The Magic in her Gift Read Online Free

the
place.”
    “ The last thing we need is a
tour, Karl. I spent many years here as a child and there isn’t
anything you could show me that I haven’t already seen. You can
leave whenever you’re packed.” Gwendolyn turned her back and
started for the house.
    “ Well, I’d be happy to spend
some time with you, Karl. I’d love to hear more about my
grandmother. Maybe we can sit and talk after dinner?”
    Karl smiled. “I’d like that a lot,
little Sara. There’s a lot I have to tell you.” He lowered his
voice. “And I’ve got a letter for you from your
grandmother.”
    “ Come along, Sara. Let’s get
settled in.” Bart stopped and waited for her to join him on the
porch.
    “ I’m coming.” She turned
back to Karl. “Let me get my bag settled in a room and I’ll meet
you on the porch in a little while.”
    “ That’s fine. Come on, girl,
and I’ll show you to the rooms that have been prepared for you.”
Together they walked into the house.
     
    “ I’m not sleeping in my dead
mother’s room and that’s final.” Gwendolyn Weller had turned so
white Sara feared she would pass out.
    “ It’s okay, Mother. I’ll be
happy to sleep in Grandmother’s room. It’s not a problem.” Sara put
a comforting arm around her shoulder.
    “ Why do any of us have to
sleep in there? This house has six bedrooms in it.” Gwendolyn poked
her finger into Karl’s chest. “You’re just doing this because you
know it makes me uncomfortable.”
    “ Don’t be ridiculous, Gwen.
One of the bedrooms is being used for your mother’s painting and
another for my pottery. One of them is empty and that only leaves
three that are furnished. That gives you each a room. I won’t be
staying here tonight and neither will Elias.”
    “ Fine. Is my old room still
available and don’t call me Gwen?”
    “ Yes.” He laughed. “Your
room is all ready for you.” He glanced at Bart. “You can have the
room at the end of the hall. Lizzie was very clear that you weren’t
to be sharing Sara’s room until after the wedding.”
    “ I, uh…” Bart
stuttered.
    “ Her name was Elizabeth, not
Lizzie,” Gwendolyn yelled.
    “ Enough,” Sara cried. They
all looked at her in shock. “I’ve heard enough out of all of you.
Go to the rooms you’ve been assigned and get some rest. We’re all
cranky from the long trip. Let’s separate before we say or do
something we all regret.” Without waiting for a reply, Sara grabbed
her bag out of Elias’s hand, walked into her grandmother’s room and
shut the door behind her. Wearily, she leaned against the cool,
smooth wood and shut her eyes. “Blessed silence,” she
whispered.
    Curiously, Sara looked around the room
that had belonged to her grandmother. A king-sized bed dominated
the room covered in a flowery-print bedspread. A huge pile of
multi-colored pillows adorned the top, giving it a warm, homey
look. A dresser stood against one wall, a mirror hanging above it.
The polished wood surface was covered in perfume bottles and hair
products, with a large wooden jewelry box sitting in the center.
The combined scents of perfume, hair spray and furniture polish
assaulted her senses.
    Sara walked over to the dresser and
examined the items closer. “This is all feminine. Where are Karl’s
things?” Puzzled, she glanced slowly around the room, her eyes
stopping on a desk in the corner. It was small, the top littered
with paperback books and picture frames. With a small gasp, she
quickly walked over and stared down at what appeared to be her
entire life in photos. “How did you get all of these, Grandmother?”
With trembling hands, she picked up the pictures one by one. They
started with her birth and ended with the engagement picture her
mother had sent to the newspaper.
    Sara felt a tear roll down her cheek.
“Mother always told me you didn’t want me to visit the island. I
asked her so many times to let me come see you. She made it sound
like you didn’t care about us,