Chapter 2: Shadows of the Past
Taking advantage of Nanny’s distraction, I quietly slipped a silver bracelet onto my left wrist—the one Carter bought for me back when he was still missing, using money he’d saved up from odd jobs in Maple Heights.
I traced the smooth edge of the bracelet, the cool metal warming against my skin. It was simple, but I could still remember Carter’s shy smile as he handed it to me, wrapped in tissue paper, his palms sweating. That memory felt like it belonged to another lifetime.
The bracelet itself wasn’t anything special, but the meaning behind it was rare.
It wasn’t about the silver—it was about loyalty, about the years we’d spent together, about promises whispered under the old maple trees. I squeezed my wrist, clinging to the hope that maybe, just maybe, he remembered too.
Outside, marching band drums thundered. We waited a long time, but still, no one came to summon us.
The sound vibrated through the floorboards, making the windows rattle. I kept glancing at the door, expecting someone—anyone—to come fetch us. Every minute stretched out, the suspense almost unbearable.
Nanny gritted her teeth. “Miss, now’s not the time to be shy. Let’s go see if something happened.”
She grabbed my elbow with surprising strength, her lips pressed into a thin line. I saw the worry flicker in her eyes, even as she tried to hide it behind her stern voice. We stepped into the hallway, our shoes echoing off the marble floor.
I touched the cold silver bracelet on my wrist and went ahead with Nanny.
My heart thudded in my chest. I kept my head high, but I could feel every glance from the staff as we passed. The air was thick with anticipation—and something else, something darker.
Who could have expected to see my parents seated at the place of honor, smiling as they said, “Savannah’s good fortune today is all thanks to Carter’s favor. In the future, you two must support each other.”
Their words hit me like a slap. My parents looked so pleased, so at ease, as if this was how things had always been. My hands went numb. Nanny squeezed my shoulder, but I barely felt it.
My cousin Savannah Hamilton’s cheeks were flushed. “Carter, today’s events are too sudden for Evelyn. If she causes a scene, please don’t hold it against her.”
Savannah’s voice was syrupy sweet, but her eyes darted over to me with a flicker of triumph. I saw the way she clung to Carter’s arm, her fingers curling possessively around his sleeve. My chest tightened with something sharp and ugly.
My head felt like it was about to explode.
Everything spun—my vision blurred at the edges. I felt like I was underwater, voices muffled and far away. I gripped the back of a chair to steady myself.
Savannah actually called my fiancé ‘Carter.’ Back in Maple Heights, she looked down on Carter. When I received Carter’s bracelet, she even flaunted her coral bead bracelet at me: “Cousin, are you a junk collector? This shabby silver bracelet—my maid wouldn’t even want it. Look at my coral beads. Do you know what coral is? It’s from the deep sea, and there are only five strands in all of New England.”
I remembered that day so clearly—the way Savannah tossed her hair, her new bracelet catching the sun, her laughter ringing out like wind chimes. I’d hidden my wrist behind my back, cheeks burning with shame. Now, the memory twisted in my gut.
But now, Carter had gone from the son of a small-town councilman to the governor’s heir, and my cousin could actually act coy and call him ‘Carter.’
It was almost funny, the way people changed with the wind. I watched her, noting every calculated gesture, every practiced smile. Suddenly, the world felt colder, harsher.
I couldn’t hold back any longer and rolled up my sleeves, ready to ask my cousin where she learned to change faces so quickly.