Chapter 1 - The Opened Locket
The cold brass latch clicked open in the palms of Eleanor’s shaking hands.
Her vision blurred as her eyes adjusted to the image tucked inside the locket.
It was not a memory from twenty years ago.
It was a crisp, color photograph of her mother sitting in a dimly lit room.
Her mother was holding up yesterday’s local newspaper.
The date printed on the front page was yesterday morning.
A tear slipped down Eleanor’s pale cheek and hit the glass cover of the locket.
Her heart pounded against her ribs like a trapped bird.
Her breath hitched in her throat as the room seemed to tilt beneath her feet.
She looked down at the weeping eight-year-old flower girl, Lily.
"Where did you see her?" Eleanor whispered, her voice barely audible above the distant wedding music.
Lily shrank back against the floral wallpaper, trembling uncontrollably.
"She... she was sitting in a black car behind the chapel," Lily sobbed.
"She told me to give it to you before you walked down the aisle," the girl added.
Eleanor turned slowly to face her groom, Julian.
Julian’s face had completely drained of color.
His hand tightened around Eleanor’s arm with a grip that was far too firm.
"Eleanor, darling, the child is confused," Julian said smoothly, stepping between her and the child.
"Your mother passed away ten years ago in that tragic fire," Julian reminded her, his voice dripping with forced calm.
"Look at the picture, Julian!" Eleanor screamed, shoving the locket toward his face.
"She is holding yesterday's newspaper!" Eleanor shouted, her voice echoing down the narrow hallway.
Julian glanced at the tiny photo for only a fraction of a second.
Without warning, Julian snapped the locket shut.
He pulled it from Eleanor’s trembling fingers and slipped it into his suit jacket pocket.
"Julian, give that back to me!" Eleanor demanded, reaching for his pocket.
Julian gently but firmly grabbed both of her wrists.
"We have two hundred guests waiting in the main hall, Eleanor," Julian whispered, leaning close to her ear.
"You are exhausted and overwhelmed by wedding stress," Julian said coldly.
"We will handle this childish prank after the vows," he insisted.
Lily squeezed past Julian and ran down the corridor toward the heavy oak exit doors.
"Wait! Lily, don't leave!" Eleanor cried out, trying to pull away from Julian’s tight grasp.
Julian did not let go.
His thumb pressed hard against her pulse point on her wrist.
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"Let go of me, Julian!" Eleanor gasped, staring into the eyes of the man she was about to marry.
For the first time in five years, Julian looked like a complete stranger to her.
