The Magic in her Gift (3 page)

“
But it’s beautiful,” Sara
cried. “Look at that crystal clear water and all this clean, white
sand. Where, in the states, could you find a beach as beautiful as
this?”

“
This is a volcanic formed
island, Miss Sara. That’s fine, white bleached coral sand you’re
standing on.” Elias brought the first load of luggage off the
boat.

“
What else can you tell me
about this area, Elias?”

“
It’s a great place if you
like skin diving. There are shallow and deep coral gardens giving
you a world of color. We’ve got turtles, manta rays, octopi, eels
and hell, even hammerhead sharks you can get a glimpse
of.”

“
I always wanted to go skin
diving. Is it fun?” Sara couldn’t keep the childish enthusiasm out
of her voice.

“
Oh, yes, Miss. There’s
nothing like feeling the ocean water and the air bubbles tickling
against your skin. Just imagine pulling your body along the ocean
floor by grabbing onto rocks and coral, or the feel of the fish
brushing against your body as you swim. There are even wrecks from
World War II in the near area you can dive on.”

“
Absolutely not, Sara. I
forbid it. It’s not safe for a novice like you.” Bart’s face had
turned a nasty shade of red and he looked as if he might implode at
any minute. “We’re here for the reading of the will and then we’re
leaving day after tomorrow.”

“
Mr. Jacobs, perhaps you
could show us to the house so we can rest before time for dinner.”
Gwendolyn frowned at her daughter. “We can discuss the island more
in detail later. I’m exhausted and in need of a shower.”

Sara sighed. “Sorry, Mother. Captain
Jacobs, if you’ll lead the way.”

“
Of course, if you’ll follow
me I’ll take you to the house and come back for the extra luggage.”
Without another word, he took off across the sandy
beach.

Chapter 2

Sara followed Elias down a path that
led from the beach through an area that looked remarkably like a
jungle to her. Tall trees with lush foliage nearly blocked out the
sunlight. The dense undergrowth had vines that seemed to stretch
forever. The sounds of birds squawking and wings fluttering in the
trees filled the silence. As Sara breathed in the stuffy, warm air,
she swore she heard a waterfall somewhere nearby.

“
How big is the island?”
Bart slapped at the insects flying around his face and looked
annoyed.

“
It’s not big at all, sir.
Caleya’s only four square miles with about a third of that being
sandy beach.”

“
Does anybody else have a
house here?” Bart looked back and glanced at Sara.

“
I can answer that,”
Gwendolyn growled. “There’s nobody else living here and there never
has been. That’s why I left as soon as I could and I’ve never been
back. I hated the isolation.”

Sara gasped as they came into the
clearing and she got her first look at the house. “It’s beautiful,”
she whispered. The three-story house looked like a miniature
southern, antebellum mansion. White columns graced the front with a
covered porch that ran the length of the house on all three levels.
The windows had dark, black shutters and there were two chimneys
visible from where she stood.

“
How the hell many rooms
does this place have?” Bart was staring at the house and
practically licking his lips in excitement.

“
It has six bedrooms, four
bathrooms, a living room, dining room, kitchen and a study. Two of
the bedrooms are being used as studios at present.”

Bart glanced over at Elias. “What kind
of studios?”

“
Art, of course.” Gwendolyn
sounded disgusted. “My mother’s entire life revolved around her
art. She barely had time for anything or anybody else.”

“
Still playing the martyr,
Gwen?”

Sara whirled around at the sound of an
unfamiliar voice. Standing on the path was a stranger. He was well
over six feet tall with gray hair and vivid blue eyes. He was
smiling at her mother as if he knew her.

“
Don’t call me that! My name
is Gwendolyn.” She backed up a couple of steps as the man moved
forward. “What are you doing out here? Shouldn’t you be inside
packing?”

“
Forever the lady, I see.
Where are your manners, girl?” He turned to Sara. “Hello, my name
is Karl Barters and you are the apple of your grandmother’s eye.”
He took her hand in his. “I’m so very pleased to finally meet you,
Sara.”

“
The love of my
grandmother’s life,” Sara mumbled.

