a well-crafted
novel. The library was quickly becoming her favorite room in the
house.
    Monday brought an unwelcome call from Sam,
the local mechanic who had towed Old Betty to his shop last week.
From what Maggie