Theo was probably right, but I had come to realize controlling my thoughts was not one of my strengths these days.

“I can’t imagine what this news is going to do to Mary,” Theo said with a sigh. “She’s already been through so much.”

“Sorry?”

She looked up from her cup to meet my gaze. “Mary lost her husband a few months back. He’d been sick for a while, but, still, he was her world.” Theo’s face softened. She left the words unspoken, but we both knew how well I could relate to Mary’s loss.

I could only hold her gaze for a moment before I had to look away. It was then I noticed the newspaper on the table. It had been folded in on itself so that half of the memorial page was showing.

“Constance’s obituary,” Theo said. “It’s already there. Mary must have done it. She was always trying to make things right with her sister. She chose a nice photo, didn’t she?”

I had to agree. It was a handsome shot. “I would have thought it had been the other way around,” I said suddenly.

“What’s that?”

“Why would Mary be trying to make things right with Constance? Wouldn’t she have been upset with her for keeping the family estate all to herself?”

Theo looked confused. “That’s true, isn’t it? Mary didn’t like to talk about the situation much, but every time she did, it was like she felt guilty. She was always asking me how Constance was doing, and I knew she invited her to all the family functions. Not that Constance would have any of it.”

“It says here Mary has a daughter?”

“Liz. Mary’s daughter from her first marriage,” Theo said. “Her father was not a nice man. We were all glad when he left town. Liz was all that kept Mary going there for a while, but then she met Grant, and things were so much better. Liz played cards with us too that night for a little while.”

“What time she did leave?”

Theo gave me a funny look.

“I’m sorry. I know how it sounds. I’m just trying to piece the night together.”

“She left about an hour before her mother. I didn’t check the time, but it must have been around nine.”

Theo and I chatted a little longer, but I could tell I had upset her with the new information about Constance’s death. She most likely needed some time on her own to process everything. But before I left, there was one more thing I needed to say. “Theo, I’m sorry if it seems like I just came here to ask you about Constance. I’ve wanted to visit so many times.”

She reached across the table again and squeezed my hand. “And there were so many times I wanted to visit you. I guess I didn’t want to be a reminder of that day.”

“I can understand that, but please know that was never the case.” I pushed myself off the stool. “And now that I’ve finally made it here in one piece, I think it will be easier for me to come back again.”