The Girl Who Wrote in Silk by Kelli Estes

Author:Kelli Estes [Estes, Kelli]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi, azw3
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Published: 2015-07-06T23:00:00+00:00

Chapter Fourteen

Monday, July 9—present day

South Lake Union, Seattle

Inara waited for Daniel at Chandler’s Crabhouse on Lake Union. It would be their first official date, and their last.

And then she’d return to Orcas and put this miserable day—and the sleeve and Daniel—behind her.

After leaving her father’s office, she’d driven randomly around the city for hours, thinking about her mother, the sleeve, Mei Lien, and all the people killed. Telling the truth would bring shame on her family and dishonor all the good work her mother had done. But keeping the secret was dishonoring all those who had died and their families.

Part of her believed Daniel had the right to know the true reason why she wouldn’t be seeing him any longer. The other part reminded her she’d promised her dad she’d keep the story secret.

She had no idea what she was going to say.

“Sorry I’m late. Traffic.” Daniel leaned down to kiss her cheek, his touch jump-starting her already frazzled nerves. This was going to be harder than she’d thought.

If only she could have kept this thing between them going and seen where it led.

“No problem. You’re not that late.” She smiled as she lectured herself about just getting through this and leaving. The sooner, the better. “I hope your mom forgives you for canceling your plans with them tonight.”

He just shrugged. “I’ll stop by later. They’ll be okay. I was surprised you came down today.”

“I hadn’t planned on it, but something came up and I had to meet with my dad.” She decided to tell him half of it as she worked up her nerve for what she’d come here to say. “He ambushed me with a real estate agent trying to convince me to sell the estate.”

His eyes widened. “You’re not going to, are you?”

“I talked him into holding off until Labor Day. If the hotel doesn’t impress him by then, he’ll call in my loan and I’ll be forced to sell.”

“Well, that’s something. At the rate you’re going, in two months no one will be able to walk away from the project. Not even your dad. I wouldn’t worry if I were you.”

Warmth flowed through her at his words, and she wanted to lean into him and feel strengthened by his presence. Instead she sat up straighter and looked down at her lap. “Thanks.”

Now or never, Inara. She took a breath, but right as she opened her mouth, Daniel spoke.

“I have news.” The corner of his mouth twitched upward as he placed both arms on the table and leaned toward her. “I found the 1890 census. They had a son.”

Inara blinked as her mind struggled to keep up. “Who? Mei Lien and Joseph?”

He nodded and she could tell it was killing him to rein in his excitement. It stirred an answering thrill inside her. But she was confused. “Wasn’t the 1890 census lost in a fire?”

“The federal census was, but not the state records.”

The truth sank in. Mei Lien and her husband had had a child. A son. A boy who had probably gone on to have a family of his own.

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