"I've so many questions," Stuart whispered, "if they got away from everything and everyone, how did the elder brother find them? Why did he send his brother off with pirates?"

Sage chuckled, "All of that. I'm sure there is an answer, but I found out why the older brother and his wife demanded Charlotte was to leave."

Stuart straightened, frowning, but didn't stop her from continuing.

"When the brother arrived and discovered his younger brother and his family living on a beautiful beach without a care in the world, you can imagine his anger, hatred and the conditioning of decades kicking in," Sage said, "part of Charlotte's birthright is that her family is to live on this island, they may never leave permanently but must be present at all times the older brother must have known or was told so he got rid of his younger brother and rightful authority and since they looked alike I'm guessing he thought it would be easy to dupe the people of this place, but the wife wouldn't have Charlotte still being the woman of the house, and therefore they told her to leave and never return."

"But Charlotte never left," Stuart said, "that much we know."

"Correct," Sage nodded, "I'm not nearly finished putting together what I have found to make any sense, but I have documents proving that the land, the house and the estate awarded to Charlotte's father all that time ago are all part of the birthright."

Stuart blinked, "Do you think they know that? "

"They could," Sage whispered, "I have to dig deeper, but what I have uncovered so far can put an end to all of this ... I ... need to find someone I can trust that will look after a copy of all the documentation I have put together."

Stuart stilled, "What are you talking about?"

"I'm asking ... you to please hold onto the documents proving that this cove, the straight in front of it and the house all belong to Charlotte's family. If these documents get into the wrong hands, everything Charlotte did and put into place to safeguard the cove, her heritage and the people who live here will be for nothing," Sage said, pulling out a thick folder, "it's a dangerous bundle of material to have. However, I guessed since you have all this history and still keep the secrets of the cove from those who don't need to know, you love this place and the people as much as Charlotte did, you would be the best place to leave these documents."

"You said copy," Stuart whispered, "you have these documents. Why not give them to the authorities?"

"If the information is discovered or handed to the wrong people, there could be no more Coopers Cove," Sage said, "what is in the folder needs to be told to the world at the right time to the right people and without it being tampered with, terminated or tainted in any way."

"It sounds like a live bombshell between these covers," Stuart murmured, looking at Sage, "I'll look after them with my life, just as I have this cove and the people that live here."

Sage exhaled, "Thank you," she smiled, "now you said something about tea."

"I did," Stuart said, opening the bottom drawer on his desk and placing the file into the safe found there, "that should keep them safe."

If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

"Don't you think the people would think it's weird that you've locked your home, but you're here," Sage said as they moved into the kitchen at the far end of the house, "do you often lock yourself in here even with visitors?"

Stuard chuckled, "I do. When I'm cleaning or maintaining items, I lock the house up so I don't have any interruptions, and that way, secrets stay secrets, and nothing is lost or broken."

"That makes sense," Sage nodded, moving through the large, airy, cool room toward the door opening onto a courtyard. The four walls were all part of the house; the mosaic tile pieces on the floor gave it a quaint Mediterranean feel while the white beams of wood overhead held a thriving grapevine, "this is beautiful."

Stepping into the courtyard, she turned in a circle, taking in the potted plants in various spots on the ground or hanging on the walls.

"It's so cool out here," Sage said as Stuart followed with the tea tray, "how is that so ... it's hot in the square and on the beach."

"Its coolness comes from being shielded from the sun by the rocks not far from here," Stuart said, "remember I told Jeffery before that Maddy and you had taken the hill trail and had left by the back door ..." he paused as Sage nodded, accepting a cup of tea and sinking into a wide wooden chair, covered with thick cushions, "well the last part is true."

"I see, so if I left by the back door, I could get to the hill trail?" Sage asked.

"You ... could," Stuart said, "but why would you want to?"

"Curiosity," Sage smiled, "I've found that no matter what I do, I've always been incurably curious. Always with a question, want to know why? Drove my family nuts."

"I can imagine," Stuart said, chuckling, "like a grown version of a child who constantly asks why no matter what you say."

"I suppose I could be similar to that," Sage said, smiling, "but it never bothered Grandmother; she answered every question no matter what I asked."

"That must be nice," Stuart chuckled, looking at his watch, "what are you going to do this afternoon?"

"Since I am here and don't have anything set to do today," Sage said, "I was thinking of finding that hill trail and walking it, but I would like to know more about it."

She waited, noting that Stuart had become silently watchful of her every move.

"Is something wrong?" Sage asked.

"Why do you want to take the hill trail?" Stuart asked.

"I understand that the town graveyard is up there," Sage said, "I've heard so much about it I thought I may be able to fill out my knowledge base a little by taking a walk up there and having a look around, then follow it down to the house in time for dinner."

"I suppose that cannot hurt," Stuart said, "you need to be extremely careful as people have slipped and fallen; it's not called the hill trail for nothing ..." Stuart sighed, "... many a good person hasn't seen it coming and fallen to their death."

"That is awful," Sage murmured, undeterred by the horror tale, "I'll be double careful."

"Good," Stuart said, nodding, "since you've been here, I'm sure you have many questions about this place."

"I do," Sage said, her eyes sparkling, "I saw in the marketplace that strange statue of a hen," she paused as Stuart burst out laughing, "Why is that statue there? What is it for?"

"That ..." Stuart chuckled, wiping his streaming eyes and gasping as he continued to laugh, "... that's not a statue, that is Hilda the Hen."

"What do you mean it's not a statue?" Sage asked, her eyes widening, "It doesn't move ... it stands there staring at you and doesn't move."

Gasping as he laughed heartily, Stuart nodded but was unable to speak.

"Hilda the Hen ..." Sage whispered, "you mean that is an actual hen ... it's alive?"

Stuart wiped his face with a napkin before nodding, "Oh my goodness, I've never heard of calling Hilda a statue. She is an actual hen and very much alive."

"Okay, you need to tell me everything about that hen," Sage said, grinning, "and don't leave anything out.