A Summer Romance (23 page)

“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

Maggie stared at it silently after she’d
read it. Since the trial had ended they hadn’t spoken much of
Devereaux Manor. The trial had been very difficult for Aaron, he
blamed himself for what had happened to her. Maggie quickly
realized that it was a topic better left alone. Aaron no longer
worked for Ms. Devereaux, they’d made a life for themselves in
Savannah and it had been a few years since they’d been back.

“We don’t have to have the wedding there,”
Aaron assured her after a few moments of silence. “I just thought
you’d want to know that she responded.”

“No. It seems fitting. It’s where we met,
where we fell in love. I think it’s the perfect place,” she
said.

“Are you sure?” he asked with concern.

“It’s time to go back,” Maggie said with
confidence. “Regardless of whatever else happened there we never
would have met if it weren’t for Ms. Devereaux. She brought us
together. Having the wedding there, it just seems right.”

Aaron reached across the table and took her
hand. “If that’s what you want.”

“Do you think if we let her throw the
wedding that means she’ll be there and we’ll finally get to meet
her?” Maggie asked with sudden excitement at the possibility of
getting to the bottom of all the unanswered questions that she’d
been left with.

“There’s only one way to find out,” Aaron
replied.

December 2014

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