“Eighteen-Eighty-five.” The journal was more than a hundred years old. Amanda’s stomach twitched with excitement. She loved old journals. Most of them were filled with the kind of mundane things that people didn’t bother with today.

She’d read journals that were filled with weather and crop reports, town news, family triumphs and tragedies. She’d even read journals that were filled with such household tidbits as how to best butcher a hog and preserve every bit of the meat for future use, to how to mix the best wood cleaner. Journals were a treasure trove of information.

Turning the page, she read the first entry. “I got married today. The sun was bright and the roses in Mama’s garden were in full bloom. Henry looked so handsome in his new suit it was all I could do to listen to the minister as he performed the ceremony.

Henry Sutter is the most handsome man in the world.” Amanda lowered the book, commiserating with the long-deceased Cecilia. “If Henry looked anything like Jonah, I understand completely.”

She’d definitely have to return this to Elizabeth. It was a family treasure, probably a wedding gift because Cecilia’s married name was on the cover. Still, a part of her hoped that Elizabeth wanted to sell this family journal. Amanda would buy it for her private collection.

Journals had been her passion ever since the first day she’d stepped into Seymour’s shop. Over the years, she’d collected about three dozen of them, ranging in age from the seventeen hundreds right up until the nineteen-forties.

A psychologist would have a field day with her collection. She had no family ties of her own, no history, so she collected other people’s history. That might be the case, but Amanda figured she was protecting the past from being discarded.

She logged the diary into her computer program and made a note to ask Elizabeth about it. She started to place it in the pile with the other collectable books, but stopped.

There was no denying that she wanted to read a bit more about Cecilia and her new husband.

What would it hurt?

After all, Elizabeth had put it in the box with the rest of the books. For all Amanda knew, Elizabeth wanted to be rid of it.

Laying the diary aside, she closed out her program and shut down her computer.

Standing, she groaned and stretched her arms over her head. She’d obviously been sitting there a while. She tended to lose track of time when she was working.

A quick glance at her watch had her groaning. “Quarter to four.” She’d planned to stop by Delicious Delights, the local bakery, and pick up something to take to Cyndi and Shamus’s place for dessert.

Grabbing the diary, she left the room in its state of organized chaos and hurried up the stairs. If she was fast, she could grab a shower, change, go to the bakery and still get to her friends’ place by four-thirty.

Amanda carefully placed the journal in her bedside table. Ignoring the open suitcases and piles of boxes that mocked her, she headed to the bathroom. At least she’d unpacked the towels.

“That was delicious.” Amanda pushed back her plate and gave a deep sigh of pleasure. Seated in the large, warm kitchen with her two friends, Amanda felt a sense of satisfaction. She’d made the right decision about moving to Jamesville. It was good to be close to friends.

The table was situated in a nook area surrounded by glass on three sides, giving a spectacular view of the garden. The late September sun was beginning to fade, but Amanda could see that some of the flowers were still blooming.

Though this was a B & B and there was a huge dining area with a half-dozen tables or so, Amanda preferred the coziness of the kitchen. It made her feel more a friend and less like a guest.

“Thank you.” Cyndi rose from the table, her blue eyes twinkling with delight. “You still have room for any of that cheesecake you brought with you?”

Amanda groaned, but nodded. “I think so.” She really wanted a piece of that chocolate dessert. “I’m so going to have to go back to Delicious Delights.”

Cyndi laughed. “I know what you mean. I love that place, which is why I limit myself to a visit once a week. Their éclairs are to die for.”

“Don’t tell me that,” she groused. “I’ll gain ten pounds the first month I’m here if I’m not careful.”

Shamus snorted, but wisely said nothing. He pushed back his chair and began to help his wife clear the table.

“Let me help with that.” Amanda stood, but Shamus waved her back to her seat.

“You’ve had enough of a shock today. Relax and enjoy.”

“Shamus told me what happened.” Cyndi carried the cheesecake over to the table and went back to the counter and grabbed plates and forks.

“It’s my own fault. I should have paid more attention, but everything happened so fast. Seymour’s death and the fact that he’d authorized his lawyer to sell the building was a blow.” Amanda watched as Shamus carried two mugs of coffee to the table and handed her one. “Thanks.”


