Chapter 51

Julie opened the top drawer of Luc’s dresser and took out the manila envelope, sliding out the papers inside. She hadn’t realized there were so many…their marriage license, the Pre-Nuptial Agreement, Merry’s birth certificate, Her marriage license to William, and William’s death certificate. She'd kept them together, not wanting any to be packed away, and Luc had agreed.

Soon, I’ll add another…our divorce decree.

Sadly, she looked through them, wondering why she was torturing herself, found no answer, and put them back into the drawer.

* * *

That morning, Mark made another house call, telling her she could get out of bed.

“Take it easy, Julie. Give it a try. See how it goes.”

Later, Luc called. Using verbal persuasion he hadn’t known he possessed, he’d appeased the Savannah client. The building was being built as designed, and he was on his way home. Because of what Mark had said, Julie planned to surprise him by being at the airport.

Returning the envelope to the drawer, she carefully, arranged his underwear over it. Then she slipped on her sandals and went into the hall, not seeing the shadow outside the veranda door.

As soon as the door closed and Julie’s footsteps died away, Clarice appeared in the doorway. She’d been walking past the open door, saw Julie looking at the papers and stopped.

There was something about the way she put them away, as if hiding them that caught Clarice’s attention.

Opening the drawer, Clarice pulled the envelope out, shaking its contents onto the bed. As she scanned the top two sheets, it took her a moment to realize what she held.

She began to laugh.