Garnet or Garnets Curse

out the door again. I stood up and collected my things to follow her, but I saw her coming back in the door again. This time Robert Shelley was with her.
    I sat back down and lowered my head. Something significant must have transpired from their meeting for her to risk exposing my identity. Maria walked directly to my table. “May we join you?” Both she and Mr. Shelley sat down quickly without waiting for my response. “I believe you two have met,” she said, speaking mainly to Mr. Shelley.
    I raised my head. “Yes, I believe so,” I said.
    “Most definitely,” he confirmed.
    There was silence for a moment and then Maria spoke up cheerfully. “Mr. Shelley, you must feel like you are looking at a ghost.”
    “I can hardly say this lovely aberration before me is a ghost,” he joked nervously.
    “Good, then we have solved a piece of the puzzle already. The deceased girl pictured in the newspaper is an impostor and the real one is living.”
    The waitress came back and handed us the evening menu. Robert did not hesitate to order and we followed suit. During the course of the meal, Robert told us his side of the story.
    I had forgotten that the very morning my father took me away; I had given Mary a note to deliver to Robert. Mary told him I would only be gone a few days, but the next week when he came to visit, Charles told him that I was on an extended holiday.
    Several times he returned, and each time Charles gave him a different story. At last, he was able to speak to Mary, who told him what had happened the day I left. She gave him a letter that she had found in my father’s pocket. It was from Nell agreeing to the terms of my room and board.
    Robert found the whole thing disturbing, but when he began to read in the papers about all my grand social touring, he decided not to interfere. He was sickened when he found out about my supposed death. When the newspapers came out he saw the photo and knew at once it was not me.
    At first, Robert thought of going to the authorities, but he had no proof of fraud. After much consideration, he decided to consult with his attorney and good friend, Aaron Bastille. He found out Aaron had been my aunt’s attorney. In addition, Aaron told Robert about our chance meeting at the cafe, the day I disappeared. He recalled it as
    terribly uncomfortable and the man I was with was overbearing and rude.
    Once Aaron saw the newspaper photo, he, too, knew it was not me. Together they decided to find me. As we spoke, Aaron was in Paris looking for clues and Robert had traced me to the island.
    With the hour late, we followed Robert to the boarding house for the night. It was decided that Maria and I would take up lodging at Robert’s home. We would consult with Aaron and come up with a plan to regain my home and my life.
    Robert thought he knew the facts, but Maria and I knew there was something more. That night I prayed I would never have to tell him about the curse.

    Chapter XIV
    The Golden Ones

    The next morning when we awoke, Maria was suffering from a migraine with accompanying dizziness. She felt unfit to drive the carriage and my only travel knowledge was to follow the Loire River. We welcomed Robert’s offer to hook his horse to the carriage and drive us. He said it would be a pleasure to have conversation and assured us we would arrive at his chateau before dark.
    Robert was a handsome man with ivory complexion and auburn hair. His facial features were of even proportion and he possessed a fine athletic build. Listening to him talk about his childhood and his family’s winery was fascinating. Often he stopped and pointed out attractions along the way to me—a deer or tree or flowering shrubbery. I was impressed with his knowledge of the countryside and was seduced by his soft sensual voice. Sitting next to Robert was a welcomed distraction from my troubles until he began to talk about his lineage.
    I was to learn that he was a descendant of the noble French family Auro, otherwise known as the golden ones. He was also the 7th generation to live at Chateau-du-Loir. His grandfather inherited the estate when the last of the Auros died. However, there were some that contested the inheritance, since his grandfather descended through the illegitimate son of Count Auro and his mistress. To complicate matters, the grandfather received a mysterious letter warning him a curse would be bestowed upon him and his family the moment he took ownership.
    “Was there a curse?” I