A tap sounded at the door to the apartment, and Ivy hurried to answer it. “June is early,” Ivy said to Shelly, who had joined her this morning after a late breakfast. Daisy was sleeping beside her in a portable carrier.
“Hi,” Beth said brightly. “I thought you might like to capture this meeting on film. It would be great on the show.”
For a moment, Ivy was flummoxed. “How did you know about this?”
Beth darted a look at Shelly, who rose quickly.
“Thanks for staying on,” Shelly cut in. “But I told you last night, this is personal.”
Beth frowned with annoyance. “You asked for my help with the DNA search,” she said pointedly. “And you wanted me to film the reunion, so here we are.” She motioned to an assistant behind her, who carried camera equipment.
Ivy started to reply, but Shelly took a step forward. “No, you offered to film the reunion, and I accepted. This meeting is outside of those parameters.”
Ivy suppressed a grin. Clearly, Shelly had read Imani’s email and taken her advice to heart.
But Beth wasn’t backing down. “You signed a release.”
“About that,” Shelly said sweetly. “I sent you an email from my attorney that should clear up everything. She reviewed the documents.”
Ivy smiled, proud of her sister. “We’re so glad you’re enjoying your holiday here, Beth. We can chat later, but we’re expecting someone now.”
“I can’t believe you’re passing up this opportunity to be on TV,” Beth said to Shelly. “It could make your career and take you back to New York. Do you know what people do to get on the Family Archives?”
Shelly put her arm around Ivy. “We’re not like most people. Some things are only for us. And as for my career, I’m happy right where I am.”
Beth shook her head in disgust and turned to her assistant. “We’re out of here.”
After Shelly shut the door firmly behind Beth, Ivy turned to her. “Well done.”
A smile grew on Shelly’s face. “You’re not the only one who inherited Mom’s determination. As for Beth, she’s okay, but she’s not a real friend. She just wanted a segment at our expense.”
“It’s a shame,” Ivy said. “Because I think there’s a genuine person somewhere in there.”
A few minutes later, June arrived. In her hands, she clutched an envelope.
“Welcome back.” Ivy motioned for her to sit on the sofa. She served coffee while June and Shelly spoke.
“I don’t have much time, but I think this might be important,” June said as she opened the envelope and withdrew a folded document. “This is my mother’s birth certificate.” She blushed slightly. “She doesn’t know I took this today.”
“Does she live nearby?” Ivy asked. That might change how they handled this situation.
“Mom lives on Crown Island, too,” June replied.
Ivy took the birth certificate and read it. “This has been amended.”
“Yes, as I mentioned,” June said. “Still, we think the birthdate is correct because my grandmother says my mother was a newborn when she came to them.”
“That’s important,” Ivy said, noting the date. That could help confirm the relationship.
“There’s more,” June said, taking out a thin necklace from which dangled a gold heart. “When my grandparents adopted my mother, the nuns gave them this.”
Ivy leaned forward. “May I see that?”
“Of course.” June passed it to her.
One side was smooth, and Ivy turned it over. A rose was engraved on the other side. The gold was still bright—it looked like a higher gold content that was more common in Europe. But it was the design that intrigued her.
“I’ve seen this before,” Ivy said slowly. “Recently, I discovered a sketch of a woman who wore a necklace like this. My mother and aunt say it was their sister. But she died in an automobile accident.”
“I wonder how common this design was,” Shelly said, leaning over to look at it.
June looked quizzical. “What was her name?”
“Pilar Reina.” Ivy shook her head. “I’m sorry, but I just don’t see how it would have been possible.”
“Maybe Pilar borrowed the necklace,” Shelly said. “Or, what if it was someone else’s?”
Ivy touched Shelly’s hand. “I think it’s time we told Mom about this. She might have some answers.” She handed the necklace back to June.
The younger woman seemed flustered. “Will your mother be upset?”
Ivy and Shelly looked at each other. “Our mother isn’t like that,” Ivy said. “Surprised, maybe. But I promise we’ll figure this out. You and your mother deserve some answers.” And so do we, Ivy thought.
“When will you speak to her?”
Ivy quickly revised her thoughts. “Given that necklace, the sooner, the better.”
Shelly’s eyes loomed large in her face. “It might be easier to figure out with everyone here.”
Slowly, Ivy nodded. Rather than agonizing over this situation, they could resolve it, and perhaps more quickly than they realized. An idea formed in her mind. “Would you excuse me for a few minutes?”
June’s eyes were bright. “Of course, but my mother is waiting for me in the car. May I bring her in? We had a special lunch planned, but I told her I needed to drop something here. She’s talking to a friend on the phone.”
“That’s fine,” Ivy said. She was curious to meet June’s mother, too. “And may I borrow that necklace for a few minutes?”
Ivy made her way upstairs in the main house to her former room and knocked on the door. “Mom, Dad, may I come in?”
Her mother opened the door. “Your father isn’t here, but Maya and I are having coffee and catching up.”
The two women sat in a pair of vintage wingback chairs that Ivy had slip-covered in heavy white cotton and positioned by the window to overlook the sea.
“I hope you don’t think we’re being anti-social, although I have been guilty of that,” Maya said.
Carlotta smiled and clasped her sister’s hand. “We have so much to catch up on that we might bore others around us. We’ve been remembering our sister Pilar today.”
Ivy knew they needed this time to share memories. She was pleased that her mother and aunt were getting along so well—they reminded her of herself and Shelly.
In the pocket of her sundress, Ivy curled her hand around the small necklace. She was so happy for them that she feared bringing up this potentially life-altering news, but she also felt it was her duty.
“Mom, I brought something to show you and Aunt Maya. I’m not sure what to make of it.”
“Well, what is it?” Carlotta asked.
Her heart pounding, Ivy brought out the heart-shaped necklace. “Does this look familiar?”
Carlotta shook her head, but Maya reached for it. “I haven’t seen one like this in years.” She turned it over and stared at the engraved rose. “Flavio gave one like this to Pilar. She hid it from our parents, but she showed it to me. They planned to engrave their names or initials on one side.”
“I recognized it from the sketch,” Ivy said. Now, she was certain they must meet.
“Where did you find this?” Maya asked.
Ivy perched on the arm of her mother’s chair and put her arm across her shoulders. “This is going to sound awfully far-fetched, but Shelly and I need your help.” As she looked at her mother and aunt, the resemblance between them and June came into focus. She could only imagine what June’s mother would look like.
“Would you mind joining Shelly and me for a few minutes?” Ivy asked, trying to rein in her eagerness. “We have two guests I think you’ll want to meet. We can talk over a fresh cup of coffee in my quarters.”