First In Series Sampler, Volume 1

Chapter 9

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MORGAN MADE HER WAY out the front door to sit on one of the rocking chairs on the wraparound porch. The overhang from the roof gave the porch plenty of shade, and the view of the ocean was enticing, but she had no interest in watching the sea at this moment. The letter was calling for her to open it. After taking a big swallow from her bottle of water, she set it down and picked up the envelope. As she felt the packet, she noticed there was a bulge within the papers, and she carefully opened the seal, not wanting to lose what was inside. She held her hand out and tipped the envelope so that the object would fall into her hand. She gasped at the beauty of the gem that sat gleaming back at her. She had never seen a more perfect pearl, nor one in this color; it was a beautiful hue of blue. Putting the papers down, she reached with her other hand and picked up the pearl, holding it up to the light to get a better look at it.

"Didn"t even know a pearl would come in this color. It"s beautiful." Then Morgan noticed that someone had drilled the pearl to go onto a necklace, and she felt sad for a second that they had marred the perfection. She carefully put the blue pearl in the envelope for safekeeping and then turned her attention to the papers sitting on her lap. Morgan recognized her aunt"s penmanship. At the top of the page was the date and time, and she drew in a sharp breath. Meredith had written this to her just hours before her death.

"My sweet Morgan. I"m sorry that you must read this without me being around, but I know my time is up. There are so many things I want to tell you. But you should discover what is in store for you a little at a time. Otherwise, believe me, it will be overwhelming. You"re not alone here on the island; you have friends here that will help guide your path. Listen to them, rely on them, but rely on your own intuition. I"m sending two special people to be with you. Don"t be sad for me. I make this decision on my own; my actions are for the greater good. The good of our family and of protecting the island. All this, you will come to understand later."

Morgan shivered, and she looked around anxiously as if somebody was reading over her shoulder. But there was nobody around, and she dropped her eyes back down to the paper and continued reading.

"First is the pearl. Each member of the family is given a pearl by their predecessor. I have specifically chosen the blue one for you. The blue pearl stands for truth, intuition, trust, responsibility, tranquility, and courage. You will need these qualities in the times to come. There is a box of pearls in my desk underneath the velvet; you will find a chain. This is for your pearl. The chain may look delicate, but it is strong beyond measure, and it will keep your pearl safe. I have added my pearl to the necklace in the box, as each of our ancestors has added theirs. You"ll know when the time is right to add yours. But that won"t be for many, many years."

Morgan broke from her reading to gaze out at the sea. She was almost afraid to read the rest of the letter, but she must. She wanted to find anything she could that might help find her aunt"s killer. Or tell her why Meredith had wanted Morgan to return to Pearl Island now, after so many years.

"In the other box, you will find a ring. I cannot tell you much about the ring; you need to discover its secrets for yourself. I will tell you this much: once you put the ring on, never take it off. You"ll understand. There are so many other things that I need to tell you but there aren"t enough lines on the page. Besides, you need to find out most of this on your own. I have left you all the resources you will ever need. You"ll find most of them in the library. Your favorite place, if I remember correctly. I will always be with you, Morgan, in ways you will never know. But know this: both your mother and I loved you with all our hearts."

Morgan"s eyes blurred with tears, and it surprised her when one of them dropped onto the paper, mixing with the ink. Morgan quickly used her shirttail and dabbed the water spot so it wouldn"t ruin the paper. Then she promptly wiped the other tears on her face so they wouldn"t drip on the paper and noticed the postscript added to the bottom of the page. Meredith had added it in haste without her usual perfect penmanship.

"Don"t trust everybody who says they are your friend. There are a few who will be friends for life, but there will be those that will try to be friends only for their own gain. These people will be more dangerous than they appear. Take care, my sweet niece. Protect our island and have a great life."

Morgan"s hands dropped to her lap, the paper still clutched in her fingers. It was clear her aunt was trying to warn her about something, but what? And why had she willingly walked into danger? It was clear she knew something would happen to her, so why didn"t she ask for help? Morgan sat there staring out at the ocean, gently rocking in the rocking chair without even realizing she was making the movements. It was a faint meow that she heard coming from inside the house that drew her attention.

Wondering if it was the same cat she"d seen earlier, she got to her feet and walked back into the house, following the soft cries of the cat back to her aunt"s office. But when she looked around the room, there was no cat. However, the desk drawer was partly open, and Morgan knew she had closed it tightly. Folding papers back into the envelope, she took out the pearl and walked over to the desk, eager to put it on its chain and then put it on. Once the pearl was around her neck, Morgan closed the box with the pearl necklace of many colors. She dropped her aunt"s notes down on top of the other envelopes. Then she reached for the smaller box that contained the ring her aunt was so adamant she wear.

But when she opened the box, there was no ring inside. In haste, Morgan pulled the drawer out as far as it could go, searching for the ring, but it wasn"t there. Then she remembered the drawer had been partly opened.

Had someone come into the house while she was sitting out front?

Who had stolen her ring?