Read The Tale of Halcyon Crane for Free Online Page A

left me alone, closing the door behind her.
    I slid my pajamas out of my suitcase but left the rest of my clothes where they were. Then I took my travel kit into the bathroom, which to my delight was round. Located in one of the inn’s turrets, no doubt. It contained an enormous tiled shower and a Jacuzzi, facing another window overlookingthe lake. Fluffy white towels sat in a stack on the counter, along with candles, soap, shampoo, and lotions.
    Instead of unpacking further, I snuggled into the window seat, pulled one of the afghans over my legs, and stared out across the water. Back home, Puget Sound was my safe haven, the barking of the seals and the lapping of the waves like a sedative to me. Any problems in my life—from high school angst to college uncertainty to my divorce to my dad’s illness—were solved on the seashore, pounded out of existence by the relentless beating of the surf. I got a similar feeling here, looking out over this great lake. There were no seals or whales, but the peacefulness was the same.
    I took a moment to catch my breath, and the enormity of it all hit me—I was actually on my mother’s island, looking at my mother’s lake! This was the place from which my father had fled with me, all those years ago.
    My mind swam with a jumble of thoughts. If I had only been here a few weeks earlier, I’d have met her. If she had just called instead of sending a letter. If she had flown out to see me. If.
    Tears were stinging my eyes. I went into the bathroom, peeled off my clothes, and turned on the tap. A shower would do me good. I tried not to break down, but as I stepped under the stream of water the tears began to flow. I stood there sobbing as I let the water wash away the miles between me and my home, the lies between me and my father, and the regret I felt about my mother.
    Finally, I toweled off, ran a brush through my hair, pulled on a shirt and jeans, and made my way downstairs. I found Mira in the living room with a plate of cheese and crackers,veggies and dips, and some assorted meats. When she spied me coming down the stairs, she poured me a cup of tea and topped off her own.
    She looked at my puffy eyes and splotchy complexion with concern. “Everything okay?”
    “Long day. Long week. Long month.”
    “I hear you.” She smiled. “I thought you’d probably be hungry after your trip so I’ve got a chicken in the oven, but let’s dig into this for now.”
    She had made dinner for me? I hadn’t realized how famished I was. That handful of peanuts on the plane wasn’t much of a lunch. And I hadn’t even thought about finding dinner on an island where most everything was closed up tight for the season.
    “Thank you so much, Mira,” I said, taking a sip of my tea. “I certainly didn’t expect you to do anything like this, but it’s wonderful and much appreciated.”
    “Hey, I’m an innkeeper.” She grinned, clinking her cup with mine. “It’s what I do. I should also give you the particulars of life on the island during the off season.”
    I folded myself into the armchair next to hers.
    “The first thing you should know: Most shops and restaurants are closed for the season.”
    “So I’ve heard,” I said, taking another sip of tea. It tasted comforting and warm. “Is anything still open?”
    “There’s the grocery store, the wine bar on Main Street, the diner where just about everyone congregates for breakfast and lunch, and the Lodge on the other side of the island. There’s Jonah’s Coffee Shop and—let’s see—the library’s open, too. But that’s about it.”
    “That’s more than I was expecting, actually.”
    Mira dug into the cheese and crackers. “So, what brings you to our little island during the gales of November?”
    William Archer had given me express instructions not to discuss my circumstances with anyone. Still, after a somewhat chilly reception, Mira seemed friendly and welcoming. On the other hand, he knew I was staying at this inn; he