“Oh, what a relief,” Cora said.
“It’s a relief for me too,” Samantha said with a giggle. “I love my job.”
“Samantha worked very hard and got her Masters degree from NYU. She’s been working for the Historic Times ever since.”
“Benjamin flatters me,” she said, blushing, before taking another sip of wine.
Benjamin cut into his roast and popped a bite in his mouth. “It isn’t flattery at all,” he said. “She’s an extraordinary woman with extraordinary strength.”
“You’re making me blush, Ben,” she said.
“Ben said you were an orphan and a foster child,” Cora said.
“That’s true,” Samantha said.
“I can imagine it must have been tough growing up like that and then going on to college and getting a Masters degree. I don’t think that Ben is exaggerating it all,” Marvin said.
“Thank you all. I appreciate it. I just did what I had to do to make something of myself. I didn’t want to end up like my aunt or my mother. I wanted to use my mind to make the world a better place.”
“You had an aunt?”
“She was very poor. Her husband had left her and gambled away all their savings. She couldn’t take me in, having five kids of her own. She just couldn’t afford another. I did meet her once when I was in college and asked why she didn’t take me. I was angry at the time. But I came to understand as I grew older. I never wanted to be in her position, so I worked hard every day to be able to do something I loved that supported me.”
“That’s a sad story,” Cora said, taking a sip of wine.
“It’s not so sad. It was hard, but it made me who I am. I don’t regret any of it. No one chooses their fate.”
“That’s true. No one chooses fate,” Marvin said. “But you do choose how to react to it.”
“Now I have Ben. All the struggle was worth it. It’s what brought me here.”
“Ben is totally right about you, Samantha. You are quite extraordinary,” Cora said with a smile, patting her hand.
“Who’s ready for chocolate cake?” Marvin said.
Marvin stood and brought the cake back from the kitchen while Cora poured everyone another glass of wine. He cut the cake and dished up a piece for everyone. He handed Samantha her piece first. She took a bite of cake and groaned at the flavor.
“I didn’t think anyone could make chocolate fudge better than Ben, but I think maybe I was wrong,” she chuckled.
“We taught him everything he knows,” father said.
Ben smiled and nodded. “It’s true.”
“How are things down at the shop these days?” Marvin asked.
“We had a record sales day on Valentine’s Day. With the missing statue, we’ve had a lot of outsiders and tourists in town, speculating about what happened. But since they left, it’s like the town square is a ghost town. I see as many for sale signs as I do graffiti tags these days.”
“We left the shop in good hands with you, Benjamin. I’m sure things will turn around,” Cora said, patting his hand across the table.
“Do you think my brother will want to work with me when he returns from his service?” Benjamin asked Marvin.
“You know Maverick. He’ll probably take up his wild ways again.”
“Don’t be so hard on the boy,” Cora said. “He’s a good boy at heart. He just has to find his way in life. I’m sure that his years of service will have changed him and taught him many lessons.”
“What that boy needs is a mate,” Marvin said. “Nothing helps settle down a wild bear better than his mate.”
“I couldn’t agree more,” Cora said, taking another bite of cake.
After they were all done, everyone was feeling amicable and friendly. They played a game of cards at the dining room table, with second helpings of cake all around. Benjamin’s mother was a master at Gin rummy, but Samantha really gave her a run for her money.
Neither he nor Marvin could beat either of them, but they battled it out late into the evening. Finally, Benjamin knew it was time to get going.
“I have to be at the shop early.”
“It was wonderful to meet you, dear,” Cora said to Samantha, giving her a big hug.
“Welcome to the family,” Marvin said.
“It was wonderful to meet you two,” Samantha said. “I was a little nervous to meet Ben’s family to be honest. But you guys are wonderful. I feel so lucky to be part of your family.”
“We’re lucky to have you too,” Marvin said, leaning in to give Samantha a hug.
They said their goodbyes and Samantha and Ben went off to climb into his car.
“Your mom and dad really are great,” she said. “I do feel lucky to have you, and my wonderful new in-laws. They were so welcoming and kind.”
“I’m glad you called them that,” Ben said.
“Called them what?”
“In-laws.”
Ben stopped at a turn off that looked out over the Lake of the Fates. He’d bought a ring the day he’d met her. He’d been waiting for just the right moment to ask. They walked out onto the lookout and gazed at the moon glowing over the water.
“Every day I spend in Fate Valley, I see something more beautiful than the last,” she said.
“Right now, the only beautiful thing I see is you,” Ben said in a whisper.
“Ben.”
He took both of her hands in his and went down on one knee.
“Samantha Cooper? Will you do me the honor of being my wife?” He pulled the ring box from his pocket and opened it, revealing a princess cut diamond on a platinum band.
Samantha clutched her heart and gasped, covering her mouth with her other hand. She shook her head vigorously as he took the ring from the box. She offered him her hand and he slipped the ring on her finger. It fit her just right. Ben sighed happily. She pulled him to his feet and threw her arms around his neck.
