Chapter 8 - A Door That Should Have Stayed LockedThe next morning, Clara returned to the Sterling Estate.
She expected to be dismissed.
Instead, Julian was waiting.
"You came back."
"I was told Mrs. Gable wanted to see me."
"She does."
Clara looked toward the mansion.
"I don't understand why."
"Neither do I."
That honesty surprised her.
Julian led her through an older section of the estate.
The walls were covered with family portraits.
At the end of the hallway stood a locked wooden door.
Mrs. Gable was waiting beside it.
She held an old brass key.
"This room hasn't been opened in twenty years."
Clara stared at her.
"Why are you showing me?"
Mrs. Gable inserted the key.
"Because some truths don't disappear simply because people lock them away."
The door opened.
Dust floated through a shaft of morning sunlight.
Inside were old photographs, letters, and documents.
Clara stepped forward.
Then she stopped.
On the wall was a photograph of a young woman.
The resemblance was unmistakable.
The woman's face looked hauntingly familiar.
Clara whispered:
"Who is she?"
May you like
Mrs. Gable answered quietly.
"My daughter."
Related Stories