“That had to have been devastating.” Cyndi cut a huge hunk of cheesecake, popped it on to a fine china plate and handed it to her.

“It was hard, but it all turned out for the best.” Amanda forked up a piece of the cheesecake and took a bite, savoring the rich chocolate flavor. When she put her fork back down on the edge of her plate, she noticed the intricate floral pattern around the edge. “You know, Linda would love this plate.”

Linda Fletcher was an antiques dealer and the reason that Amanda had met Cyndi and Shamus. When Cyndi had decided to clear out her family’s home, Linda had contacted Seymour and he’d sent Amanda to Jamesville. Cyndi, Linda and she had become good friends.

Cyndi wrinkled her nose and laughed. “Last time she was here, she tried to talk me out of them, but I like them. I think she’s slightly appalled that they’re my everyday dishes.”

“I think she’s afraid I’ll break them,” Shamus added as he carried the final mug over and sat back down. He smiled at his wife as she handed him a thick slice of the dessert.

“No she isn’t,” Cyndi scolded. “Okay, well maybe.” They all laughed and continued to eat. After a minute, Cyndi continued. “Now, back to the house…”

“Umm,” Amanda said as she swallowed her last bite of cheesecake. She wished she’d opted for wearing sweatpants instead of jeans. The zipper was about ready to burst and the button was digging into her belly. She was well and truly stuffed. “As I said, the decision to move here happened so fast.” She raised her mug and saluted Cyndi. “And thank you so much for the suggestion.”

“Hey, I was being selfish. I wanted you closer. A couple trips a year wasn’t enough time to spend with you.”

Tears pricked Amanda’s eyes. The emotion caught her slightly off guard. She was so used to it being just her and Seymour. It was nice to be wanted.

She blinked and changed the subject back to the house. “The minute I saw the house I knew I wanted it. I did check the foundation, the roof and the plumbing, but for some reason I didn’t even think about the electrical system.” Amanda took a sip of her coffee before continuing. “Of course, there was an inspection. I had to go back to Vermont, so the realtor handled it and faxed me the report. I went back and checked all the papers I received on the house and there in black and white on the inspector’s report is the fact that the electrical system needed upgrading. No one hid anything from me. I just wasn’t paying close enough attention.”

“The real estate agent should have made certain you understood everything about the house.” Shamus pushed his empty plate aside and sat back in his chair. “Who was it?”

“A guy named Jim Brown.”

Shamus frowned. “Damn, I should have known. He probably didn’t want to lose the sale.”

“Something wrong with him? He seemed like a nice enough guy.” In his late thirties, Jim Brown had been professional and amiable enough. “He gave me all the papers. It’s my fault for not reading them as closely as I should.”

“He’s Elizabeth Sutter’s ex-husband, and Jonah’s ex-brother-in-law. It wasn’t exactly an amicable divorce.” Shamus’s expression was grim. “It would be best if those two were never in the same room together.”

Amanda shrugged, not quite knowing what else to do. “It’s a small town. Not like they can avoid each other.” It would be awkward as hell though.

“No, it’s impossible to avoid someone forever in a town this size.” Cyndi hesitated as if she wanted to say something, but then changed the subject. “You brought paint samples with you?”

“I did.” Amanda accepted the change of subject, reached behind and grabbed her bag. Digging into it, she pulled out a handful of paint chips. “I’ve narrowed it down, but I’d like a second opinion. I also want to know how long you think this project will take?”

She directed her question to Shamus.

He tilted his head to one side and thought for a second. “Go ahead and buy your paint. I don’t think it will take Jonah long. He does quality work, but he’s fast. I can come by in the evenings once he’s finished in a room and make any necessary repairs to the drywall. That way you can start priming and painting a room at a time.”

“That’s a lot of trouble for you.” Although, Amanda couldn’t deny she was more than ready to get started painting.

“It’s no problem.” He hesitated. “It might be none of my business and feel free to say so, but are you okay money-wise? I mean you just bought a house, paid for a move and now this. I can talk to Jonah if you need some time to pay him.”

The tears were back in her eyes and there was a huge lump in her throat. No one in her life, other than Seymour, had ever shown such care and concern for her.