our booth and needed help. A line of cars clogged Atoka Road waiting to get through the south gate, which we had turned into the temporary main entrance for the reenactment. B.J. had arranged for a Scout troop to help manage parking and the sheriff’s department had a cruiser sitting at the gate. I didn’t recognize the officer leaning against his car eating what looked like a pork barbecue sandwich, but he waved me past the backup once I explained who I was.
Since my last visit, the place had taken on a carnival-like atmosphere. The VFW had set up a canteen-style trailer between the parking lot and the camps, where they sold hot food next to a homemade lemonade and limeade stand run by the Friends of the Loudoun Museum. The business association gave out bottles of water.
It was a sedate, well-mannered crowd that seemed to consist mostly of families with children. Some were dressed in period clothing, but they moved easily and unself-consciously around the booths as though there were nothing special about their attire. Many congregated at the sutlers’ tents—merchants who traveled from one reenactment to another selling Civil War goods.
I walked down the alley of large circus-sized tents, peering into open tent flaps at displays of uniforms, tents, cooking utensils, candles, quills, and other old-fashioned items heaped on wooden tables. A lace parasol draped over a tent stay fluttered in the breeze next to a hand-painted sign that read “Virginia Sutlery: Fine Purveyor of All Things Period.” Inside, a table lined with oversized mason jars of bright-colored penny candy caught my eye. Gina had a sweet tooth and she’d been working nonstop. I filled a bag with lemon drops, rock candy, and jelly beans, and was getting out money to pay for it when I heard a familiar female voice. Annabel Chastain.
“Oh, look. They’ve got licorice sticks,” she said, as I turned and saw her standing in the doorway with Sumner.
“That’s nice.” He sounded bored.
What brought them here? I’d thought Sumner had said they were leaving Atoka. Annabel caught sight of me and said something in her husband’s ear.
“Look, dear, here’s Lucie.” Her smile seemed strained.
“I didn’t realize you were coming to the reenactment,” I said.
“I’ll be outside, Annie,” Sumner said, without greeting me. “Come find me when you’re done shopping.”
“We were visiting your next-door neighbor,” Annabel said. “We saw all the cars as we were driving back to the Fox & Hound. I thought it might be fun to stop by. I didn’t realize it was going to be such a big event.”
Neither of my immediate neighbors was at home. The Orlandos were in Hong Kong on business. Mick Dunne, my ex-lover, was home in England visiting his ailing mother.
“Visiting my neighbor?” I said.
“Mick Dunne. Sumner is looking at one of his jumpers,” she said. “We’re considering purchasing it.”
I’d forgotten that Tyler had mentioned something about the Chastains looking at a horse.
“Mick’s in London,” I said.
“No, he and Selena returned from Cannes about a week ago.”
“Really?” Selena? His sister? Did he have a sister?
“Such a beautiful young woman. They make quite a good-looking couple. Seem so happy together.” Annabel’s eyes narrowed and she gave me a shrewd look. “Oh, dear. Have I said something inappropriate? I didn’t realize you and Mick had a history—”
How had she guessed about us?
“We have a business relationship.” I cut her off. “He’s starting a vineyard and we’ve been helping him out. I’d better pay for this. Excuse me.”
I turned to the cashier. “How much do I—?”
Behind me Annabel gasped as though she’d been stabbed by a sharp pain and cried out.
“You all right, ma’am?” the cashier asked.
“Mrs. Chastain,” I said. “Annabel. What is it? A heart attack? I’ll get your husband.”
“No, no—” She clutched her chest with both hands and her eyes were wide with shock. “Don’t.”
“She ought to sit down,” the cashier said.
“Can you get her to that chair over there while I find her husband?” I asked. “He’s probably right outside.”
But as I looked through the tent flap at the passersby, the only person I recognized was Eli, who was talking to someone dressed in a Confederate officer’s uniform. Sumner had vanished into the crowd.
“Eli! Can you come in here for a minute?” I called to him.
Behind me, Annabel moaned. “No, please. I don’t need help. Thank you all the same. Not him.”
“What’s going on?” Eli showed up at my elbow.
“This is Annabel Chastain,” I said. “She’s not well.”
“Let’s get her to that chair over there.”
The cashier transferred Annabel to his stronger arms.
“It’s okay, ma’am,” he said. “You’re going to be fine.”
Eli guided her to the wooden chair as the cashier shooed away curious spectators. Annabel still looked pale and she hadn’t taken her eyes off Eli.
“You’re Leland’s son, aren’t you?” Her voice was soft.
Eli nodded. “Is there somebody—”
“No, no. Just give me a minute.”
As I watched her stare at Eli, I knew now what she’d said a moment ago when she’d cried out. My father’s name. She’d seen Eli before I had. He was a double for Leland, just like I resembled my mother.
Which meant that at least part of her story had been a lie.
Chapter 21
Sumner Chastain appeared at his wife’s side and took charge, brushing me away like he was swatting an insect. He bent over Annabel, but not before he fixed me with a frozen look that implied I’d caused whatever was wrong with her. Eli had vanished to fetch a bottle of water, so it was just the three of us.
“You all right, darling?”
“I’m fine.” Annabel’s voice sounded stronger. “It was nothing. The heat got to me, probably. It’s a bit close in here. If we could just leave—”
Sumner helped Annabel to her feet.
“Thanks,” he said to me. “I’ll take care of this.”
I had to hand it to her. Perfect timing—or terrific luck—that Sumner hadn’t been there when she first saw Eli. If I could read that anguished look of love and longing on her face, Sumner would have figured it out in a flash. Somehow I didn’t think Annabel wanted Sumner to know she still had such strong feelings for my father.
After they left, Eli returned with the water. “Where is she?”
“Her husband whisked her away,” I said.
“She didn’t look too good.”
“That’s because she saw you. And you reminded her of Leland.”
Eli had been rolling the bottle between his hands. He stopped doing that and looked pained.
“What are you trying to say?”
“She’s still in love with Leland. It was written all over her face.”
“He’s dead and she’s married.”
“But it means she lied to Bobby.”
“So?”
“She didn’t dump Leland. He dumped her. Maybe she lied about other things, too. Maybe she killed Beau and got Leland to help her bury his body. Now after all this time, she gets her revenge. Sets up Leland as the killer and