Karl laughed and glanced over at Elias.
“I can see you’ve been telling tales about me, old man.”

“
Old man! You’re the one in
his eighties if I’m not mistaken. I’d say that puts you in the
running for that title.” His green eyes twinkled
merrily.

Karl turned to Bart. “And who might you
be, sir?”

“
Bartle Everett III, Sara’s
fiancé.” Frowning, he shook Karl’s hand. “We were led to believe
you would be gone by morning.”

“
Bart, for heaven’s sake.
This is the man’s home and he just lost his partner. Can’t you be a
little more understanding?” Sara watched the shock come over her
fiancé’s face. She’d never raised her voice to him
before.

“
It’s all right, Sara.” Karl
patted her shoulder. “I will be gone before morning, but it was
your grandmother’s wish that I be here tonight to answer any
questions you might have and to show you around 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, didn’t want us to be a part of your
life.” Anger coursed through her with the thought that she’d been
denied her grandmother’s love. “I’m sorry, Grandmother. I really
did love you. I hope you knew that.”

Sighing, Sara stood and walked over to
the closet. She reached out to open it and started at the sound of
knocking and a voice calling her name. Wiping the tears from her
face with her hands, she walked over and opened the door. “Hey,
Karl.”

“
Sara, are you okay?” He
stared down at her as if he knew the emotional upheaval she was
experiencing.

“
Sure, I’m fine. Just
looking around, thinking about Grandmother.” She glanced back at
the room and then up into his concerned face. “Do you think you
could tell me about her, Karl?”

He smiled and reached to take her hand.
“Come with me, Sara. I’ll tell you all about Lizzie.”

Sara allowed herself to be pulled out
into the hall. “Where are we going?”

“
To Lizzie’s studio. It’s
the perfect place to tell you all about her. Come on, girl.” Karl
led her to the stairs at the end of the hall and began climbing to
the third floor. “There are two rooms upstairs. One is Lizzie’s
studio and the other’s mine.” Karl didn’t say anything else until
they reached the top and he’d thrown open one of the doors. “Step
inside, girl, and experience Lizzie’s magic.”

Sara took a deep breath and stepped
into the room. That air rushed from her lungs as a tingling heat
rolled through her body. Then, almost as soon as it started, the
tingling morphed into a warm feeling of belonging. “It’s like
coming home,” she whispered.

A smile crossed her face as Sara
inhaled the aroma of oil paints and turpentine. She walked slowly
around the room, letting her fingers trail over an easel with a
partially finished canvas. A table with boxes of colored pencils
and chalks sat in one corner with stacks of finished paintings
lined up on the floor next to it. The room was perfect for an
artist with windows all along one wall and a skylight for maximum
lighting. She quickly thumbed through her grandmother’s paintings,
most of which were landscapes of the island. “I’m an artist myself.
Did you know that?”

Karl walked over and leaned against the
table. “Yes, I knew and so did Lizzie.” He covered her hand with
his own. “She was very proud of you, Sara.”

Sara looked up and smiled. “Tell me
about her, about the two of you. When did you meet?”

“
Lizzie and I were together
forty years, more or less. We met right here on the island.” He got
a faraway look in his eyes. “She meant everything to
me.”

“
Why didn’t you marry
her?”

He laughed, but it had a bitter sound
to it. “She wouldn’t marry me, Sara. She didn’t want to get married
again unless Gwen approved.”

“
Mother didn’t like
you?”

“
That child hated me from
day one and I never understood why. I always figured she wanted her
own daddy to come home to her.” He sighed. “She never gave me a
chance.”

“
I’ve never heard my mother
speak of her father. Hell, I’ve never even seen a picture of
him.”

“
Lizzie told me he ran out
on them right after she had Gwen. I don’t think the child ever met
him.” Karl slid down to the floor and leaned back against the table
leg. “She had just turned ten when Lizzie brought me here. That
child could get into more mischief than any kid I’d ever known. She
put everything she had into trying to drive me away, but Lizzie
would have none of it. That woman made it her goal in life to make
us a family.”

“
What finally happened? I
mean, I know that Mother left to go to a boarding school when she
turned sixteen.”