Whispers of the Silver Coasts

ooled into all its corners. Helen was alone in her room, the heavy drapes pulled shut, and beyo

eel that perhaps she had entered something of her old life, but there was a

on the door i

voice from behind the

got up out

n dinning room." Helen's stomach dropped. She hadn't thought she'd

mile that showed all her te

cks. Hopefully it accomplished business casual without getting too fancy. She walked into the dining

id as he saw h

e replied her s

took the seat Sofia had indicated, directly to John's right. The table-a seemingly endless expanse of gl

appeared before her, followed by flaky fish and steamed vegetables, a basket of warm br

," John finally spoke, h

anor is lovely. And the mural...I think I'm going to try

is place too, and the mura

s voice, as if this mu

t?' The fork made a faint tapping n

after the Wolfe family first came here. I suppose no one knows who he got to do it, b

len persisted. "You s

ily up at the portrait. "That picture

ts. "It was Emily's favorite. She painted it with eve

n very talented,"

s a wistful note in his voice that m

Emily, about the mural, or even about the chapel itself but she sensed questioning too far would be asking too much. John Wolfe wa

drink in the library after dinner. Helen hes

ed over to the fireplace, shaking out the coals and lighting it, flames casting on grinning reflections

l up there,"

n toasted, clinkin

nd biting. John settled back into his sea

a long space of time. "W

You mean art?" "Yes," she said. "Restor

nging old things back to life, giving them a second chance, f

mething. An emotion not so different from her own reflecting in his eyes. "And wha

off. How could she explain? Her life in Pennsylvania, the death of her parents and

really sure," s

painting. It's a warning, a map to everything that happened before we got

sked. She lean

shook his head. "I'll t

urried in from outside. "I'm sorry,

the table and stood up.

nly nastied up the murals and the Wolfe affair; and she felt sure that whatever he was concealing would make its presence felt s