“I am a lucky man,” he whispered in her ear between kisses.
“You have no idea how happy you make me,” she said.
“I do know. It’s almost as happy as you make me.”
Chapter 21
Samantha walked into Fate Valley Antiques and found Alexander Elwood sitting behind the long antique counter. The store was dimly lit, with antiques in every corner and hanging from the ceiling. She spotted a century old hobbyhorse, a magnificent armoire, and portraits of people in antebellum clothing.
She loved antiques almost as much as she loved history and the place had a charm and curiosity about it that she knew she could explore for hours. She wandered down the aisles for a few moments before approaching the counter where Alexander sat, examining a stamp collection.
“Alexander Elwood?” she asked.
“How can I help you today ma’am?” he said, sniffing the air. She could tell he knew she was a shifter.
“I’m Benjamin Darling’s new mate, Samantha Cooper,” she said. “I’ve come all the way from New York City to write an article about Ambrose Morgan for the Historic Times.”
“You’re the Samantha Cooper from the Historic Times? I love that publication. I have a subscription for the shop, and you’re my favorite writer.”
“Thank you.”
“How can I help you today, Samantha Cooper?”
“I had some questions for you about Ambrose Morgan,” she said.
“Shoot.”
“I learned at the museum that there was a town here before the lake was flooded. All the guide could tell me was that the town was full of squatters. I know the residents were displaced to make way for the flooding of the lake. I was hoping you could tell me a little more about them.”
“Did he tell you they were shifters?” he asked.
“Shifters?” she said in shock.
“Yes. The original settlement was a settlement of shifters. Most humans, most shifters even, don’t know that. Back then, shifters were still secretive about their nature.”
“How do you know?”
“I have more access to shifter history than any human, and most shifters.”
“What happened to the shifters after they were displaced?”
“They moved further up the banks to a new settlement in Fate Valley.”
“Who were they?”
“Most of them came from one wolfpack. They were angry that they had to leave their hunting grounds, but I believe Ambrose Morgan bought them new land. Free and clear.”
“Do they still live there today?” she asked.
“As far as I know, the descendants of the original pack still live on the same land.”
“Have the police been informed of this information? They might still have a grudge against Morgan.”
“No one ever asked. Plus, it was so long ago, and Morgan provided them new land. I never imagined it could be them.”
“Everyone suspects the Midwest Mayhem group.”
“I don’t know anything about them, except that they seem a little cagey. There’s been some broken windows in town, and graffiti. Turning the lion statue upside down at City Hall was rude to say the least,” Alexander said.
“If that group of shifters was angry about the valley being flooded back then, is it possible they could still feel that way now? It could be motivation to take the statue.”
“Maybe,” he said.
“I don’t think anyone even knew that the original pack still lived here.”
“Do you think that they could be responsible for taking the statue?” he asked skeptically.
“Sure. But I still can’t imagine how they could have moved it without anyone noticing,” she mused.
“They’re all wolves. Maybe a group of half a dozen bears, in bear form, could move a two-thousand-pound statue. But I don’t know how many wolf shifters it would take. They aren’t as strong as bears.”
“I can see what you mean,” she said, tapping her finger to her lip. “Do you know where the wolfpack lives now?”
“I do. They aren’t part of the Shifter Community Association. They keep to themselves mostly and live off grid. I only know that because I made an intensive study of the founding of the valley when I first opened the shop. Very few people even know that original settlers were shifters. I found information on the land purchase deep in the city archives during my research. I only discovered they were wolves due to a few clues in the newspapers of the time. I could see the signs in their eyes. When I went out to speak with them, they weren’t very welcoming.”
“Could you write the address down for me?”
Alexander pulled out a pen and paper and wrote down the address. She read it and shoved the paper in her purse. She was about to thank him and leave, but she still had the nagging question about her ancestry. It was embarrassing, and she didn’t really want to talk about it. But she had to get it out. Alexander knew so much about the original town, maybe he knew something about this as well.
“There’s one other thing,” she started.
“Oh?” he asked, taking off his reading glasses.
“You see, I’m an orphan and I recently did one of those DNA tests to find out your famous relatives. It came back that I was related to Ambrose Morgan. I found out from his great-granddaughter that Ambrose had an affair with his maid and I suspect that’s where I came from I was devastated by the news, as you might imagine. I was wondering if you had any idea what her name was?”
“I think I have something you should see.”
“What is it?”
“Come, I’ll show you.”
He went to the back of the shop and unlocked a door that led to his storage room. She followed him inside, the smell of dust and time wafting through the air. He opened a small trunk and pulled out a few letters.
“I purchased this trunk a while back in an estate auction. It had a false bottom that hadn’t been opened in decades. Not many people knew these exist. I opened it up after I bought it, and found this letter inside.”
He handed her the letters and she began to read.
