Chapter 10Tears stung Clarice’s eyes as Derek read the final entry and closed the journal in his lap. She drew a deep breath and cleared her throat. “No wonder the poor soul haunts this bedroom. And to think Esau died in vain. If he hadn’t gone off to war and died at Bull Run a month later, perhaps they might have one day found a way to be together…” Her voice drifted off as additional tears trickled down her cheeks.
“Died in vain?” asked Derek, his dark eyes also shiny with unshed moisture. “But she—”
“Palmer lied! Florette didn’t die as her husband stated.” She tapped the notation on her family tree. “See? Her death is marked as 1881. Their first child—my direct ancestor—was born in 1864, years after her supposed death en route to the capital. Two additional children followed.”
Derek
