“I’d love it if you stayed even after Andi gets there.” Maggie glanced over at Andi who nodded her approval. Maggie turned back to Aaron and he wrapped his arm around her waist pulling her in for a kiss. Just then Barney came sauntering into the foyer announcing his presence with a loud meow.
“There you are!” Maggie said. “I was wondering where you’d run off to.”
“I’ll go put him in the car,” Andi offered as she scooped up the cat and carried him outside.
“I guess it’s time to go then,” Maggie said, looking around the room to see if there was anything she’d forgotten. She was surprised at the sadness she felt.
She would miss this place. She would miss looking out over the peach orchards while sipping her coffee every morning. She would miss visiting with everyone in town at Ms. Brandy’s antique store. But she would come back. Sweetwater was a part of her now. She hadn’t realized just how much until it was time to leave.
She looked over at Aaron standing in the doorway waiting for her and she realized that she was taking the best part of Sweetwater with her.
“I’ve got to grab one more thing,” she told him.
“Do you need help?” Aaron asked.
“No, I’ll meet you at the car.”
He nodded and headed out the door. Maggie went to the kitchen to retrieve Fred and as she carried her fern back through the big house she stopped to take one last look around. She set her key on the table.
“Goodbye,” Maggie said to the house and then she walked out the door.
Epilogue
Maggie hurried down the sidewalk. She hated meeting like this, in the middle of the day, so close to the restaurant where she knew Aaron was waiting for her. But it was the only way to get this done between her shifts at the hospital.
She slipped through the doors of the hotel and headed straight for the bar. She saw him sitting in a dark corner. She crossed the room quickly and slipped into the booth.
“You have some information for me?” she asked without preamble.
“It wasn’t easy to find,” he responded. “Agnes Devereaux is good at covering her tracks.”
“But you have found something?” she pressed.
“I found the name of the hospital where she was committed as a teen. It was called the Sisters of Mercy. It had been a convent that the nuns converted into a hospital for troubled girls. Agnes Devereaux lived there from May to December of 1953.
“Most of the residents who were there at the same time as Agnes are long dead, but I did find one woman who now lives in a nursing home in Atlanta. She was there when Agnes was and she claims to remember her. She confirmed that Agnes was very obviously pregnant, but that she left before giving birth to the baby,” he concluded.
“So the baby was born at Devereaux Manor?” Maggie asked excitedly.
“It would seem so, but I can’t say that for sure,” he hedged.
“I need to know whatever you can find out about that baby,” Maggie implored.
“I’ll contact you when I have more information,” he promised.
“Thank you,” Maggie said, standing from the table. “I look forward to hearing from you.”
~∞~
It was a quick jog from the hotel to the restaurant where Aaron was waiting. Maggie glanced at her watch and saw that she only had thirty minutes left before she needed to be back at the hospital.
“Hey, beautiful,” Aaron said, standing from the table as she approached. He kissed her on the cheek and pulled out her chair. “Wasn’t sure if you were going to make it.”
“I wouldn’t miss our date,” Maggie insisted. Ever since she’d started her residency these stolen moments were all they seemed to have time for.
Just then the waiter arrived with their lunch. Aaron had already ordered. He’d known she would be there. Despite her busy schedule she’d never missed their regular lunch date.
“Did you mail the announcements?” she asked as she began to devour her lunch. It was the first thing she’d eaten all day.
“Last week,” Aaron reminded her, smiling.
“Oh yeah, I forgot I already asked.” Maggie smiled apologetically around a mouthful of food. “I don’t think I’ve slept since then.”
“I noticed you sent one to Ms. Devereaux,” Aaron said.
“I thought she should know,” Maggie explained. “She’s the reason we met. It only seemed right.”
“She responded,” he told her. Maggie practically choked on her food.
“You spoke to her?!” Maggie asked, hardly believing it was possible. Aaron shook his head.
“She sent this letter.” He handed it to Maggie.
My Darlings,
It warms my heart to hear the wonderful news of your engagement. Congratulations on making the decision that I was never given the opportunity to make. I hope that you would consider allowing me to throw the wedding at Devereaux Manor as my gift to you.
Sincerely,
Agnes Devereaux