“My dearest Eugenia. My love for you knows no bounds. I know that what we did was wrong in the eyes of many. Perhaps we should have held our love inside while Mary still lived. You know my relationship with her was never a happy one. She was a cruel and spiteful woman, incapable of love. Finding comfort in your arms was like finding the love I had always so desperately wanted. Now that she is gone, we can be together. I know that it is unheard of for people like us to marry, but I want you to be my lawful wife. I want to declare it to the world that I love you, Eugenia. I have never loved anyone as much as I love you. I only wish I didn’t have to say this in a letter, my dearest darling. I beg you to be my wife and to be mine for the rest of our lives. Humbly and eternally yours, Ambrose V. Morgan.”
“It’s his handwriting,” Alexander said. “I’ve checked it against other documents.”
Tears began to stream from Samantha’s eyes. She couldn’t believe what she was reading. Ambrose had loved her grandmother. He regretted cheating on his late wife, who he had never loved. The most amazing part was that he wanted to marry her. It would have been a complete scandal at the time and would have lost him his position in society. He truly loved her. More than anything. More than his position, more than his money, more than his reputation.
“I looked at the travel logs for the train station on the day that Ambrose died, after I read those letters. I found that Eugenia Bowman was, in fact, riding a train the very day he died in the car accident. I suspect that she was coming to meet him.”
“I can’t believe it. And here I thought he was a horrible person who had used his maid for his own selfish reasons while cheating on his sick wife.”
“Mrs. Morgan is said to have been a cruel and selfish woman. She was sick with cancer for many years before she passed away, but her demanding and derogatory behavior is somewhat legendary in Fate Valley.”
“I had no idea,” Samantha said, sitting down on the nearest chair.
She’d never heard anything so sad in her life.
“Eugenia was pregnant at the time. I found other correspondences in the box that made that clear.”
“Do you know what became of the child?”
“I believe Eugenia stayed in Fate Valley. Other letters indicate Ambrose was trying to change his will, but I don’t think he was able to complete the changes before his death. Eugenia continued cleaning houses for the wealthy people of the town. Her son was born nine months after Ambrose passed away, and she named him Valentine, after Marvin.”
“That would be my grandfather. Does he still live in Fate Valley?”
“I believe that Valentine Bowman does still live here.”
“Thank you so much, Alexander. You helped me so much. I don’t know how I can ever thank you.”
“Just keep writing those amazing articles, and that will be thanks enough. It’s nice to know there’s another history buff out there who loves this stuff as much as I do.”
Chapter 22
Ben looked up from behind the counter as he served one of the few customers that day just in time to see Samantha walk into the candy shop with a huge smile on her face.
“You’re never going to believe what I just found out,” she said, as the customer walked out.
“You seem happy. What is that?”
“I learned that Ambrose and my great-grandmother were in love. He wanted to marry her despite everything that stood in their way. I saw the letters myself.”
A tear formed in the corner of Samantha’s eye.
“That’s wonderful news, Samantha. I’m so glad that it turned out that way.”
“You won’t believe what else I found out. The original settlers of Fate Valley were shifters. A wolfpack. Their descendants still live here.”
“What exactly does that mean?” Benjamin asked, offering her a chocolate.
“I suspect they are the ones who stole the statue,” she said, taking a chocolate and popping it into her mouth. “It stands to reason that they would still have a grudge again
st the man who flooded their town.”
“It’s been almost ninety years,” Benjamin said. “You’d think they’d get over it by now.”
“They probably didn’t want to see him honored for what they considered an injustice. That’s my theory, anyway.”
“What do you want to do about it?”
“Well, I would call the police about it, but it doesn’t really seem like information worth reporting. I was thinking maybe we could go out there and look around.”
“You remember what happened when we visited Midwest Mayhem?”
“How could I forget? But it’s worth a shot, right? I’m a bear now too. I can defend myself.”
“But this isn’t a group of punk rockers. These are shifters.”
“I just want to snoop a little bit. Ask them a few questions and see what I can find.”
“Okay, Samantha. But if I say we need to leave, then we need to leave.”
“I got it.”
They went out to his SUV and started out of town. She gave him the address Alexander had written down for her, and he knew the area fairly well. It was deep in the forest, past the campground where the Midwest Mayhem group was staying. They both looked up the road to the campground as they passed.
“Are you sure you’re prepared for this?” he asked her.
“Of course I am,” she said with a grin.
He knew that she was in a good mood because of what she’d found out about her great-grandparents, but he was nervous about confronting the wolves. These shifters were not part of the Shifter Community Association. They didn’t follow the shifter bylaws. They were a rogue group that kept to themselves. They rarely came into town and had a bad attitude about outsiders.
The only thing anyone knew about them, was to leave them strictly alone. He couldn’t help but think they were walking into the lion’s den.
They came to the turnoff for their road and drove up the lane for several miles along a dirt road. Finally, at the end of the narrow gravel road, they came to a clearing in the forest that opened out into a large gravel driveway. They parked in front of a collection of a dozen small houses and mobile homes. A massive shop stood off to the corner and a barn could be seen beyond the houses.